Commercial Grout Cleaning Techniques from Bristol Cleaners

Grout is the worst nightmare of many Bristol cleaners; notoriously porous, it tends to absorb dirt and grime, becoming stained and even odourous over time, requiring specialised cleaning techniques in order to start looking like new again.

When it comes to managing grout, professional Bristol cleaners know that nothing beats prevention: The daily mopping of tile floors is the most basic technique for attacking and preventing the staining of grout. When engaging in this daily cleaning, most professional cleaners use a normal neutral pH cleaner for tile floors, though when in a restroom, a stronger disinfectant cleaner is required (though it is recommended that one avoid using anything with a high peroxide content or d-limonene).

There’s also no substitute for good old fashioned elbow grease; scrubbing is an excellent deep-cleaning technique for grout. How frequently one will have to engage in this kind of heavy-duty scrubbing depends on the environment one is working in; industrial sites may require it daily, high-traffic facilities such as schools, medical buildings, and retail outlets often need weekly scrubbing, but the floors of an office building usually only need scrubbing in this manner about once per month.

Bristol cleaners

Larry McAlpin, vice president of strategic projects at Rite Way Service Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama (USA), elaborates on how his firm handles scrubbing grout: “Typically we scrub with a very mild acidic product, because we’re mopping every day with a neutral cleaner or a cleaner that has an above neutral pH and part of what we do when we clean is we bring that pH level back down to neutral by using a slightly acidic product.”

Of course, even when one is doing everything correctly, sometimes stains and odours still occur; if they do, professional cleaners often have to turn to special chemical grout and tile cleaners. Craig Kersemeier, president of K-tech Kleening Systems in Weston, Wisconsin (USA), advises cleaners to choose their chemical cleaner based on not only the flooring type but also based on what caused the staining issue in the first place:

People don’t always understand that tile and grout cleaning is different in a kitchen or food service application than it is in a restroom or industrial application. It’s all about what you’re trying to remove from the tile and grout.”

Generally, it’s recommended that professional Bristol cleaners stick to enzyme-based cleaners when working in food service environments, but turn to degreasers when working in manufacturing environments. Healthcare settings usually require that one select disinfectant cleaners, whereas schools may ask that cleaners use “green” solvents only.

And of course, there is always the issues of detail work when dealing with grout: Spot work is often required, and may be carried out using hand-held detail brushes or, in some cases, larger heavy-duty scrub brushes which can be attached to mop handles. A small steam cleaner with a brush attachment is often ideal for handling those “problem areas” where floors meet walls and, of course, for getting into corners.

 

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.