Tile and grout cleaning on painted grout lines – problems!
At this customers homes in Clearwater, Florida – we were called out to clean the tile and grout floors in the kitchen. During and after our inspection we ask several questions and one of them is… Do you know if the grout lines have been painted? We needed to ask this question because the tile floor was 15 years old and due to the amount of black crud that was in the grout lines, we couldn’t even tell what color the grout was/is.
They have lived in the home for 8 years and prior to there move in, they wouldn’t know. Because of this, we went with the side of caution and made this statement.
We are confident that we can get the black crud out of the grout lines but we have no idea what the condition of the grout is underneath the crud. We will perform our tile and grout cleaning process but we can’t be held responsible for the grout underneath it.
They thought this was fair, and either way the grout had to be cleaned as a 1st step to restore this kitchen floor.
Our Tile and Grout Cleaning includes the grout sealant at no additional charge;
Let’s talk about the photo that you see. This is what the grout looked like after out tile and grout cleaning. Those grout lines were jet black before we began. This ugly material in the grout lines is old paint. Someone painted the grout lines years ago and the paint permeated deep into the grout lines. What was the cure to this problem…. At a small additional cost the grout lines can be painted and the grout sealed. That is what this customer chose to do and and she ended up with a beautiful kitchen floor that she was thrilled with.
Grout Cleaning
Removing the dried crud in the grout lines requires special cleaners and machinery. In these two photos we chose to leave some grout lines dirty so that you could see a good side by side comparison. While we are in the customers home, this is how we show our customer the results that we are getting. On this particular tile, there is a color pattern in the tile itself. Once we removed the debris off of the surface of the tile our customer was really happy that the color was brighter. We do 100′s of tile and grout cleaning jobs a year and it’s just amazing how much brighter a room becomes once the tile and grout has been cleaned. That is one constant compliment that we receive on every job.
Tile and Grout Cleaning cost;
Most companies charge an additional fee to seal the grout lines once the cleaning is complete. This is a very important step and a costly one for the customers. Just like all of the services that Doll Bros. performs – this is all inclusive in our price. We don’t charge an extra cost for this service because it is a basic part of doing the job. Doll Bros. does not charge any extra charges for any of our services. When you hire us for Carpet, Tile, Furniture or Leather cleaning we perform the complete job for one price. That’s just the way that we do business and the way that we want to be treated when we hire people to come to our home.
Tile and Grout cleaning – the sealant;
We apply the grout sealant right into the grout line. Some companies mop it on but we use a tool to put the sealant where it belongs – in the grout line. Although it takes the sealant 24 hours to cure, you can walk on the floors right away. Our feet do not touch the grout lines so the floor can be used immediately.
Doll Bros. Tile and Grout Cleaning;
This is a close up photo to show you the difference of a before and after grout line cleaning. The natural color of this grout line is grey as you can see after the cleaning. The top of the grout line is the accumulated crud that has built up in the grout line that we have not removed yet. There is nothing like a before and after picture to illustrate just how effective our Tile and Grout cleaning process is. So in this example, we cleaned half of the room (about 100 square feet) and then we got our customer to show her the difference and she was just amazed at the difference.
Our Tile and Grout Cleaning also includes the Grout Sealant;
A few years ago when we decided to add Tile and Grout Cleaning as a part of our extended services. We took a few training classes and then bought all of the latest equipment. We were advised by the industry to sell the Grout Sealant as a add on extra sale. We object to add on sales because this adds on to the tile and grout cleaning cost. Of course they didn’t know how Doll Bros. operates and we just let that roll off off our shoulders. Doll Bros. does not do add on sales for any of our services that we offer. We are a full service all inclusive cleaning company. The Grout Sealant is included with the Tile and Grout cleaning process because its the right thing to do!
Tile and Grout Cleaning, the before and after;
It is kind of hard to tell but the hallway that you can’t see is about 20 foot long (left of the fireplace). We started our Tile and Grout cleaning at the end of the hallway and worked our process back into the family room. In the photo you can see the dark lines in the grout (what we haven’t cleaned yet) but look at the difference underneath the table and towards the hallway. We got the customer at this point and showed them the difference. The knew the grout was dirty but they were so amazed at the clean grout. She told her husband “we are getting a new floor”. We have performed 100′s of Tile and Grout cleaning jobs and it does amaze me every time how bright the floor and the room becomes when the crud has been removed from the grout lines. The results are all about the excellent tile and grout cleaning products that we use.
Our Tile and Grout Cleaning includes the Grout Sealant at no additional charge;
There are not many cleaning companies that can boast this claim. Most cleaning companies charge an additional fee for this service. All services that Doll Bros. performs are all inclusive. To complete the job the right way the grout has to sealed, so that’s exactly what we do.
Tile and Grout Cleaning;
The photo on the left was taken when we were half way through with the Tile and Grout Cleaning. As you can see, this floor was in poor condition before we began. The photo on the right was taken once the job was complete. We just finished putting the Grout Sealant down in every grout line. We use a tool in where we put the Sealant right into the grout line. Although it is a tedious and time consuming task, it is the proper and most thorough way of applying the Sealant. We even do this at no additional cost to our customers, it’s a part of our everyday service.
We do get awsome results with our Tile and Grout Cleaning;
Excuse the phrasing, but it is a real joy when we clean tile floors and get such great results. It’s amazing how much brighter the room looks afterward once the crud in the grout lines is removed. We have received some terrific compliments from our customers with most saying – We just got a new floor at a fraction of the cost. As a Tile and Grout Cleaning business - that is music to our ears. The tile and grout cleaning cost varies from one company to the other. What makes Doll Bros. unique is that we apply the grout sealant at no additional cost to our customers.
Professional Tile and Grout Cleaning;
We clean roughly 200 homes a year using our Tile and Grout Cleaning process and this photo to the right is very typical of the results that we get. On the right side of the photo is the area that we have not cleaned. When we showed our customer the difference she was just amazed. The dirt was so uniform that she didn’t even think it was that dirty to begin with. This is a comment that we hear very often. I think that most people become accustom to their floors that they forgot how beautiful they use to be. This is our fourth year of Tile and Grout Cleaning and we are seeing a return of the same customers that we cleaned for 3 and 4 years ago. Why? Because they have now become accustom to having nice clean tile and grout and they don’t want to go back to the old. Like I said, once you have your tile and grout professionally cleaned you will be amazed.
Our Tile and Grout Cleaning cost includes Grout Sealant;
We have always included the grout sealant at no additional charge. Most companies charge about 20% additional of the Tile and Grout Cleaning as an add-on sale. We don’t, we apply it because that is the correct way to do the complete job!
