People love the look of tile on their floors, but some feel that the cleaning and maintenance of this type of flooring choice is time-consuming and expensive. In reality, tile and grout cleaning is neither tedious nor pricey.
There are plenty of alternative ways to keep these floors looking as fresh and shiny as they did on day 1. The problem arises when you decide not to take action and let dirt and mold take over. Here are some problems that come up when you do not take care of your tile and grout.
1. Layers of dirt
Whenever you mop floors, or even when your family walks around all areas of the house, walls of dirt build up in the crevices that are naturally found in grout and tile flooring. Taking care of this issue, as it occurs, is way easier than waiting for “films of dirt” to transform into “layers of dirt.” You do not want weeks or months of dirty buildup covering your tile floors and grout.
2. Mold
When temperature and humidity work together, which is constant here in Central Florida, the result is mold building up in home surfaces. Mold spores are always looking for heat sources, humidity sources, and some food sources. In a home with high-traffic of family and guests, food particles often fall on the ground, drinks tend to spill by accident, and dirty shoes and feet are constantly on the go; add to that the dirty little paws of pets, and you have the perfect scenario for mold growth. To some people, mold can cause breathing problems and even allergic reactions. Therefore it is imperative to keep mold from growing, especially on stubborn areas such as grout.
3. Dust
Dust is not only caused by dirt but also by atmospheric conditions such as rain, wind, and sun rays. Dust is very common to households, and it gets everywhere. This means that dust is likely to hide in the holes found in grout, making your home even more prone to fostering breathing conditions and allergies, as well.
4. A “dingy” look
Unfortunately, no matter how clean your floors really are, the look of dirt, dust, and mold collected for months in between tiles makes grout look dark and gritty. This is not good for any household. Methods are available to make sure that this does not happen. Keep your floors looking fresh every year, no matter how busy things are in your home.
Make grout and tile cleaning a regular part of your cleaning routine
The key issue with grout is to take care of it often and as soon as there is exposure to the elements. Make grout care one of your typical cleaning habits. Make small additions to your cleaning routine which can make this task much easier than you think.
Your tile can look brand new, and grout can always remain pearly white. All it takes is a little bit of extra loving care, a few more minutes of cleaning time, and the wish to have the floors that you always wanted. For more resources, visit the North American Tile Cleaning Organization, NATCO, for tips on how great “do-it-yourself” ways to clean grout and tile. http://tilecleaning.org/
Related Content >> We also offer Kissimmee tile and grout cleaning!