INTRODUCTION

This article covers the basic cleaning of man made, scratch resistant, non-porous tile where the grout is the original color and there are no coatings on the surface. This will describe the majority of tile you will encounter in both commercial and residential settings. Topical coatings, re-colored grout, soft or porous tile each present different complications that will be discussed in other Technical Bulletins.

Before beginning your cleaning, go to an inconspicuous corner and see if there is a coating that can be scraped off the surface of the tile. Also check to see if you can easily scratch the surface of the tile with a steel knife. If either of these conditions exits, there are additional steps you will need to take that are not covered in this Technical Bulletin.

Place water on the tile and grout and watch for absorption. The water will sit on the surface of a non-porous tile (which determines that you can use this process), but will absorb readily into unsealed and uncoated grout. If water absorbs into the tile, a somewhat different process is called for. If water does not readily absorb into grout, then check again for a surface coating. If there is none, then the grout has been sealed and should clean up easily.

Quick Guide

PROCEDURE Identify the tile. Pre-spray with Spinergy 11 and allow 5-10 minutes dwell time. Extract with Spinergy 7 using an SX-12 and/or Gekko tool. Dry with an Air Mover. PRODUCTS NEEDED Spinergy 11 OmniPro Cordless Sprayer or Pump Up Sprayer Spinergy 7 Viper Venom Corner And Edge Brush Gekko Tool with Corner/Edge Attachment SX-12 Air Mover

PROCEDURE

STEP 1:
Identify the tile. Procedures for this are outlined in another technical bulletin.

STEP 2:
Prepare for cleaning by sweeping, vacuuming, or dust mopping the floor to remove any grit and particles of soil.

Protect surrounding floors, carpets, appliances and other surfaces. You don't want your cleaning solution to splash onto surfaces other than the floor being cleaned. Even painted walls and baseboards must be protected. Be especially cautious of baseboard constructed of MDF. These can swell out of shape if the bottom or back surface gets wet.

STEP 3:
Pre-spray an area of up to 100 sq ft with a solution of Viper Venom. Spinergy 11 can also be used if there is not a lot of oily soil present. Spinergy 11 contains no solvents. Mix according to label directions and use an OmniPro cordless sprayer or a pump up sprayer.

Allow 5 to 10 minutes dwell time. Be sure to apply enough solution so that it will not dry out before you have agitated and rinsed.

STEP 4:
Agitate grout lines using a grout brush.

STEP 5:
Extract with Spinergy 7 using SX2 and your equipment set at 800 to 1200 psi.

STEP 6:
Clean edges with a Gekko tool and Edge and Corner attachment.

STEP 7:
Quick dry with an Air Mover.

STEP 8:
Once the floor is dry you are ready to apply a quality grout sealer.

CAUTION! -
Check for loose or weak grout before cleaning. Use your knife and poke in several area, checking for consistent strength of the grout.

HELPFUL HINTS -
Heat, around 140°F, is helpful, but don't worry if you don't have as much heat available. A couple of minutes of additional dwell time will allow the chemical to compensate for the lack of heat.

CONCLUSION
To keep their pricing competitive, not all cleaning techs include the application of grout sealer as part of their basic tile and grout cleaning package. Whether it is included in the basic price or priced separately it is important to include sealing.

Unsealed grout can stain easily. Over time, stains can penetrate so deeply into the grout that they become difficult or impossible to remove. Do your customers and your bottom line a favor by including this service on every job. Normally the profit for sealing is equal or greater than the profit made for cleaning. So you will be doing yourself a favor too.