tile cleaning

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning Henley-on-Thames

Deep Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Kitchen Tiles in Henley-on-Thames

This customer from the picturesque town of Henley on Thames got in touch to ask about cleaning and sealing her Ceramic tiled kitchen floor. Now Ceramic tiles are glazed and so normally won’t absorb a sealer so intrigued I scheduled a time to pop over and take a look. When I got here I could see the tiles were in deed dirty but as I suspected they were not Ceramic but micro porous Porcelain which does need to be sealed. In this case the sealer had worn off and dirt had become ingrained in the tiny pores of the tile.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Henley on Thames
The tiles were a Terracotta style Porcelain, but this was hardly recognisable due to the accumulation of dirt. I discussed all of this with the owner and agreed I would give the tile and grout a thorough deep clean and then reseal them to ensure the dirt was kept out of the pores in the Porcelain going forward.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Style Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

As well as cleaning the floor I would need to remove any trace of original sealer if I was to achieve a consistent appearance later. To achieve this, I soaked the tile in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was then left it to dwell for ten minutes, so it could get to work on breaking down old sealers and dirt.

The next stage was to work the Pro-Clean into the floor with a rotary floor buffer running on slow speed fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The cleaning solution soon changed colour with the dirt that became released. The floor was rinsed with water and the soiled cleaning solution extracted using a wet vacuum. The grout given the same treatment but this time by hand using a stiff brush and more Pro-Clean.

The floor was then rinsed again with water and then dried with a wet vacuum. Being micro-porous Porcelain, this didn’t take as long as clay tiles such natural Terracotta or Victorian.

Sealing a Terracotta Style Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was then left to dry and I returned later to re-seal it for which I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a natural look sealer that protects the tile from within by impregnating the pores in the tile with sealant thus preventing dirt from becoming trapped there.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Henley on Thames
I think you will agree the floor now looks much cleaner and fresher, certainly my customer was happy with transformation and left the following note on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“My manky old kitchen floor is absolutely transformed. So much easier, quicker and cheaper than getting the floor replaced. Andrew did an amazing job, highly recommended. Yvonne B, Henley”

 

Deep Cleaning and Sealing a Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Buckinghamshire

Deep Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Kitchen Tiles in Henley-on-Thames Read More »

Porcelain Floor After Cleaning in Buckingham

Tile Cleaning and Grout Re-Colouring of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen in Buckingham

Grout is an incredibly important feature of tiled floors, not just from a structural perspective, but from an aesthetic perspective too. If the grout lines are dirty and stained, it ruins the overall look of the floor. It’s important to try and keep them clean, but with grout being rough in nature it does attract dirt and if left un-checked it can easily get to the point where cleaning becomes very difficult.

A good case in point was this Porcelain tiled kitchen floor at a property in the historic university town of Buckingham. The floor had been installed approximately eight years prior and while during this time the property owner had made the best efforts to keep the tiles clean, the dirt and grime had begun to build up – particularly in the grout lines.

I visited the property to see what could be done, starting with an initial test clean with a strong solution of our high alkaline cleaner, Tile Doctor Pro Clean. The tiles came up beautifully, but due to the extreme porosity of the grout, some of the dirt had been absorbed too deeply into the grout to get it completely clean.

Porcelain Floor Before Cleaning in Buckingham

The customer was worried that this would mean ripping all the grout out and re-grouting, which is a messy and time consuming process. As an alternative, I advised him that recolouring the grout would be the better option, using one of the excellent grout colorants made by Tile Doctor which are available in ten popular colours.

These products not only restore a clean and uniform appearance to the grout, they also provide a waterproof barrier which prevents any dirt and grime from penetrating the grout in the future. The recolouring process is a relatively quick, affordable, and a tidy alternative to re-grouting.

Cleaning Porcelain Tiles and Grout

Impressed by the efficiency of the Pro Clean product and the cleanliness of the test patch, the customer requested that we go ahead and deep clean the tiles and re-colour the grout.

The work took two days. On the first day, we deep cleaned all the tiles and grout using the same strong solution of Pro-Clean. The solution was applied to the floor and left to dwell for approximately ten minutes and from there I used a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad to loosen the soil from the tiles.

Once the floor had been thoroughly scrubbed, I used our wet pick up and rinsing machine to remove all the dirty water, and rinse the floor with clean water.

Porcelain Floor During Cleaning in Buckingham

Next we moved on to cleaning the grout. I started by applying Tile Doctor Pre-Treatment Cleaner and left it for approximately 15 minutes before scrubbing it in by hand using a stiff grout brush.

