Over the years, many of our clients have expressed concerns about how quickly their tiles get dirty after they clean their floors. This is often caused by grout residue or grout haze, which is left on the tile face. It will often occur during the tile installation process, however, it is a solvable challenge.
The Issues of Natural Stone Flooring
At Strassburger, we recommend that our clients are careful when it comes to selecting certain types of natural stone flooring, such as marble, travertine, slate, and limestone. Nearly all natural stone is acid-sensitive, with the exception of granite, quartz, and slate. This is why man-made stone flooring can often offer a good alternative.
It is not recommended to use acid on natural stones, as it will destroy the finish on most natural stone floors. It can be quite damaging and burn the stone. In order to effectively clean natural stone, it’s best to use a diamond polishing process, a one-step polish, to remove the haze. Often people will try to do it themselves, but this has a high risk of damaging the floor. It’s best to bring in a professional to complete this diamond polishing process, in order to remove the grout residue and haze properly.
Why Choose Man-Made Stone Flooring?
One of the best reasons to choose man-made stone floorings, such as ceramic floors and porcelain floors, is that they are acid-resistant. However, acids can still break down the grout between your floor tiles.
If you own a man-made stone floor, made up of ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles, you may wish to clean the floor yourself with an acid-based solution, like a vinegar-based cleaning product. If you do decide to clean it yourself, it is important to neutralize the floor immediately before the floor dries.
If you don’t neutralize the floors immediately afterward, the acid in your cleaning product will crystallize, causing the structural integrity of the grout to be compromised. This process can be tricky, which is why we typically recommend that you call a professional — even with man-made stone. The attention of professional grout cleaners can ensure the grout haze removal process is done properly and maintains the structure of your tile grout.
To request a quote for the cleaning of your man-made or natural stone floors, contact the team at Strassburger today.
