Sealing, Cleaning and Maintenance
THE TILE SOURCE tips and hints
| General There are a number of factors involved in cleaning, sealing and maintaining tiles and stone; the type of tile, the type of soiling or deposits you need to remove will dictate the type cleaning materials you can use. Ceramic tiles are unaffected by most chemicals, whereas stone can be damaged by acidic cleaners. As with all chemical applications, check and follow the health and safety advice. Here we give basic tips for cleaning, sealing and maintaining tile and stone. Builders Clean As the name suggests this is to clean residues from the building process, usually cement grouts or adhesives. For ceramic or granite tiles use Lithofin KF Cement residue remover or HG Extra. For natural stones use Lithofin Power Clean or HG Marble and Cement Lime Film Remover. These are completely safe to use, as it does not contain acid. However because they do not contain acid it is only effective with fresh residues that are not fully set. Sealing Following installation it is necessary to immediately seal terracotta tiles, quarry tiles, polished and textured porcelain tiles and nearly all natural stone tiles. There is no need to seal glazed wall and floor tiles or good quality un-polished flat porcelain tiles. The type of tile seal and amount of sealer required will vary depending on the absorbency of the product. It is critical that you use the correct seal for natural stone, as the wrong sort can irrevocably damage the tile and at best result in an expensive renovation. |
Make sure you know the type of tile you have and then go to either Lithofin or the HG websites’ for a detailed specification. All the main seals our stocked at all our outlets. Maintenance and renovation Regular maintenance with the appropriate products is the key to prolonging the life of any wall or floor finish. Ceramic tiles and natural stone tiles are no exception. The use of maintenance products compatible with any seals used is important, some branded product, such as Flash, will clean the surface but will also strip the seals over a period of time. Lithofin Easy Care is a versatile cleaner for daily maintenance of, quarry tiles, terracotta tiles, and most natural stone tiles. Lithofin Wexa is used for more intensive cleaning and can also be used for daily maintenance of glazed floor tiles with KF Ceramic clean used for glazed wall tiles. Whatever your floor use the HG or Lithofin websites to obtain more information on professional tile and sanitary ware cleaning solutions and systems. |
For further advice on cleaning, sealing and maintenance, ring us now!