This process serves two purposes: firstly, it helps to remove as much dirt as possible from the grout lines prior to re-colouring and secondly, the acidity in the product etches the grout slightly, helping to make a better bond with the Grout Colourant.

Once the process was complete, I rinsed and dried the floor one more time and left it to dry off overnight.

Recolouring Grout

The next morning, I returned to colour and seal the grout with an Ivory Grout Colourant as selected by the customer. The process is quite straight forward and involves using a small brush to carefully apply the colorant along each grout line. When I was finished, I made sure to clean any excess product off the tiles before it had time to dry.

Finally, I buffed the floor with a fine white buffing pad, leaving the tiles looking clean and fresh, with the grout uniform. The customer was absolutely delighted with the service and the results.

Porcelain Floor After Cleaning in Buckingham

Restoring the Appearance of Porcelain Tile and Grout in a Buckinghamshire Kitchen

Tile Cleaning and Grout Re-Colouring of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen in Buckingham Read More »

Old Terracotta Floor After Cleaning in Shenley Brook End

Old Terracotta floor refurbished in Shenley Brook End

This old Terracotta floor in Shenley Brook End near Milton Keynes was already dirty with very little sealer intact when our customer moved into the property. Then after having extensive building work done throughout the property they were in desperate need of a Tile Doctor service to improve the look of the floor.

Old Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning in Shenley Brook End

Cleaning Old Terracotta Floor Tiles

We started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor which is our go to cleaning product for all types of Tile, Stone and Grout. After approximately 20 minutes of dwell time we scrubbed the floor with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. This broke down most of the dirt and removed any remaining sealer. Once the whole floor had been treated in this manner it was rinsed thoroughly with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum.

Having removed the soiled cleaning solution, we could see the result achieved on the floor and although there was a massive improvement there were some tiles we still were not totally happy with. We went back to these tiles and applied a stronger Tile Doctor product called NanoTech HBU which stands for Heavy Build-Up remover. We gave this an hour to dwell.

Whilst the NanoTech was doing its magic on the problem tiles we went to work scrubbing all the grout lines by hand using more Pro-Clean. Once we had finished cleaning the grout we gave the whole floor one more rinse and were pleased to see the problem tiles were now looking much better.

Sealing Old Terracotta Floor Tiles

We then left the floor to dry off completely overnight and returned the following day to seal the floor. Made from clay Terracotta is very porous and needs to be sealed to stop dirt becoming ingrained in the tile, it also improves its general appearance.

To fully seal the floor, we used six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which will provide complete protection against stains and dirt, Seal and Go also adds an appealing satin sheen to the tile.

Old Terracotta Floor After Cleaning in Shenley Brook End

For an old floor that has been exposed to building work it’s now looking much cleaner and healthier; more importantly the customer was delighted with the service and left the following glowing review which is always appreciated:

Andrew and his colleagues (including Gemma in the office) could not have been more helpful and courteous. They are some of the tidiest tradesmen we’ve met! The results have exceeded our expectations and the service is very cost-effective compared to the cost of a new tiled floor, so happy customers all round. Thanks again!

Professional Terracotta Floor Renovation in Buckinghamshire

Old Terracotta floor refurbished in Shenley Brook End Read More »

Terracotta Tile Before and After Cleaning in Penn Bucks

Heavily Soiled Terracotta Kitchen Floor Transformed in Penn

The new owner of this house in the very old and quaint English village of Penn, Buckinghamshire wanted to refresh the look of the Terracotta tiled kitchen floor before they moved in. It had suffered from a heavy soil build-up of dirt over time due to inadequate maintenance and ineffectual sealer.

Since Terracotta (which came into popular use in the West in the 19th century) is highly porous, large amounts of dirt can become ingrained very quickly if not taken care of. Restoring this floor would be a two-day job, including thorough cleaning and stripping, as well as the application of a fresh sealer to provide long-term protection.

Terracotta Tile Before Cleaning in Penn Bucks

Cleaning a Heavily Soiled Terracotta Tiled Floor

The first day was spent giving the tiles a deep clean. To begin, I mixed a strong solution of the heavy duty alkaline cleaner, Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which a versatile product suitable for tackling heavy soil build up on a range of natural stone floors.

The solution was spread evenly across the surface area of the floor, before being worked into the stone with a commercial rotary machine fitted with an abrasive scrubbing pad. This really helped to break down the layers of muck. Next, I paid particular attention to the grout lines, scrubbing them with the acid-based Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up to remove dirt and neutralise any grout haze and mineral salts that had built up. Thanks to this the stained grout lines were restored to their original colour.

