Cheshire Expert Details how to Remove Mould and Completely Renovate a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

I was asked by a Chelford homeowner (near Alderley Edge) to renovate their Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle which had an unsightly mould problem. They say pictures speak louder than words, so I’ve added some photos on this page which show how the grout and silicone sealant had become discoloured with mould over the ten years since it was installed.

 

Mould likes damp warm areas and shower cubicles make a perfect habitat for it, grout especially can be a problem due to its cementitious rough surface that mould can get a grip on. In this case the ventilation in the ensuite was inadequate and ideally there should have been an extraction vent over the cubicle itself. My advice in these situations is to leave doors and windows open after showering and to run the cold water afterwards.

 

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To renovate the Tile and Grout I sprayed on Tile Doctor Duo-Clean which was left to soak into the grout line for ten minutes before being scrubbed in by hand. The Ceramic tiles cleaned quite easily but the grout had to be scrubbed hard and needed several applications before I was satisfied.

The whole shower needed treating in this fashion and once rinsed and dried I set about stripping out all the old silicone sealant that had also been badly affected by mould. This is done carefully using a sharp knife. I removed the debris and moved onto applying a fresh mould resistant silicone sealant.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

Last step before leaving was to spray the Ceramic tile and especially the Grout and Silicone with a can of Tile Doctor Aerosol Grout Sealer. This doesn’t last as long as other sealants in the Tile Doctor range but its quick to apply, especially on wall tiles. The sealer ensures water will run straight off the walls into the shower tray and it also makes the shower easier to clean later.

 

The shower looked like a new installation by the time I had finished, and my client was delighted with the transformation. He was also thankful that I had replaced the silicone, this was something he had considered doing himself but applying it does take practice and you can get yourself into a mess. 

Source: Bathroom Tile and Grout Cleaning and Renovation Service in Cheshire

How to Deep Clean Kitchen Wall Tile and Grout

This customer from Chorley asked me to call round to clean-up their kitchen wall tiles. The tiles were ceramic and formed the backsplash behind the kitchen units, so they experienced a lot of splashing from the worktop. Those directly behind the sink and gas hob were subject to very heavy use and were quite badly soiled.


Rather than being glazed these Ceramic tiles had the sort of rough riven surface you find on slate which looked interesting but had the side effect of trapping dirt more easily. Installed with the kitchen over ten years ago my customer was now very unhappy with the state of the backsplash tiles and especially the grout which had darkened. They had tried everything to clean them up including lots of household cleaners, including Bleach and Flash to name a few, but nothing had helped. Grease and grime can be particularly difficult to remove especially from grout and most cleaners will not do the job.

I went to have a look at the problem myself and completed a test clean on a section of the tile and grout. By the time I had finished the grout looked white again the tiles much lighter in colour. Although I had only popped round to provide a quote for the work the customer was so happy with the result of the test clean it was agreed I complete the whole backsplash there and then.

 Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Splashback

The method I used was to spray the tiles using neat Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to create a very strong tile and grout cleaner. This was applied and allowed to soak in for a short while, then the tiles and grout were steam cleaned and hand scrubbed. I removed the now dirty cleaning residue with a wet vacuum and then wiped the tiles down. The effect was immediate. Ceramic tiles are sealed at the factory so there is no need to apply a sealant however its always worth sealing the grout which is easily done using a wall tile and grout aerosol sealer.


The method worked well, the tiles were lovely and clean, and the grout looked new. We had a great result which the customer was really happy with and left the following feedback.

"Fantastic job! Tiles look as though they are new. I am so happy with it"

Moving forward I suggested they ensured that spills were cleaned up immediately and that they used the Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro Cleaner to keep on top of the tile and grout cleaning. Although primarily sold for bathroom tile cleaning it works equally as well in the kitchen. This will prevent the built up they had experienced, but of course they now know where to find us, so can always let us know when they next need a deep clean!




Source: Ceramic Tile and Grout Cleaning Service in Lancashire

Renovating a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in St. Albans, Hertfordshire

The photographs on this page were taken at a property in St. Albans, Hertfordshire or Verulamium as it was known in Roman times. St. Albans is roughly 20 miles north-west of central London and a popular choice for commuters who work in London. The owners were fed up with the discoloured grouting and their bathroom looking tired and had tried lots of products on the market to get the grout looking clean. The results had been disappointing, and they were starting to despair.


They contacted me to see if I could help and after visiting the property I recommended deep cleaning the Ceramic tile and grout and then removing and re-grouting those areas that were badly stained. I explained that this would take one day to complete and by using a series of products we would soon have the bathroom looking more pleasing. Happy with the quote which was far less expensive than installing a new bathroom I scheduled the work in for an agreed date.

