Horizon Carpet, Upholstery, Tile & Grout Cleaners, Inc.

Proper Tile & Grout Floor Cleaning

Everyone knows how easy it is to clean your tile floor. Simply sweep & mop with either plain water or pour a little white vinegar in your mop water, right? Not so fast! That may have been the way we cleaned our no wax & vinyl floors, but that is definitely a no-no on hard ceramic or for that matter, any floor that has grout between each tile. Vinegar is corrosive to the grout. Eventually, it will eat away at your grout and cause your grout to crack. We need to listen to qualified professionals for the correct information. Carpets, Upholstery & Tile Floors is our life. We love what we do & we love the gratification of seeing our customers so happy!

After we have cleaned & restored your floors, proper cleaning maintenance is the key to keeping your floor looking clean and beautiful, These are the few basic rules.

1. Sweeping is fine if your not planning on wet or damp mopping afterwards, that day.
2. Thoroughly vacuuming your tile & grout is the only way to clean your floor prior to wet cleaning.
3. The only cleaning agent to ever mix in your mop bucket with water is a Neutral Floor Cleaner that specifically says the word neutral or has the number seven on the label
   ( 7 = neutral on a PH scale )
4. Proper mopping technique is to use a 24 ounce string mop. Wring less then half of the water out of the mop so that the floor is pretty wet. Mop one section (no more then a 5 x 10 foot area) at a time. Then wring mop tight and pick up the water left by the first mopping. Continue this procedure on the next section of floor until finished. Also, change your mop water about every 400 to 500 square feet. It is also a good idea to clean your floor with plain clear water every other cleaning.

Use protective mats:
Good quality entry and exit mats will help protect your ceramic tile from premature wear. They trap the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that would otherwise be tracked onto your floor. Mats are also suggested at heavy pivot locations, such as in front of your kitchen sink or stove & refrigerator.
Bob Mistretta