What's stopping you from cleaning tile and grout?

I don't clean Tile and Grout because..

  • I'm afraid I could not tell a Terazzo from a Travertine from a Terracotta.

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    7

Bob Foster

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What's your excuse? Come on, you can tell us.... Why don't some of you lurkers say something here too.
 
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Bob Foster said:
What's your excuse? Come on, you can tell us.... Why don't some of you lurkers say something here too.

I think its a lack of education. Its can be easier than carpet cleaning sometimes. Just gotta get into color and clear seal.
 

ruff

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Ofer Kolton
Like Brent.
I know the basics but I feel like I should be pretty good at correcting potential problems (re-grouting due to loose grout being sucked in or anything else that may be necessary) so I can offer a more complete service. Don't know why, but I prefer that to fast talking my way out of problems.

I went to one of the two day classes and as all IICRC classes, they teach you to pass the test (I did) however, very little hands on experience which is what I need.
 

ruff

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admiralclean said:
He said "tile and grout." Not natural stone.

It ain't rocket science, and if a chunk of grout comes loose ... ain't no biggie.
Is that a direct quote from your client retention program?
 

Jim Williams

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I do offer T&G, but I don't push it. As a matter of fact I don't like doing it. There is something about using a grout brush that just erks me. I am able to get great results on floors, but then they want you to do the nasty shower stall and I don't like to offer a service that I can only get so so results on. If I can't attain near perfection then I let myself down, and on tile I just can't get it perfect.
 

TimP

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kolfer1 said:
Like Brent.
I know the basics but I feel like I should be pretty good at correcting potential problems (re-grouting due to loose grout being sucked in or anything else that may be necessary) so I can offer a more complete service. Don't know why, but I prefer that to fast talking my way out of problems.

I went to one of the two day classes and as all IICRC classes, they teach you to pass the test (I did) however, very little hands on experience which is what I need.


If a piece of grout comes loose it aint like anything you can do to fix it is gonna look great. However that's why I don't understand these guys pushing over 1000 psi cleaning tile. Also putting new grout in a small hole is as simple as a cup, grout, a stick, water and a towel. If you're going to make it all look the right color then you'll have to color seal. I've had once job where I refused to do it because it wasn't stuck to the floor right. And that's not hard to figure out.

There really is very little to go wrong cleaning tile much less than carpet, especially if you tap the tiles to make sure they aren't hollow etc if you're real worried. Also you can make a disclaimer that you're not responsible to damaged grout etc due to shoddy instalation, I have warned one customer with hollow tiles in a trailer they said do it anyway and I didn't damage anything even then. Oh and I must say I've never blasted grout out....but I only run 700 psi....but then again the turbo isn't meant to scrub it's meant to rinse...the way I see it. That's what a brush and a buffer is for.
 

TimP

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Jim Williams said:
I do offer T&G, but I don't push it. As a matter of fact I don't like doing it. There is something about using a grout brush that just erks me. I am able to get great results on floors, but then they want you to do the nasty shower stall and I don't like to offer a service that I can only get so so results on. If I can't attain near perfection then I let myself down, and on tile I just can't get it perfect.


Are you using acid to etch the grout when possible???? Acid makes a huge difference when cleaning tile....of course you can't use it on many stone surfaces. If not you need to push color sealing if they want perfection. I rarely find stained tile out of a kitchen....and you can tell like with carpet in the other areas when it's stained like kool-aid stains....same with carpet although not fixed the same.
 
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Its all comes down to pre-qualify your work, just like on carpets. Dont make their problem yours. That goes the same with the quality of cleaning. You have to lower their expectations and then work to exceed them. People do expect it to come out brand new and well, thats not the case. Grout stains, thats the bottomline. Its not your fault, you didnt casue the stain, but if you talk to them about these things before had, you'll be OK.
 

ruff

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Tim:
So do you re-grout if some of the grout was removed during your cleaning?
If yes, how long does it take and how good are the results?
And does the color match if you do not have the original grout?
If you think that their expectations are unrealistic do you offer color sealing? And if yes, do you feel that the results will be very good?
How much do you charge for these options.

Mikey:
That is a good point but how do you handle it if they don't?

Brent:
That is absolutely true, and for any business for that matter. However like all of us I am trying to weigh the pros and cons.
I pre-qualify anything that I do and like you I do everything that you mentioned. I even write everything as a pre-existing condition and have them sign it.
However we all know they are never quite "thrilled" when it happens no matter how clear you were before hand. So before taking it on I want to make sure that I can over deliver and minimize disappointment. I strongly think that any disappointment can and will carry over and be associated with the other things I do- not good for business.

Bottom line:
1) Nice to add the extra income.
2) Find someone who is good at it that will let me come along and learn. ANYBODY?

From then on, it's pure gravy. And I am 3/4 vegetarian.
Thank all for your response.
Ofer
 

TimP

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kolfer1 said:
Tim:
So do you re-grout if some of the grout was removed during your cleaning?
If yes, how long does it take and how good are the results?
And does the color match if you do not have the original grout?
If you think that their expectations are unrealistic do you offer color sealing? And if yes, do you feel that the results will be very good?
How much do you charge for these options.


kOfer


No matter what you do it's not going to match exactly. Maybe if you use the same grout and you some how mix the grout the same as the installer you might be able to, cause the color changes slightly with the amount of water you add to mix the grout. The best way is to fill it then color seal it....the whole floor.