Deep Cleaning and Re-grouting a Tiled Bathroom

We started out by preparing the area with protective sheets and tape to threshold edges. This was then followed by giving the tile and especially the grout a deep clean using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel and aa steam cleaner to get the grout as clean as possible. Oxy-Gel is a strong alkaline gel cleaner and degreaser which works well on vertical surfaces where a long dwell time is required. Being a gel, it stays in place allowing it to really get to work on the dirt making it an ideal choice for this situation. 

The top layer of grout is porous and, as a result, it easily absorbs grease, dirt and limescale. Grout between wall-tiles, particularly in damp areas like bathrooms, will become dirty and unattractive and if the ventilation is inadequate Mould and Mildew can develop. The grout was scrubbed with Oxy-Gel several times to get it as clean as possible and then rinsed off with water.

At this stage we were able to identify all those areas of grout that were badly stained and we set about carefully removing the old grout using a special tool. This work takes a bit of time, but we felt it was the best solution in this instance.

Next, using a craft blade we carefully removed all the old silicone sealant, so it could be replaced later. This was followed by re-grouting using a white grout to match the existing.


Whilst the grout was drying the final step was to replace the silicone sealant around the bath edge with fresh sealant. We always use high quality mould resistant silicone for this as we don’t want any call backs later when the sealant goes mouldy or water leaks through.

After making some final checks and ensuing excess grout was polished off the tiles the bathroom transformation was complete. Even I was amazed at how much cleaner and tidier the bathroom now looked. The important thing was the customer who was equally impressed and left the following comment on our Tile Doctor feedback system.

‘Excellent and friendly service - would recommend to others’




Source: Ceramic Tile Cleaning and Bathroom Renovation Service in Hertfordshire

Dealing with Multiple Tile Problems at a Leeds Property

At Tile Doctor, we have completed a wide variety of restoration jobs, from very large floors in hotels and restaurants to smaller floors in kitchens and bathrooms. We also often work on different surface types, including shower cubicles and stone or tiled window sills. I recently visited the small village of Sherburn-in-Elmet in Leeds to complete two small, but very different, jobs for a customer. The first was the restoration of a Ceramic tiled kitchen floor that was really looking worse for wear. The grout lines had accumulated a lot of dirt over the years and the tiles themselves had been stained by what appeared to be plaster dust.


The second was the restoration of several window sills made from Catalan-style Terracotta. The stone had originally been covered in four to six coats of Yacht Varnish, which had left an unsightly white crusted covering. Naturally, the customer was keen to see the sills restored to their original, natural look.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

After removing the kickboards from underneath the kitchen units, I used a handheld scrapper and a wire brush to manually remove most of the plaster dust. Next, I applied a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a high alkaline tile and grout cleaner, across the floor. By scrubbing the Pro-Clean into the tiles and grout I removed all the dirt and staining. As the tiles were fully glazed Ceramic, they did not need to be sealed.

Cleaning and Sealing Terracotta Window Sills

The white crusted powder covering the Catalan Terracotta window sills was caused by Yacht Varnish, which would need to be removed before I could properly clean the stone below. I removed it using a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is a heavy-duty stripper, and Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU, a powerful cleaner which uses nano-sized particles penetrates difficult-to-reach areas. Together they make a powerful stripper/cleaning solution. This solution was left to work its magic for two hours, before I applied a handheld scrapper and wire brush to remove the white coating. Next, I rinsed the sills with water and then deep cleaned them again with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The window sills were subsequently left to dry off completely overnight. I popped back to the property the next day to seal them with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating sealer which intensified the natural shades in the stone and provided a natural-looking matte finish.


Two quick jobs completed to a high standard and one very satisfied customer.


Source: Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning and Restoration Service in Yorkshire

Cleaning Up a Grubby Shower Cubicle in Bishopton

This shower cubicle was installed in the main bathroom of a house in Bishopton where the grout had become quite grubby and the Ceramic tiles were looking quite dull. The owner was thinking about re-tiling the bathroom and thought they would give us a call first to see if we could refresh the look without the expense. Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout We started by spraying the tiles with Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a strong high-alkaline cleaner especially formulated and packaged for cleaning Read more...

To read more on this topic click here

Ceramic Tiles and Grout Lines Rejuvenated in a Westmancote Hallway

This customer who lives in the old picturesque village of Westmancote, Gloucestershire asked me to do a home survey on their ceramic kitchen tiles which had been laid around fifteen years prior. With the exception of general cleaning not much had work had been done to the tile and grout and now the tiles were looking dull and the grout had turned black. As part of the survey I ran a test clean on part of the floor and the tile and grout came up really well which convinced the customer to Read more...

Restoring the Appearance of Kitchen Tile and Grout in Westmancote

This customer who lives in the old picturesque village of Westmancote, Gloucestershire asked me to do a home survey on their ceramic kitchen tiles which had been laid around fifteen years prior. With the exception of general cleaning not much had work had been done to the tile and grout and now Read more...

