The best steam cleaner for bathroom and kitchen should come with a variety of attachments. For example, a nozzle attachment delivers precise steam for smaller areas, whereas a mop attachment can clean larger areas easily. In fact, it is arguably the most important factor to consider. Equipped with the Right AttachmentsĪ steam cleaner needs to have the right attachments to clean tile and grout effectively. Here are four things to look for when choosing the best steam cleaner for grout and tile: 1. The right appliance can be the difference between overworked and tired arms, or an effortless cleaning session. In order to choose the best steam cleaner for bathroom and kitchen, there are several important factors to consider. Color sealing (as opposed to clear sealing or color grout dyeing) changes the surface tension of the grout, making it difficult or even impossible for general, biological, and mineral contaminants to stick to the grout.īest of all with color sealing, you’ll never have to scrub or use an acid again on the grout lines, unless the color sealer becomes compromised.įor more information about our tile and grout cleaning and grout color renew, please check out our Tile and Grout cleaning page.How to Choose the Best Steam Cleaner for Grout and Tile Floors We specifically recommend grout color sealing which adds a permanent physical barrier between the grout and contaminants. ![]() The MOST important step you can take after having the tile and grout cleaned is to have the grout sealed. Hopefully by now the answer is self-evident – they’re both beneficial and neither one is right or wrong, unless your tile is stone in which case using an acid will etch the stone itself. Whew, ok – with all of that said, I’ll now answer the question: Which is better? Steam cleaning tile and grout, or using chemicals? Here is our tile and grout cleaning advice The last step is to rinse and neutralize the acid, otherwise the acid will continue to etch the grout causing it to become brittle over time and eventually failing. When grout is etched, it is being chemically broken down – very slowly. muriatic, sulfamic, and acetic acid – aka vinegar) applied to sanded grout causes a “micro” layer of grout to release along with the minerals. Sometimes a second or even third application of acid is required to fully break the mineral bond. It may still require mechanical agitation with a brush, but the acids immediately start to break down the calcium, lime, and rust deposits. When the proper acids are applied to tile and grout, the bond between the minerals and the tile and grout breaks much easier. Agitating with a stiff brush can help break it up, but it can take a lot of elbow grease and oftentimes that’s not possible. You may have heard the term “soap scum” used to describe buildup in a shower. This is where agitation and chemistry comes in.to play.Ĭalcium, lime, and rust deposits easily bind to grout, and, to a lesser degree, ceramic and porcelain tile. However, steam does relatively nothing to remove the mineral contaminants from the grout and tile. When one uses steam, meaning boiling water under pressure, the biological contaminants and general soil contaminants are removed quite thoroughly, often without the use of harsh chemicals. Yet another type of contaminant is also found: minerals from the water The soil found in a typical bathroom consists of: Biological contaminants: Hopefully you’ve already eaten because this is going to get a little gross □ (it fizzes when acid is applied) Let’s look at the soils It is cementitious, porous, and reacts to acids. Sanded grout is basically mortar like you’d see between bricks on a wall. ![]() For purposes of this article I will make the assumption that we’re dealing with ceramic or porcelain tile and sanded grout floor and shower in a bathroom, since this combination of tile/grout is the most popular.Ĭeramic and porcelain tile have a baked-on glaze, which make the tile itself chemical and water resistant. Simply knowing which room the tile is in helps us identify the soil types. We’ll also need to know what types of soils are present. Natural – like marble, granite, travertine, etc.Before delving into an answer we need to know a few things about the tile and grout because it makes a huge difference in selecting the proper cleaning method. This question comes up frequently: Which is better? Tile and grout cleaning advice: steam or chemicals?įirstly, this is a GREAT question, and one we hear often. Virtually every day we receive questions about cleaning tile, carpet, upholstery, and rugs.
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