Have you been looking down at your tile floor or backsplash and just by looking at it feel like it's "wearing out" after several years of use? Have you noticed lately that you just don't seem to be able to keep the grout clean anymore? As a floor professional, here at Keith Clay Floors, we would most likely as you if you understand that tile being relatively impervious, hides no soil. Cement grout, being relatively porous, loves soil.

One of the more popular reasons for buying tile is the desire for easy maintenance. However, a word of caution here, don't confuse easy maintenance with no maintenance. Let me give you an example here. In carpet, you could easily loose a cup of dirt in the fiber and with wood you would probably have to look twice to be able to find a soiled place. But this is not so with tile, it is always right there and readily apparent.

Sometimes in the sales representative rush to sell and install tile products we often forget to make any mention of the regular tile floor care required to keep their investment in that like new condition. At Keith Clay Floors in Dallas, we try to alert you to the danger of not addressing floor care at the time of sale. We choose not to leave you the new customer without knowing how to take care of your new tile. While you may think your Grandmother's vinegar and water is an acceptable method, we believe that proper tile floor care and the correct products to accomplish that task, eliminates that look of wearing out and not being able to keep the grout clean.

Why not take and look at cleaners and sealers. What is real, what is marketing, and is it really worth the effort?

Today's sealers are designed to provide a given degree of stain resistance and reaction time to clean it up once soiled again. They are not stain proofing agents. Spills should be cleaned up as soon as they occur or are noticed. These

new sealers are usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think about grout, stone, or porous tile products. Sealers should be looked at as enhancements, but will not fall into the category of cures. They don't really fix anything. Contrary to overly optimistic expectations, they do not cause the soil to levitate off the tile and grout. Nor do they correct nor are they a substitute for correcting bad conditions.

If the grout job is poor (soft absorbent joints) due to excessive use of water in the mixing or cleaning, they may only be able to provide limited assistance. When the grout joints are deep below the edge of the tile it will most likely continue to collect soil. If the shower is leaking, a sealer is not going to stop the leak or make it waterproof. What sealers are, could be classified as aids to cleaning, which over time allow increased response times. To say it better, sealers work by providing microscopic particles and a carrier (often water), to plug the holes in porous tile, grout or stone.

There are numerous combinations and variations both carriers and fillers dependent on the anticipated pore structure and degree of protection desired. Keith Clay Floors does not assume that one product will perform equally well whether used on a very porous travertine, or to seal impervious polished porcelain prior to grouting. Why, because it is really not always correct. Some are designed for use on specific products and others specific applications. In short, one might say because of the products out there and the fact they are in a competitive marketplace, you could say you get what you pay for. It is quite reasonable to assume a $12 quart bottle from one manufacturer will not provide the same protection as a $24 pint can from another.

So what is the best way to clean tile. We believe that the first step in sealing is proper cleaning before you begin to seal. If the product is new and the floor has been protected or traffic restricted the effort required is minimal. If the porous tile, stone, or grout has been in service it must be thoroughly cleaned to be effectively sealed.

So of course your next thought might be, how to I get the floor really clean. Mopping a floor is not a method of through cleaning; it is a method of minimal soil removal and primarily a means of soil redistribution over a broad area. While a mop picks up very little soil, usually it makes a great application tool for many cleaning products. Proper cleaners work by loosening and suspending soils for removal. To effectively clean a floor a product must be applied, allowed to dwell on the surface loosening the soil, abraded by the appropriate means, removed by extraction then rinsed followed by more extraction. That said, this truly sounds like a lot of work and if done properly it really is.

Intensive cleaning is usually done with alkaline floor cleaners. They are favored for their aggressive removal of soils but as previously mentioned; require a good rinse after use, especially if a floor is to be sealed. If you are a home or business owner and do a tile floor everyday cleaning, then a pH neutral cleaner is the best preference when needed. These are most often mild cleaners that do not leave a film or require rinsing.

The products you may need to reconsider or be avoiding are those which contain vegetable or other oils. These leave a film coating on the floor and have a dulling effect on glazed tile. As they build-up they can also become very slippery. Acids are products to be used with extreme caution. Acids are not cleaners, they are eaters. They eat away at the finish of both the tile and grout. Many a floor has been ruined by a single use, especially stone. Use of acids on a regular basis with tile products that will tolerate it often end up so abrasive they are nearly impossible to maintain. This includes use of the famous vinegar and water.

If you are unsure about what type of material your floor is made of, tile, stone, granite or marble; then you may want to give us a call. Keith Clay Floors can schedule a qualified staff member to come out and take a look at your flooring product, then provide an easy solution for keeping it clean and looking like new. A proactive approach to your floor means you will extend the life of it's beauty. That is never a bad thing. Call us today, 972-463-6604, let us help you keep your floors looking beautiful. The proof is in the seeing, Try it, you will like it.

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