bathroom refresh | Stone Cleaning and Polishing Tips for Ceramic Floors

Our client in Watford, Hertfordshire had a fully Ceramic tiled bathroom which was now in need of a deep clean. The tiles themselves were in good physical condition but the grout and silicone sealant were stained black with mould in places and generally not looking very attractive.

Bathroom Ceramic Wall Tiles Before Cleaning Watford

I visited the property to survey the problem and offer a solution. The tiles were indeed looking grubby but with white ceramic tiling the mould stained grout particularly stood out. Mould loves a moist warm environment so the only way to cure it in the long term is to significantly improve ventilation. It can be removed with the right products however, so I explained the cleaning process, agreed a price for the work and booked in a convenient time to do the renovation.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

We prepared the areas with protective sheets and tape to threshold edges then applied a specialist double action cleaning product called Tile Doctor Duo Clean. The product is spayed onto the tile and grout, left for five minutes and then scrubbed in using small polypropylene tile pads and detail brushes.

Duo clean is especially formulated to clean grout and remove mould and so an ideal choice for this situation. Working in sections the tile and grout were thoroughly scrubbed and then rinsed off with water to remove the dirt and mould that was released. The tiles were then inspected, and the process carried out a second time. For stubborn areas we used steam to really lift the ingrained dirt out of the grout.

Ceramic tiles have a glazed surface which is very easy to clean so our main focus was the grout which being cementitious does attract dirt and allow mould to get a hold.

Replacing Silicone Sealant in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Last step was to replace the silicone sealant between the bath and tile. This is best removed with a sharp knife taking care not to damage to scratch the bath itself.

After removing all the old silicone, the bath was filled with water so it would adopt the right shape before being resealed. We then reapplied silicone to the bath and wall corner joints using white mould resistant silicone. This is a precise job which can easily look awful if not carried out correctly. Thankfully we have plenty of experience and this job took just one day to complete.
To finish the tile and grout were sprayed with Tile Doctor wall tile & grout sealer which comes in a convenient aerosol spray. The excess was wiped off the tile, as I mentioned before ceramic tiles are glazed so won’t hold a sealer, but the grout will benefit from it.

Bathroom Ceramic Wall Tiles After Cleaning Watford

As you can see from the pictures the bathroom now looked as good as new, clean and tidy. The client was very happy with the outcome and now wasn’t embarrassed to let guests use his bathroom.

To maintain the ceramic bathroom tiles, we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro tile cleaner which is ideal for maintaining porcelain/ceramic bathroom wall tiles. Aqua-Pro is an effective pH neutral tile and grout cleaner which is designed for everyday use in bathrooms. The neutral formula helps to eliminates soap scum build-up and hard water deposits which are all too common. It has a lovely fresh lemon scent which leaves the room smelling clean and fresh. It will help to prevent the discolouration they had previously experienced.

Source: Ceramic Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Watford, Hertfordshire

Cleaning and Grouting Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Oxford

I started by spraying the grout with Tile Doctor Duo-Clean, this 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 and is suitable for use on plastic and enamel baths and showers. I left this to soak in for about 30 minutes, and then worked in sections spraying more Duo-Clean and scrubbing with a grout brush and rinsing each section with water. After cleaning the whole bathroom, I left it for an hour so that the grout had dried. I could then see if there were any places needing a second clean, in this case there were a few stubborn areas and so the process was repeated. Once I was satisfied I had fully cleaned the grout and tiles I took a break and left the bathroom so that the grout would completely dry out. At this stage the tile and grout were already looking much better.

Resealing Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Oxford

After lunch I carefully removed all the silicone between the bath, sink and the wall tiles with a sharp knife. This is a little time consuming, but it is important to remove all of the old sealant in order to achieve the best finish. This was then cleaned up and then fresh mould resistant silicone put back in its place. This ensures everything is water tight

For aftercare we recommend the regular application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro, this is a powerful alkaline product especially formulated for cleaning shower Tile and Grout. It’s a highly effective cleaner that removes soap scum, body oil, mildew and algae from areas that have been neglected or subjected to frequent use. This will keep on top of the problem and ensure the bathroom continues to look nice and clean.

Bathroom After Grout Clean and Silicone Replaced Oxford

The client was very happy with the result which was completed in one day. The bathroom was certainly left looking very fresh, clean and much more appealing.