The final task on day one was to strip away the remaining failed sealer using Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which is specially designed for this purpose. Similar to earlier, the product was worked in using the rotary machine and abrasive pad. Once the cleaning process was complete, I washed the floor to remove all chemicals and slurry, before leaving the floor to dry naturally overnight.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Floor

Returning to the house the next day, I firstly checked for any remaining moisture on the, which is important as it can negatively impact sealer performance. With everything in good condition I proceeded to seal the tiles using the solvent-based, topical sealer known as Tile Doctor Seal and Go.

I applied multiple coats in order to build up sufficient protection on the surface of the tiles to reduce the damage of future spillages and staining. The sealer will also provide a durable and aesthetically pleasing low sheen finish.

Terracotta Tile After Cleaning in Penn Bucks
As you can see from the before and after photographs, a remarkable difference was made to the condition and appearance of this Terracotta tiled floor. My customer was very pleased with the results, and I’m sure the new home owner will be even more pleased to find the floor looking great when they move in.

Deep Cleaning a Heavily Soiled Terracotta Tiled Floor in Buckinghamshire

Heavily Soiled Terracotta Kitchen Floor Transformed in Penn Read More »

Victorian tiled hallway Before and After cleaning Prestwood

Very Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Sealed in Prestwood

Recently I travelled down to the village of Prestwood in the Chiltern Hills of southern Buckinghamshire, to work on a Victorian tiled porch and hallway. Victorian tiles are commonly found in the entrance areas of older houses and unfortunately in this case the tiles had become heavily ingrained with dirt over time, and had suffered from additional paint and plaster spillages. The result was an unsightly mess; my client was considering covering the floor with lino after several unsuccessful attempts at cleaning it. I was called upon to provide a professional clean and seal, restoring these great Victorian tiles back to looking their best again.

Victorian tiled hallway before cleaning and sealing Prestwood Victorian tiled hallway before cleaning and sealing Prestwood

Cleaning dirty Victorian tiles

On my first day at the house, I mixed up a solution of 50 per cent Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, a high alkaline cleaner, and NanoTech HBU (formerly known as Ultra Clean), which is a cleaning product that contains nano-sized abrasive particles that penetrate deep into the stone to lift ingrained dirt to the surface. This solution was worked into the tiles using abrasive scrubbing pads fitted to one of my commercial rotary machines.

Victorian tiled hallway after cleaning Prestwood
The cleaning process left over a slurry of residue which I rinsed away with clean water and extracted with a wet vacuum. I was still left with the issue of stubborn paint spillages, so I applied a layer of Tile Doctor Remove & Go, a stripper with cleaning properties which is very effective at breaking down paint and adhesive stains.

Once the paint spillages had been dealt with I gave the area another rinse with clean water. I then left the house, allowing the floor enough time to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian tiles

Upon my return the day I set about sealing the newly cleaned Victorian tiles. Before starting the sealing process I inspected the floor to check for any dampness, knowing that any excess moisture could potentially damage the performance of the sealer.

When I was satisfied that the tiles were fully dried, I applied Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a sealer which offers durable surface protection, along with an aesthetically pleasing, low-sheen finish which brings out the colour in the stone. This product can be used to seal internal, porous surfaces including Victorian, Slate, textured Quarry and Sandstone tiles.

Victorian tiled hallway after cleaning and sealing Prestwood
The process made an amazing difference to the floor as you can see from the photographs; additionally the restoration of such an original feature adds a lot of value and looks so much better than lino!

Victorian tiled hallway and porch floor restoration in Buckinghamshire

Very Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Sealed in Prestwood Read More »

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill After

Tiled Terracotta Kitchen Floor, Winchmore Hill

This was a rather dirty Terracotta kitchen floor located at a house in Winchmore Hill in Buckinghamshire, not to be confused with the Winchmore Hill in London. The sealer on the tiles had worn off some time ago and now the dirt was becoming trapped in the pores of the Terracotta making it impossible to clean.

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill Before

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Tile

To deep clean into the pores of the Terracotta a diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a strong tile cleaner sage to use on tiled floors, was applied to kitchen floor and left to soak in for around ten minutes. Then with the aid of a commercial rotary machine the solution was scrubbed into the tiles to release the many years of accumulated ingrained soiling which was removed from the floor using a wet vacuum.

Although this deep cleaned the tile the grout lines needed further attention and were treated with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up solution and then washed down with fresh water which was removed with a wet vacuum.