However like I said, that happening is very very slim.....and if it's going to happen the grout is usually already broken. And if you do see it you can lower the psi cause like I said all you're doing is rinsing the floor the cleaning is done with chemicals and scrubbing with a brush and a buffer if needed for a greasy filthy floor. What you're doing with your spinner does not break grout up unless you run very high pressures unless the grout is damaged anyway.
 
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kolfer1 said:
Tim:
So do you re-grout if some of the grout was removed during your cleaning?
If yes, how long does it take and how good are the results?
And does the color match if you do not have the original grout?
If you think that their expectations are unrealistic do you offer color sealing? And if yes, do you feel that the results will be very good?
How much do you charge for these options.

Mikey:
That is a good point but how do you handle it if they don't?

Brent:
That is absolutely true, and for any business for that matter. However like all of us I am trying to weigh the pros and cons.
I pre-qualify anything that I do and like you I do everything that you mentioned. I even write everything as a pre-existing condition and have them sign it.
However we all know they are never quite "thrilled" when it happens no matter how clear you were before hand. So before taking it on I want to make sure that I can over deliver and minimize disappointment. I strongly think that any disappointment can and will carry over and be associated with the other things I do- not good for business.

Bottom line:
1) Nice to add the extra income.
2) Find someone who is good at it that will let me come along and learn. ANYBODY?

From then on, it's pure gravy. And I am 3/4 vegetarian.
Thank all for your response.
Ofer


If you are using the right products and precedures, even the very best techs will get the same results. I have cleaned alot of tile and I havent had a problem with clients. Again I have always talked with them telling them potental problem areas and why things discolor and stain. If it looks new then im a hero, but if it looks like I told them it might look than they were conditioned for it.
Like I say its not your fault that they didnt maintain their tile and grout. So there is no reason it should reflect bad on you. Just gotta be confident in what you did, if not then riding along with someone will help boost that confidence level.
 

Mikey P

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I carry plastic chip color charts from the 3 tops grout makers in my area.

If the home owner wants I'll match it and come back to repair any damage.




The problem with "Pre Qualifying" grout issues is that so often the "Issues' are hiding under a layer of filth.

Topicals, Cracks and loose pieces, stains, mis matched colors/batches etc...


You go to know how to talk your way out of trouble in this line of work.

If you're a introvert, stick to the fuzzy stuff.
 

TimM

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I have just started offering it. I have had several vacant apartments that I have been able to experiment on to try things out. Right now just using a 175, brush and mop and shop vac.
 

Brian R

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Just sold my T&G tools so I won't be doing it anymore.
I have been super busy with carpets and the T&G takes a lot of my time.

When the job comes in I forward it to him or someone else for a %.
I can help others out and still make a little of the money that paid for the advertising.

It is working out well so far.

I'm Carpet Cleaner not a Tile Guy Jim....(in my best Dr. Bones voice)
 

Ron Werner

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Bob's already told me the "best" tool is the Turbo hybrid. I still don't have the tools for it. What do you guys recommend for starting tools and chems?



I always thought you needed 1000+psi to clean T&G. One of the reasons I decided to get away from my old tm. What is the recommended cleaning psi??
 
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Brian Robison said:
Just sold my T&G tools so I won't be doing it anymore.
I have been super busy with carpets and the T&G takes a lot of my time.

When the job comes in I forward it to him or someone else for a %.
I can help others out and still make a little of the money that paid for the advertising.

It is working out well so far.

I'm Carpet Cleaner not a Tile Guy Jim....(in my best Dr. Bones voice)

Did you have a long handled grout brush?
 

TimP

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Ron Werner said:
Bob's already told me the "best" tool is the Turbo hybrid. I still don't have the tools for it. What do you guys recommend for starting tools and chems?



I always thought you needed 1000+psi to clean T&G. One of the reasons I decided to get away from my old tm. What is the recommended cleaning psi??


The turbo is a great tool. I use one myself. It's all you really need for tile jobs....you already have a carpet wand and you can use that for areas you can't get with the turbo to start. I don't care for the small spinner for much of anything.

As far as pressure.....it can be nice to have if the tile is installed properly. However it's not the end all thing for cleaning tile. You can clean tile as well at 250 psi as over 1000 psi...I personally run 700 psi. The way you do it is with chemistry. Which brings me to your chemical question.

There is many out there. Bridgepoint has the viper products, TOG has products, Prochem etc. You're going to have to try them all out to choose for yourself, I started with the viper products as I started out buying everything from a bridgepoint dealer.

Cleaning is just like carpet.

1st you vacuum your floor.

2nd precondition.....I prefer to use acid cleaner first like viper renew, or tog easy etch (make sure you have no reaction to the actual tile as you don't want to etch the tile as in stone). I just spray the grout lines and let dwell about 10-15 minutes...then scrub your grout lines with a stand up brush. However if the floor has a lot of grease and you don't get any foam you need to start with an alkaline product. Like viper venom, or tog deep clean scrub with your blue brush. Give the chemicals time and scrub.

