About Me

Planning and Executing Construction and Contracting Projects: Tips for Consumers

Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!

Planning and Executing Construction and Contracting Projects: Tips for Consumers

Questions to Ask About Cleaning Tile and Grout in Your Home

by Samantha Russell

When you're ready to have your home's floors cleaned, you don't want to overlook the tile and grout in the kitchen, bathroom, and elsewhere. Many homeowners think about having their carpets professionally steam cleaned but then don't consider the state of their tile floors or the tile in their shower areas. Note a few questions you might have about getting this job done and then discuss this with a professional floor cleaner so you can determine if you should schedule the job for your home.

1. Why not clean the tile yourself with a scrub brush?

If a professional floor cleaner has said that it's not recommended you clean the tile and grout yourself with a good scrub brush, this isn't just because they want your business. Scrub brushes can easily scratch soft and porous tiles and also soft grout between the tiles. Not only can this leave unsightly scratches on your tiles, but it can also mean creating tiny pits and grooves in the grout that can allow dirt and debris to settle in. Your surfaces will then look dirtier but also holds more bacteria and other contaminants. A professional cleaner with the right tools, disinfectants, and other cleaning agents can be the better option.

Note too that a professional floor cleaner will usually seal grout and tile after it's been cleaned. This is to add a layer of protection over the materials so that they don't hold extra dirt and grime and so that they are stronger against breaking and cracking. Trying to add sealant yourself can often mean adding too much so that water collects around the sealant, or not adding enough so that the tile and grout are not protected.

2. Can tile and grout cleaning be done at the same time as carpet shampooing?

This would be up to your contractor or professional you hire, but note that the machines used for tile and grout are typically different than those used for carpet cleaning. Some contractors may use a steam cleaner for both surfaces, but the detergents and cleansers used for carpeting is often different than those used for grout and tile. A contractor may need to use different machines to deliver these different detergents. The brushes used for tile and grout may also need to be different than those used for carpet shampooing. Because of this, don't be surprised if your contractor tells you that they need to schedule different times for your different surfaces, or if the job takes longer than you expect because they need to swap out machines and accessories.

For more information, contact Riteway Cleaning Services or a similar company.

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