There was still evidence of sealer remaining on the floor in some areas so the next step in the process was to apply Tile Doctor Remove and Go again working it into the tile using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Remove and Go as its name suggests is used to remove waxes and sealants from tile and stone. It certainly did the job and once the resultant slurry was vacuumed up and the floor given a final rinse to remove any chemicals used in the process the floor was looking much cleaner and left to dry overnight ready for our return

Sealing Terracotta Tile

The next day came back to do the sealing and checked the floor first for any spots we might had missed and also to ensure it had dried sufficiently. Tile Doctor Seal and Go was then applied in coats to fully seal the floor. As well as adding protection Seal and Go adds a nice subtle satin finish to Terracotta and being water based it doesn’t give off an odour when it’s drying.

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill After
 

Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Buckinghamshire

Tiled Terracotta Kitchen Floor, Winchmore Hill Read More »

Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor Before and After Sealing in Little Hampden

Slate Tiled Farmhouse Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Little Hampden

These slate tiles had been laid in the kitchen of a farmhouse in the village of Little Hampden around twenty years ago and since that time had become heavily soiled with a build-up of dirt and over applied sealants.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor Before Cleaning in Little Hampden

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Floor

To get the floor clean a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor, allowed to soak in for a while and then scrubbed into the tile and grout with the aid of a commercial rotary machine. Once done the floor was washed down with water which was then removed along with the soiled cleaning solution using a wet vacuum.

The Pro-Clean removed the top soiling throughout the floor but it became clear that something stronger would be need to remove the heavy build-up of old sealants. Fortunately we have a product called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is designed to strip floors of sealers so this was applied to the floor in a similar fashion as before and this tackled the problem. The next task was to clean the grout lines with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and give the whole floor a final rinse with more water to ensure any chemical residue is removed leaving the floor ready for sealing.

Sealing a Slate Floor

The floor was left to dry overnight and I came back the next day to seal it to protect for years to come and improve the general look of the slate which really does look better when sealed.

To seal the floor I used a combination of products to get the best results. First a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealant which occupies the pores in the stone protecting it from within and then a number of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were added to add a nice subtle sheen to the floor.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor After Sealing in Little Hampden
Our customer was extremely pleased with the results and took up our offer of a Tile Doctor maintenance contract to enable her to keep the floor in pristine condition.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Refresh in Wiltshire

Slate Tiled Farmhouse Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Little Hampden Read More »

Polished Limestone Before and After cleaning in Aston Clinton

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone in Aston Clinton Communal Hallway

This Polished Limestone floor had been laid in the communal hallway of a block of flats in Aston Clinton and as you can see from the photograph below the stone had become ingrained with dirt over time and was now overdue for a deep clean and polish. Apologies for sounding like a dentist and also the photographs as the lighting wasn’t brilliant in the corridor.

Polished Limestone before cleaning in Aston Clinton

Cleaning Limestone Tile and Grout

Due to the heavy soling of the stone and grout lines we started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline cleaning product that’s safe to use on Stone and Grout. The solution was scrubbed into the floor using a commercial rotary machine fitted with a fitted poly brush; once the cleaning solution had become dirty the floor was rinsed with water and the process re-applied until the stone and grout were clean.

Polishing Limestone Floor Tile

Our next task was to re-build the polish on the stone using a set of Tile Doctor Diamond encrusted burnishing pads which are applied to the tile in sequence from Coarse to fine further cleaning and polishing the stone until its returned to its original condition. The pads come in a set of four and you start with the coarse pad together with a little water. This this cuts through and removes surface grime, dirt and any remaining sealer. The floor is then rinsed and you move on through the remaining pads until the polish has been restored to the tiles. This process took up much of the first day so the floor was given a final rinse and left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we returned to find the tiles had dried and we started to seal the Limestone using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone bringing out the natural colours whilst providing that all important lasting protection.

Polished Limestone after cleaning in Aston Clinton
 

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone in Aston Clinton Communal Hallway Read More »

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow

Deep Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled kitchen floor in Marlow

We were asked by the new owners of this property in Marlow to clean and seal the Limestone tiled kitchen floor which was in a heavily soiled condition and it was apparent that the tiles and the grout lines hadn’t been professionally cleaned for some time.

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning in Marlow Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning in Marlow

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

To lift the ingrained soiling and restore the grout we started by applying a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was hand scrubbed into the grout lines with a stiff grout brush, this was followed up with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which returned the grout lines to the original colour. The resultant soiled solutions were then removed from the floor with the aid of fresh water and an industrial wet vacuum.