3 Rinse your floor....high pressure is not necesarry. You just want to suck it all up and make sure you leave no residue....same as with carpet.

4. Precondition again with alkaline to clean your tile surface. If you had to use alkaline an acid wash is the next step. Scrub (175 is best here to get the tile surface clean if it's real bad) and rinse again. If you use acid this step it's recommended to spray alkaline out and dwell again in another step to leave your grout in an alkaline state....as that's it's normal state.


5. Of course rinse....


That's really all there is to it other than a good preinspection....tapping floors looking for hollow spots....testing the tile for reactions to chemicals....lowering expectations for stains and put a disclaimer on the grout breaking. And if you have any problems ask of course.
 

Brian R

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Brent, I gave the long handled grout brush with the tools.

Mikey, you still love me and you know it.
 

Jim Martin

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admiralclean said:
One step too many.

And ... as usual for the wanna-be scientists that infect the internet boards ... too complicated.


Man ain't that the truth......keep it simple.....

take a 2 gal jug and mark it (like in the picture)....bottom mark is for light soil and center mark is for heavy soil..top mark is fill line....

pour it on the floor....why mix in a pump up.just a big waste of time...plus you don't have the worry of getting it on nothing but the floor....take a stiff broom and sweep it around to the areas spread it out....while you are doing this you are scrubbing the tile and the grout in a much larger area........hook up you tool of choice and extract....

As far as the type of chemical ....The stuff I use comes from Lowe's .........5 gal bucket ..it cost me less then $6 for every 2 gallons I mix up.....It cut threw everything with no dwell and no problems..it has no problems removing wax build ....the best thing about this stuff is that you can push it up against any painted surface or cabinets and it does not effect it at all so it makes edging much easier....it is some of the safest and most effective cleaner I have ever used on ceramic tile.... the only place I would not use it is if the floor was already color sealed...oxy-blaster works safer for those and they always clean easy...

IMG_3695.jpg
 

TimP

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admiralclean said:
One step too many.

And ... as usual for the wanna-be scientists that infect the internet boards ... too complicated.


I didn't invent it. The steps came from my SMT class thank you, and the steps are for those starting out not knowing where and when to skip steps. And it stated always alkaline first then acid then alkaline and rinse inbetween all of them. And it says if it looks good just do alkaline however I've found that it's impossible to tell while you're there and it's better to go ahead and do all the steps and do it right, because there are often things you can't see till it's completely dry (sorry jim your floor looks great but if you only did 1 step you could be missing something when it dries). But it seems you guys don't care nothing about doing it right just the least amount of steps possible for you to get paid and run.

I've found that doing acid first then neutralise it and clean the surface all at the same time is the best way and a complete way. But that's the way I do it and I'm no scientist. At least I've tried to give an explanation. All you can do is sit there and criticise, Marty! So you just alkaline wash and rinse like a hack in my opinion????? No wonder so many people have trouble getting the tile clean they have to use super high grout/tile destroying pressures and heat. :roll: And then when you get a call back and don't know why it don't look the same as when you left you just talk your way out of it???? At least when I leave I know I did everything I'm supposed to and know what is left is stains. But that's just me.
 

Gary T

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I have to agree with Marty on this one. Too complicated, too many steps, and backwards IMO.

Alk, dwell, scrub, rinse. Acid, very little dwell, rinse, and if it makes you sleep better at night neutralize and rinse again. I don't neutralize as the grout does that for me. Just rinse well after acid.

Using acid first makes no sense to me as it doesn't work on the soils that are in the grout. It doesn't clean well anyway as acid is not a cleaner.

BTW, Anyone in Northern Il, who wants or needs help getting started with T&G, pm, email, or call me. I'd be more than happy to help you out.
 

TimM

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Jim Martin said:
admiralclean said:
One step too many.

And ... as usual for the wanna-be scientists that infect the internet boards ... too complicated.


Man ain't that the truth......keep it simple.....

take a 2 gal jug and mark it (like in the picture)....bottom mark is for light soil and center mark is for heavy soil..top mark is fill line....

pour it on the floor....why mix in a pump up.just a big waste of time...plus you don't have the worry of getting it on nothing but the floor....take a stiff broom and sweep it around to the areas spread it out....while you are doing this you are scrubbing the tile and the grout in a much larger area........hook up you tool of choice and extract....

As far as the type of chemical ....The stuff I use comes from Lowe's .........5 gal bucket ..it cost me less then $6 for every 2 gallons I mix up.....It cut threw everything with no dwell and no problems..it has no problems removing wax build ....the best thing about this stuff is that you can push it up against any painted surface or cabinets and it does not effect it at all so it makes edging much easier....it is some of the safest and most effective cleaner I have ever used on ceramic tile.... the only place I would not use it is if the floor was already color sealed...oxy-blaster works safer for those and they always clean easy...

IMG_3695.jpg
Jim, does Lowes sell just that one type? if I go to lowes do I just look for the 5 gallon bucket?
 

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