This is a very frequently asked one. The answer is that if you use a Grout Sealer then this will help keep the grout looking like new for a longer period of time. It will also make the cleaning process much easier because any dirt will be kept at the surface and hence will be easier to wipe away. Using grout sealer will also prevent the growth of mildew because the pores in the grout will be sealed and make it much tougher for mildew and mould spores to prosper.
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.Tile and Stone Maintenance
Category: Stain Removal (Page 2 of 3)
When Porcelain tiles were first launched, they were produced by just a few companies in Italy and they set pretty exacting standards. The resulting products had the following typical characteristics:
- The tiles were much more dense and harder-wearing
- They could be coloured in a much greater variety of shades, opening up design possibilities
- They had extremely low water absorption figures for example, they could have a WA figure of 0.5% or lower compare this with 2 -3 % for a typical unglazed quarry tile of the time.
- All the advantages of being unglazed (better slip resistance, harder wearing) without the colour or design restrictions
- They could also be glazed
These first generation porcelain tiles were easy to keep clean and in general were so dense and non-porous that they did not need sealing. However, things have changed, a lot. In future articles I will discuss each of the issues in greater detail but for now at least anyone considering buying porcelain (and as more and more factories are switching to porcelain production, it almost unavoidable) should be aware of the following ‘potential’ issues.
As the popularity of porcelain has grown, and with the growth in the worldwide economies, there has been huge increase in porcelain production, all over the world; the biggest producer now by far is no longer Italy but China. With this proliferation, comes a greater variety of standards and quality control. Companies looking for a competitive advantage or areas where they can cut costs can take seemingly small short-cuts or use lower cost raw materials and/or production equipment and machinery, all of which can result in issues such as:
- Staining, due to exposed micro pores in polished porcelain
- Fine scratches due to poor polishing quality control
- White marks fused to the surface (from ‘kiln release’ transfer off the back of the next ‘tile in the stack’)
- Grid-mark impression in the face. Again from the back of adjacent tiles
- General cleaning issues of standard finish porcelain due to micro-surface texture
- Factory-applied wax coatings that can be difficult to remove
- Residues from factory-applied nano-sealers
In future articles, I will look at the causes and some possible solutions to these issues but for now the phrase “buyer beware” comes to mind.
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.Some detailed instructions with regard to cleaning slate floors:
If the slate floor is adversely covered in cement or grout residue:
1. Use water to pre-wet the floor.
2. Apply some phosphoric acid-type cleaner solution to the floor – mixed with 1 part cleaner to 5 parts water to begin. (You can use a stronger mix if required). **PLEASE NOTE: Always conduct a small test on a relatively inconspicuous section of the floor first, before you begin.
3. Leave the cleaner to dwell on the floor for a few minutes
4. Agitate the floor and cleaning solution with a scrubbing brush (nylon bristle and not metal).
5. Soak up the cleaning solution remaining on the floor. Rinse well with fresh water, agitating again so you can get rid of any residual acid cleaner.
6. Make an assessment of the floor at this stage. You may need to apply an additional treatment of the cleaner.
If your slate floor only requires routine cleaning we would recommend a neutral cleaner like Ezy Clean by All for Stone – this is a mild cleaner and is safe and suitable for cleaning slate on a regular basis.
For more intensive slate cleaning, where the dirt is not mineral- based, we would recommend the use of a heavy-duty alkaline cleaner like Xtreme Clean. This a powerful cleaner and degreasing solution. When applied to the floor, leave to dwell for between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on how bad the contamination. Then agitate by scrubbing with a nylon or natural bristle scrubbing brush. Clean up remaining the dirty solution and rinse well with clean water.
The critical elements here are the dwell time and the rinsing. Alkaline-cleaning solutions need time to work. Once you have “extracted” the dirt from the floor it will be suspended in the solution so you absolutely must remove it – on no account leave it to dry naturally.
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.Cleaning slate isn’t too difficult. It’s vital, however,to know what kind of dirt or contaminant you are trying to remove before you can make a decision as to which cleaning product is best suitable.
Slate comes in many different colours and finishes. Some of these are smooth whereas others have a textured surface. Undoubtedly, slate is a very popular material for flooring right now.
Slate generally has good resistance to mild acids so this gives you a much wider choice of cleaning materials than you would have with more acid-sensitive stones like limestone or marble.
So, how do we go about cleaning our slate floor?
First, you need to check whether the contaminant is mineral based? e.g. grout staining, cement, rust or general dirt. If it is, you would be advised to use a mild acid cleaner such as one based on phosphoric acid, for example, Grout Haze Plus . Beware though as any acid cleaner may etch the grout also.
In most other situations where you have, for example, general dirt and grime, wax, oil or a general build-up of old polishes etc. I would recommend using a strong alkaline cleaner such as Xtreme Clean for periodic intensive cleaning. For everyday cleaning, I’d recommend using a mild, neutral cleaner.
Here’s an Expert’s 6 – Step Guide to Cleaning Slate:
1. Ensure your slate is protected with a high-quality sealer: either an impregnating sealer such as Seal Gold+ which will give you a natural look with a mat finish and below surface stain protection. Or, if you prefer the look of wet slate, in so far as the darker colours, but still want a natural, mat, no-sheen finish, then look a good quality enhancing sealer such as Enhance ‘N’ Seal. Alternatively, you can use a coating sealer for a pleasant low sheen gloss which really helps any ongoing cleaning.
2. You must eliminate all grit – this is the major cause of all wear to slate floors. Ideally, place a dust mat both inside and outside the room which will help remove grit from shoes and prevent it from spreading to the slate floor.
3. Sweep and vacuum the slate floor regularly. This will also help remove grit from the surface of the floor.
4. Mop up and soak up isolated spillages as they happen. You shouldn’t leave strong contaminants such as coffee or wine to dwell on a slate floor.
5. Wash the slate regularly intervals using a mild, neutral cleaner. This will clean the slate but it won’t damage the stone, grout or the sealer used.
6. Less frequently, carry out a deep clean. For this, we recommend using a high alkaline cleaner. More in Part 2.
Update 22/01/13 – Check out this case study on cleaning slate
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.Follow Ian on Twitter
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