Polishing Limestone Tiles

Our next task was to re-hone the stones using the Tile Doctor Diamond encrusted burnishing pad system which cleans and polishes natural stone returning it to its original condition. The pads come in a set of four and you start with the coarse pad together with a little water. This this cuts through and removes surface grime, dirt and any remaining sealer. The floor is then rinsed and you move on through the remaining pads until the polish has been restored to the tiles. This process took up much of the first day so the floor was given a final rinse and left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we returned to find the tiles had dried and as expected and we started to seal the tile which we did with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone bringing out the natural colours whilst providing that all important lasting protection.

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow

The customer was amazed with the clean appearance of her tiled floors and said it had transformed her house ready to live in.

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Deep Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled kitchen floor in Marlow Read More »

Travertine Tile in Aston Clinton After

Cleaning and Polishing a Travertine Tiled Floor in Ashton Clinton

These Travertine tiles were laid five years ago at a residential property in Ashton Clinton and our client had never been entirely happy with the tillers finish from sealing which was marked with smears and also had the tillers bare footed prints embedded within the seal. The sealer was now wearing off and polish fading so it was due to be re-done and we were given the call.

Cleaning Travertine Tile in Aston Clinton During

Burnishing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The owner had maintained the floor well so we set to work removing the old sealer using rotary machine fitted with a coarse number One diamond encrusted burnishing pad and a little water. The resultant slurry was rinsed off and removed using a powerful wet vacuum the grout lines were given a good scrub by hand using a stiff brush and Tile Doctor Grout clean–up. With the same method we cleaned and polished the tiles with the number Two and Three burnishing pads followed by a final clean and rinse and then left to dry overnight.

Polishing Travertine Tile in Aston Clinton During

Sealing and Polishing Travertine Tile

The next day the tiles had completely dried we used the final number Four burnishing pad which is a very fine pad to polish and add shine to the travertine floor. The last stage was to seal the Travertine which we did with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that brings out the colours in natural stone and provide lasting protection.

Travertine Tile in Aston Clinton After
 

Travertine Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Ashton Clinton, Buckinghamshire

Cleaning and Polishing a Travertine Tiled Floor in Ashton Clinton Read More »

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning After

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles at Premises in Aylesbury

This commercial unit in Aylesbury had white porcelain tiles laid in the restroom and reception areas several years prior and had been assured they would be easy to clean, however over the years they had deteriorated leaving an unsightly grey staining throughout and were now in need of a thorough deep clean.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles

A mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with NanoTech UltraClean impregnating cleaner products was spread evenly across the tiles and worked into the floor using a rotary scrubbing machine set on slow speed. We proceeded to work the floor in this manner to lift the soling followed by black stripping pads on a 150rpm rotary machine. When we were satisfied that the ingrained dirt had been lifted from the porcelain tile we used our van mounted pressure cleaning system to wash the dirt from the floor, this system has been a great investment for us and uses heat and high pressure to clean and remove the slurry back to recovery tanks in the van.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning

We let the floor dry and returned the second day to scrub along the stained grout lines and return them to their original colour using a strong mix of Tile Doctor Grout clean-up and with this solution rescrubbed the areas using our rotary machines and with a complete final clean and rinse buffed the tiles to a high shine.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning After

 

Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Aylesbury

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles at Premises in Aylesbury Read More »

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield

Cleaning Micro-Porous textured Porcelain Tiles in a Beaconsfield Kitchen Diner

Our customer in Beaconsfield had been having great difficulty cleaning a textured Porcelain tiled floor that was installed in the kitchen and adjacent dining room; despite numerous attempts whatever she tried never have the desired effect. During the home survey we demonstrated on a single tile how using our cleaning agents we could remove the soiling and restore the original colour of the tile which hadn’t been seen for a number of years.

Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield before cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield Before Cleaning

Scrubbing Micro-Porous Textured Porcelain Tiles

Equal amounts of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with Tile Doctor NanoTech UltraClean was spread evenly throughout the floor and worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad running at slow speed. The tiny abrasive particles in the cleaning solution worked deep into the tile to bring out the dirt so once the whole floor was treated in this manner we switched to the next machine.

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield

The next machine we used was a truck mounted device that directs hot water onto the tile at high pressure using a second hose to remove the soiled solution back to a storage tank in the van. It’s a very effective machine that has an instant effect on the tile.

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield
Once this process was completed we scrubbed out the grout lines using a mix of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which did a good job of cleaning the grout and also removed any soiling left from our previous clean. Once this was done we gave the floor a final clean and rinse and then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Micro-Porous Textured Porcelain tiles

Most porcelain tiles like ceramics won’t take a sealer however Micro-Porous Porcelain tiles do need sealing due to their porosity so we came back the 2nd day to apply two coats of Tile Doctor Seal And Go which will protect the tile from staining and aid the future maintenance. I should mention that we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral tile cleaner for regular maintenance; its neutral PH formula is ideal for sealed floors as domestic acidic cleaners will eat away at the sealer over time and reduce its life.

Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield after cleaning
 

Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Beaconsfield

Cleaning Micro-Porous textured Porcelain Tiles in a Beaconsfield Kitchen Diner Read More »

Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After

Cleaning Ceramic Wall and Floor Tiled Toilets in a London Night Club

Our client’s project was to refurbish four toilets in a London Night Club but didn’t want the expense of replacing all the existing ceramic floor and wall tiles; after come across our web site we were invited to visit the club and provide a demonstration after which we were awarded the contract. Our main task on this project was to deep clean the ceramic wall tiles and floors and colour seal grout lines which had over the years had stained to a yellow appearance.

Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before

Night Club Toilet Cleaning Day One

We started by giving all the tiles a though deep clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner that is able to penetrate into the tile and lift the years of built up soiling on the tile and grout lines. This was followed with a further treatment of on the wall tile grout lines using Tile doctor Grout Clean up and another deep clean with Pro-Clean and pressure cleaned using our powerful truck mounted system which cleans under heat and high pressure and returns all the slurry to our recovery tanks for disposal.

Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before

Night Club Toilet Cleaning Day Two and Three

The tiles looked fantastic and like new again with the exception of the grout lines which although being deep cleaned of twenty years of dirt and grease still had a yellow appearance. The solution was to use a Grout Colourant to colour all the grout lines white again, the product we use is brilliant as not only does it give the appearance of newly applied grout is also protects the grout with a waterproof and stain proof barrier that is very easy to clean. Once dried we removed all the excess grout colourant residue from the tile and then polished the tiles to a pleasing high shine.

Night Club Urinal Wall Tile Cleaning Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After

The client was totally satisfied and impressed with our work which cost a fraction of what it could of cost to replace all the wall tiles. In fact a member of the management team was adamant that we had replaced the tile and grout as he thought it impossible we could of managed this good as new look any other way.

 

Commercial Tile Cleaning at a London Night Club

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Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks Before and After

Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen floor cleaned and sealed in Tring Bucks

These Riven Slate tiles at house in Tring Buckinghamshire had been laid five years earlier and the original sealant had worn off especially around the high traffic cooker and fridge areas. This has led to dirt getting trapped into the pores of the tile and the whole floor becoming rather dull.

Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks Before

Cleaning Riven Slate Floor Tiles

We started with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile cleaner designed for use on tile, stone and grout. It was scrubbed into the tile and grout lines to give the floor a deep clean and then rinsed with clean water. To strip the remaining sealant we used Tile Doctor Remove and Go spread throughout the floor and then left for 45 minutes to soften the sealant, then with the use of an aggressive black pad fitted to a rotary machine the remaining sealant was stripped from the tile. The last step was to rinse the floor with clean water to remove any cleaning products and neutralise it before sealing, it was then left overnight to dry.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

The next day we came back to seal the floor, the customer had previously requested a matt finish for the floor so Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen as the sealer, this product provides the desired matt finish but also lifts the natural colours in the stone as well as providing the necessary stain protection going forward.

Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks After
 

Cleaning and Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor in a London shop

Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen floor cleaned and sealed in Tring Bucks Read More »

Ceramic Tile Wendover After

Deep Cleaning Textured Ceramic kitchen floor tiles Wendover Bucks

We were asked to clean these textured ceramic floor tiles in Wendover Bucks which had become heavily soiled and ingrained with dirt leaving the tiles with a black appearance, the grout lines had also become stained and discoloured. Our customer had tried all types of cleaning agents but could never get the desired effect.

Ceramic Tile Wendover Washing Ceramic Tile Wendover Washing

Cleaning a Textured Ceramic Tiled Floor

A dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean alkaline tile cleaner was applied throughout the tiled floor and worked in with the aid of a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine, a stiff hand brush was also used along the grout lines and this managed to lift most of the soiling from the floor.

Next step was to use our powerful truck mounted heated turbo system which jet washed the remaining particles out of the crevasses of the stone. This system uses high pressure heated water though a spinner tool, it’s an amazing tool that returns the dirty water directly back to a recovery tank leaving the floor chemical free and neutralised.

Before leaving I recommended to the customer that regular use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile cleaner would help to keep their tile and grout in better condition.

