Maintenance & Care

Cleaning solutions containing acid, bleach, ammonia or vinegar should never be used to maintain your tile & grout.  Over time, these chemicals do more harm than good, as they strip away the protection, making more frequent cleaning and sealing necessary. Acids will also cause your grout to deteriorate and strip the pigment from your colored grout.

We suggest and recommend that you use a ph7 neutral floor cleaner to maintain your ceramic and natural stone surfaces.  This is a non-acidic cleaner, which will not harm the sealant protection on your floors.

We recommend that you use these “Do” cleaning techniques:

• Do clean up spills immediately

• Do use a ph7 neutral cleaner

• Do damp mop when using a string mop with a bucket ringer
(cold water application)

• Do change your water frequently to prevent cross-contamination
(Example: Bathroom mopping water to Kitchen area)

• Do remove any excess water from the grout joints with a damp mop

We recommend that you “Don’t” use these cleaning techniques:

• Don’t use a swiffer or a sponge mop as they tend to push dirt around and into the grout joints.

• Don’t use vinegar and water for cleaning tile. Vinegar is acidic and will damage grout and bleach its color.

• Don’t use muriatic acid or other acidic cleaners- it is dangerous to people, pets, tile and grout.

• Don’t use bleach on a tile surface. It is acidic, corrosive and toxic and has the same effect on tile and grout as vinegar.

• Don’t clean the surface of tile with abrasive cleaning powders. They will scratch the tile and wear down glazed and unglazed surfaces prematurely.

• Don’t use a dish detergent; it will leave a soapy residue, which promotes mildew and dulls the surface.

Showers & Tub Surrounds

• The best thing you can do to keep your walls looking new is to keep them dry. Shower stalls and tub enclosures should be well-ventilated. (If you do not have a ventilated area, use a portable fan to help remove the humidity from the shower area.)

• Wipe them down after the last shower is taken with a soft towel or squeegee. Stagnant water breeds stain-causing mildew as well as other fungi.

• All vertical and horizontal joints/corners should be caulked with mildew-resistant caulk.

• Clean the shower walls and tub surrounds weekly with a ph-neutral cleaner.

• All vertical and horizontal joints/corners should be caulked with a mildew-resistant caulk.

• Do not use window caulks for your shower or tub surround area.