Cleaning Old Ceramic Tiles

This fifty year old Ceramic tiled floor was installed in the communal parts of a small block of flats in Poole, Dorset. The tiles had not been given a deep clean in a long while and were now ingrained with dirt from many years of wear. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tile and Grout To clean the tiles a Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Shower Tiles

This shower cubicle was installed in the main bathroom of a house in Bishopton where the grout had become quite grubby and the Ceramic tiles were looking quite dull. The owner was thinking about re-tiling the bathroom and thought they would give us a call first to see if we could refresh the Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Pool Surround Mosaics

As well as bathrooms and kitchens we also cover swimming pools which usually have a tiled pool surround and this was certainly the case with the photograph below which was taken at a property near the small market town of Sandy in Bedfordshire where the tile and grout around the pool had Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop

The Ceramic tiles with dark grout were installed in a Bedford Coffee Shop where we have a regular contract to deep clean the tile and grout, whilst we appreciate the regular work you do have to work out of hours to minimise impact to trade. It's worth noting that many commercial tiling installations do avoid white grout as it can get dirty quite quickly and will be difficult to clean if badly stained, not that that's a problem for Tile Doctor as we have a solution for most problems. Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop

The Ceramic tiles with dark grout were installed in a Bedford Coffee Shop where we have a regular contract to deep clean the tile and grout, whilst we appreciate the regular work you do have to work out of hours to minimise impact to trade. It's worth noting that many commercial tiling installations do avoid white grout as it can get dirty quite quickly and will be difficult to clean if badly stained, not that that's a problem for Tile Doctor as we have a solution for most problems. Read more...

Cleaning old Yellow Ceramic Floor tiles in Poole

This fifty year old Ceramic tiled floor was installed in the communal parts of a small block of flats in Poole, Dorset. The tiles had not been given a deep clean in a long while and were now ingrained with dirt from many years of wear. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tile and Grout To clean the tiles a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied a left to soak into the tile for some time before working it into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. During this Read more...

Mosaic Swimming Pool Tile Surround Cleaned near Sandy

As well as bathrooms and kitchens we also cover swimming pools which usually have a tiled pool surround and this was certainly the case with the photograph below which was taken at a property near the small market town of Sandy in Bedfordshire where the tile and grout around the pool had discoloured over time. Cleaning Mosaic Pool Tiles To clean the tiles we used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which left to soak into the tile and grout in sections before being scrubbed in using Read more...

Mosaic Swimming Pool Tile Surround Cleaned near Sandy

As well as bathrooms and kitchens we also cover swimming pools which usually have a tiled pool surround and this was certainly the case with the photograph below which was taken at a property near the small market town of Sandy in Bedfordshire where the tile and grout around the pool had discoloured over time. Cleaning Mosaic Pool Tiles To clean the tiles we used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which left to soak into the tile and grout in sections before being scrubbed in using Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop

The Ceramic tiles with dark grout were installed in a Bedford Coffee Shop where we have a regular contract to deep clean the tile and grout, whilst we appreciate the regular work you do have to work out of hours to minimise impact to trade. It's worth noting that many commercial tiling installations do avoid white grout as it can get dirty quite quickly and will be difficult to clean if badly stained, not that that's a problem for Tile Doctor as we have a solution for most problems. Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop

The Ceramic tiles with dark grout were installed in a Bedford Coffee Shop where we have a regular contract to deep clean the tile and grout, whilst we appreciate the regular work you do have to work out of hours to minimise impact to trade. It's worth noting that many commercial tiling installations do avoid white grout as it can get dirty quite quickly and will be difficult to clean if badly stained, not that that's a problem for Tile Doctor as we have a solution for most problems. Read more...

Grubby Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Bishopton

This shower cubicle was installed in the main bathroom of a house in Bishopton where the grout had become quite grubby and the Ceramic tiles were looking quite dull. The owner was thinking about re-tiling the bathroom and thought they would give us a call first to see if we could refresh the look without the expense. Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout We started by spraying the tiles with Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a strong high-alkaline cleaner especially formulated and packaged for cleaning Read more...

Cleaning old Yellow Ceramic Floor tiles in Poole

This fifty year old Ceramic tiled floor was installed in the communal parts of a small block of flats in Poole, Dorset. The tiles had not been given a deep clean in a long while and were now ingrained with dirt from many years of wear. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tile and Grout To clean the tiles a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied a left to soak into the tile for some time before working it into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. During this Read more...

Cleaning Old Ceramic Tiles

This fifty year old Ceramic tiled floor was installed in the communal parts of a small block of flats in Poole, Dorset. The tiles had not been given a deep clean in a long while and were now ingrained with dirt from many years of wear. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tile and Grout To clean the tiles a Read more...

To read more on this topic click here