Ceramic Tile Wendover After Ceramic Tile Wendover After

 

Deep Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in Buckingham

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Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before and After

Basalt and Glass Mosaic tiles in a wet room London N6

This property in London N6 had been rented out previously by the owners and they were now renovating it before moving back in, this work included a wet room which had glass mosaic floor tiles and a dark Basalt tile laid on the wall. The main problem had been a general lack of maintenance over the years which led to a major unsightly build-up of lime scale throughout the wet room. We agreed to do the work but had to explain to the client how difficult the work would be and set their expectation for only an eighty percent improvement. I must apologise in advance for the quality of some of the photographs on this page, the size of the room, low lighting a nature of the stone surfaces didn’t lend themselves well to being photographed.

Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before

Day 1 -Cleaning Basalt and Mosaic Tiles

Having protected all the chrome furnishings within the wet room we started to soak the Basalt tiled walls with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up followed by scrubbing and rinsing constantly with clear water. Grout Clean-up is an Acid based product so you do need to take care when doing this however it is particularly effective at shifting mineral deposits like Limescale. When we were satisfied this had removed the majority of soap scum and lime scale we proceeded to clean the Glass Mosaic floor tiles using the same method.

Day 2 -Polishing Basalt wall Tiles

The basalt tiled walls now needed to be restored back to their original factory condition using small diamond encrusted burnishing pads attached to a hand held polishing machine. We started with a coarse pad which removed any remaining Limescale which had impregnated the surface of the stone and moved onto the finer pads which polish the stone. Once this was complete the tiles were given a final clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is an everyday cleaning product designed for regular use on stone or sealed tiled surfaces.

Day 3 -Sealing Basalt wall Tiles

We came back on the third day and after making sure the Basalt tiles had dried we gave it a final buffing to restore the stone to a deep high gloss shine. The last step was to seal the Basalt tile in order to protect it and make it easier to clean in the future and for this we applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone.

Finally we used a rotary floor polisher fitted with a white buffing pad to buff the mosaic glass floor to a high shine.

Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles After Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles After

 

Tiled wet room cleaned and polished in North London

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Marble Floor Cleaned in Ealing

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Ealing

These photographs were taken at a house in Ealing, West London where the customer had requested a deep clean and polish of the marble tiled floors installed in a kitchen and conservatory which had become dull and dirty over a period of time.

Marble Floor Cleaning in Ealing

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

The first step was to give the Marble floor a thorough clean throughout with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an industrial strength Tile Cleaner safe to use on natural stone floors, we also took this opportunity to use a stiff brush along the grout lines to get them nice and clean, the soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with clean water.

The next step was to use a set of diamond encrusted Twister Burnishing Pads fitted to a rotary buffing machine to polish the floor. The pads come in a set of four; you start with the Red pad together with plain water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through one by one until you get to the final Green polishing pad which provides a high polish, we managed to complete most of this process before the end of day.

Marble Floor Cleaning in Ealing

Polishing and Sealing Marble Tile

The next day we completed the polishing process with the Green pad which really brought a deep shine to the floor. To protect the floor it was then sealed using Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which provides a natural finish whilst enhancing the natural colours in the tile. We waited for the sealer to dry before buffing it with a white buffing pad to bring up the shine further.

Marble Floor Cleaned in Ealing
 

Marble tiled floor cleaned and polished in Ealing

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Limestone Floor Before and After Cleaning

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled floor in High Wycombe

The photographs on the page come from the kitchen and dining area of a house in High Wycombe which had previously been rented out to tenants and the client wanted required the Limestone Tiled floor tiles to be cleaned and polished before the next occupant moved in.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Limestone Floor Before Cleaning

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

We started the project with a deep clean of the tiles and grout using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a heavy duty alkaline cleaning product specially designed for use on natural stone floors. This was left to dwell for a while and then agitated using a rotary machine fitted with a Black Scrubbing pad. The soiled solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was then rinsed down with fresh clean water; the process was repeated until a satisfactory result was obtained and we also treated the discoloured grout lines with more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush.

Limestone Tiled Floor Polishing

We used a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads fitted to a rotary buffing machine to polish the Limestone floor. These pads are ideal for restoring the shine on hard stone surfaces such as Limestone and Marble, the come in a set of four and you start with the Red pad together with plain water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. The floor was then washed down again, this time with Tile Doctor Neutral cleaner which is an everyday cleaning product and then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we gave the Limestone a polish using a Green burnishing pad which is a very fine pad that provides a high polish. The last step was to seal the Limestone which we did with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that brings out the colours in natural stone and provide lasting protection.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning
 

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

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Textured Marble floor in Chesham After

Polishing a Textured Marble Tiled floor in Chesham

A customer recently purchased a property the village of Chesham and hoped we could improve the appearance of her textured marble tiled floors which had over a number of years become dull and lost the polished marble look one would expect from a floor of this quality.

Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing

For polished stone like Marble and Limestone the only way to restore the finish is to burnish the floor and this floor was no different. The burnishing pads are diamond encrusted and come in a setup of four seventeen inch pads for use with a heavy rotary machine, each pad having a different purpose.

So we started with the Red pad which is designed to remove sealers together with a little water, we then took the opportunity to clean up the grout by applying a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and scrubbing it into the grout lines to get them clean. Next step was to remove the soiled cleaning solution and wash the floor down with water before moving onto the white burnishing pad which will grind off ingrained dirt and is the first step in polishing the floor. We then completed the floor polishing using the Yellow then Green polishing pads which smooth down the surface and produce a shiny finish.

Textured Marble floor in Chesham Before

Sealing Textured Marble Tiles

Once the floor was polished we applied Tile Doctor Shine Crystallising Powder to the marble tile using a rotary machine fitted with a white polishing pad. This last step gives a very deep high shine as well as a tough durable finish.

Textured Marble floor in Chesham After
When the customer returned she asked was it safe to walk on as the floor as at first glance it looked wet; we assured her this is the Tile Doctor high shine appearance and is perfectly ok.

Textured Marble Floor Tiles Cleaned and Polished in Buckinghamshire

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Ceramic Tile and Grout Before and After

Grout colour seal and Ceramic tile clean in Chalfont St Giles

We were asked to improve the appearance of this Ceramic tiled floor and Grout installed in a kitchen in Chalfont St Giles which over a few years had become difficult to keep clean and the grout lines had become stained and discoloured.

Ceramic Tile and Grout Before Ceramic Tile and Grout Before

Cleaning Tile and Grout

Our first task on day one was to clean the Ceramic tiles and Grout so we created a diluted 50/50 mixture of tile doctor Pro-Clean and Nanotech UltraClean, the two products combine to provide a very powerful tile friendly alkaline cleaner with tiny sized abrasive particles. This was left to soak into the tile and grout before being agitated and scrubbed with a scrubbing machine running on low speed. We also used stiff grout hand brushes along the grout lines. Once we were happy with the overall condition of the tile and grout it was washed down using clean water and the resultant soiled solution extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum. I’m pleased to say that using this method we were able to return the tile and grout back to its original colour.

Whilst this was a fantastic transformation the grout lines being porous would untreated soon become dirty and discoloured. The only answer to this problem is a permanent colour seal to the grout lines which not only aids the future floor cleaning, but improves the whole appearance of the floor.

Applying the Grout Colour

Before applying a Grout Colour it’s important to ensure the grout is clean of grease and dirt naturally we had just cleaned this floor so this was not a problem I only mention it in case you were considering taking on a similar task yourself.

Once the grout has dried you can start applying the colourant which is a relatively straightforward process of squeezing the product onto a toothbrush and running it onto the grout. Don’t be tempted to use an old toothbrush for this purpose as it may contaminate the colourant leading to discolouration in the finish.

We completed the project the next day using an Aqua Mix sand coloured Grout Colourant; the customer was extremely pleased and commented how whole clean and efficient the process was.

Ceramic Tile and Grout After Ceramic Tile and Grout After

 

Tile Cleaning and Grout Colouring in Buckinghamshire

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Travertine Floor Aylesbury After

Honed Travertine Tiled floor Re-Sealed in Aylesbury

Details below of a newly laid Travertine Honed & Filled floor in Aylesbury that needed stripping and re-sealing. The work was done at the request of a building company who had just completed a pair of semi-detached houses laid with Travertine tiles on the ground floor. Unfortunately the tiling contractor had failed to clean the tile surface properly before sealing and had trapped particles of dust and debris into the sealer, as a result the whole floor was as rough as sandpaper and needed to be stripped and re-sealed prior to their clients moving in the following week.

Travertine Floor Aylesbury Before

Cleaning Travertine Tile

To remove the existing sealer and to polish the stone we used the Tile Doctor diamond burnishing system. This involves burnishing the floor with diamond encrusted pads fitted to a heavy rotary machine, the system consists of a set of four seventeen inch coloured pads and you work your way through the pads from red (sealer removal) through to green (final polishing). This work returned the stone to its original condition ready for sealing.

Travertine Floor Aylesbury After

Sealing Travertine Tile

We sealed the floor with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which provides excellent stain protection whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone. The building company was pleased that we had managed to resolve the problem before the owners moved in as it had avoided an embarrassing situation for them. Interestingly we have since completed three other jobs with this same type of problem.

Sealing Honed and Filled Travertine tiled floors in Buckinghamshire

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