Ceramic Tile Cleaning

Mouldy Ensuite Shower Tile Grout Before After Renovation Chelford

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle in Chelford

I was asked by a Chelford homeowner (near Alderley Edge) to renovate their Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle which had an unsightly mould problem. They say pictures speak louder than words, so I’ve added some photos on this page which show how the grout and silicone sealant had become discoloured with mould over the ten years since it was installed.

Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Chelford Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Chelford

Mould likes damp warm areas and shower cubicles make a perfect habitat for it, grout especially can be a problem due to its cementitious rough surface that mould can get a grip on. In this case the ventilation in the ensuite was inadequate and ideally there should have been an extraction vent over the cubicle itself. My advice in these situations is to leave doors and windows open after showering and to run the cold water afterwards.

Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Chelford Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Chelford

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To renovate the Tile and Grout I sprayed on Tile Doctor Duo-Clean which was left to soak into the grout line for ten minutes before being scrubbed in by hand. The Ceramic tiles cleaned quite easily but the grout had to be scrubbed hard and needed several applications before I was satisfied.

The whole shower needed treating in this fashion and once rinsed and dried I set about stripping out all the old silicone sealant that had also been badly affected by mould. This is done carefully using a sharp knife. I removed the debris and moved onto applying a fresh mould resistant silicone sealant.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

Last step before leaving was to spray the Ceramic tile and especially the Grout and Silicone with a can of Tile Doctor Aerosol Grout Sealer. This doesn’t last as long as other sealants in the Tile Doctor range but its quick to apply, especially on wall tiles. The sealer ensures water will run straight off the walls into the shower tray and it also makes the shower easier to clean later.

Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle After Renovation Chelford Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle After Renovation Chelford

The shower looked like a new installation by the time I had finished, and my client was delighted with the transformation. He was also thankful that I had replaced the silicone, this was something he had considered doing himself but applying it does take practice and you can get yourself into a mess.

 

Professional Renovation of an Ensuite Shower Cubicle in East Cheshire

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Ceramic Floor Tile Grout Before After Cleaning Wilmslow

Restoring White Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Wilmslow

I was contacted by a lady in Wilmslow who had a ceramic tiled floor that had been installed around eight years ago with white grout. Any tiler will tell you that white floor grout gets dirty very quickly and most advise against it. You can seal the grout which will protect it for longer however even sealers wear down over time, especially on a busy floor. Cleaning is also an option but unless done frequently it will start to darken. This was the case with this floor and now eight years later the Ceramic Tiles which are protected by a glaze still looked good but were being let down by the grout which had indeed become black.

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout Before Cleaning Wilmslow Ceramic Floor Tile Grout Before Cleaning Wilmslow

My customer had been cleaning the floor on a regular basis but was now unhappy with the appearance of the tiles due to the dark grout and wanted the colour restored. Grout cleaning is not an issue and I was happy to do that however it will only improve by 75-80% of how it was when new and I cannot guarantee the removal of deep-seated staining. The only way to get it 100% and looking like new was to apply our Tile Doctor White Grout Colourant which is a hard-wearing epoxy covering that adheres to the grout, restoring the colour whilst protecting it. Keeping that as an option my customer asked for the grout cleaning and sealing service that we offer. This involves deep cleaning the grout and then sealing it to prevent the dirt from becoming ingrained again. We agreed we could always look at recolouring the grout later if necessary.

Cleaning the Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout During Steam Cleaning Wilmslow Ceramic Floor Tile Grout During Cleaning Wilmslow

To deep clean the grout I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go across the floor, I left it to soak into the grout for ten to twenty minutes and then scrubbed it in with a stiff hand brush and followed up with a high pressure steam cleaner. The slurry was vacuumed off the floor using a wet/dry vacuum and the process reapplied where needed. This process really got a lot of the dirt out of the grout and returned the white colour transforming the appearance of the floor.

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout During Cleaning Wilmslow

Sealing Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

The grout was left to dry for a few hours and then sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is carefully applied onto the grout line using a pipette. Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal is a natural look sealer that is almost invisible, as a result it does not darken the look of the grout. Sealing the grout in will protect it from staining and ensure it keeps its white appearance for much longer.

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout After Cleaning Wilmslow Ceramic Floor Tile Grout After Cleaning Wilmslow

My customer was very happy to see her white grout restored and so didn’t require the application of a Grout Colourant this time. She did say she would recommend us to friends and neighbours which is always a bonus!

 

Professional Restoration of the Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in East Cheshire

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Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Wall Before After Renovation Handforth

Bathroom Shower Tile & Grout Renovation in Handforth

The pictured Ceramic tiled bath with a shower over was installed eight years prior at a house in the Cheshire town of Handforth. They had cleaned it regularly, but the client was not able to remove all the stains from the grout along with the soap scum which was present on both the tiles and the bath.

Bathroom Shower Tile Before Cleaning Handforth

Despite their best efforts with all varieties of household cleaner, the bathroom looked dirty and uninviting, the grout was getting discoloured in some places and there was lots of soap residue and limescale on the bathtub and taps.

I visited site and discussed with them the process, I was very confident that we could get the bathroom clean again without too much trouble and within one day. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a mutually convenient time to return.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower

To get the tiles clean I used a combination of Tile Doctor Duo Clean on the grout and then a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go on the soap scum, this product also draws out ingrained stains and removes heavy grease build-up. With some help from a professional steamer that had a grout attachment I was able to give the area a very deep clean

The soap scum was particularly difficult to remove but the combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, the steamer and lots of elbow grease we got the job done.

Bathroom Shower Tile During Cleaning Handforth

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower Floor

Although Ceramic tiles are factory sealed, after cleaning I dried the tile and grout with a heat gun and then sealed with Tile Doctor Wall Tile Aerosol Sealer. This would ensure the grout was sealed and it also ensures that water runs straight off the tile.

The last step was to strip out the old silicone sealant that ran around between the bathtub and the tiles and replace with new in white.

Bathroom Shower Tile After Cleaning Handforth

The work was completed in less than a day and the customer was very happy with their revamped bathroom. It now looked a lot more inviting and more like it had when it was installed. I also suggested they should use Tile Doctor Aqua Pro to maintain the tile and grout going forward, its designed for cleaning bathroom tile and will help prevent the build-up much more effectively than the household cleaners they had been using previously. It also has a fresh lemon scent which leaves the room smelling clean and fresh.

Bathroom Shower Tile After Cleaning Handforth

 

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower in East Cheshire

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