I recently worked on a 1940s period Art Deco bathroom at a house in Leeds which I was very impressed by. The Ceramic tiling had been expertly laid and you have to admire the craftsmanship of the tiler considering they didn’t have the modern adhesive products and equipment we have today. The owner wanted the tiles given a deep clean, unfortunately on this occasion I forgot to take a picture before starting.

This really was a stunning example of an original bathroom. The ceramic tiles were of a very high quality and must have been designed and made to order to fit the room. The tiles were all original and had no cracks or tiles that were missing. The client had lived in the property for some time and they were keen to ensure the bathroom was maintained properly. I discussed with them that is was relatively easy job to get the tiles cleaned and as there was no grout the job would be straight forward.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

To clean the tiles, I decided to use Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is a fast and effective double action grout cleaner and mould remover. It cleans up grout and can remove mould and blackspot from grout and silicone. In this instance the tiles had been butt fitted so there was no grout to clean, this was a common practice in the past, but it is rare to see nowadays. I carefully worked the cleaner in with a six-inch white pad fitted to a hand buffer and then rinsed off with slightly soapy warm water. The soil was then extracted using the wet vacuum to keep the mess to a minimum. A tall step ladder was needed to reach the top third of the room as it was 12 feet tall. The high ceilings were a feature in the whole property which was stunning.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Once the tiles were almost dry, I then went over them with a clean white cloth to leave the surface smear free. Now normally I would look to apply a sealer at this point but due to the glazed nature of the ceramic tiles, this wasn’t necessary.

1940 Period Ceramic Tiled Art Deco Bathroom Afer Cleaning Leeds

This wasn’t the most difficult job you will find described on my website but it’s certainly one of my favourites which is why I felt I should share it. The client was very happy with the bathroom and I can completely understand given the height of the walls the decision to call someone in to clean it.

 

Source: Bathroom Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in North West Yorkshire