advice please

[brendan]

hey,,,carpet cleaner ten years and im going to get some training on tile and grout cleaning,,any advice would be great but my main question is i want to buy the the rotovac 360i and can only justitify buying it if i can use it and it does a grat job on tile and grout are would i be better buying a proper tool for tile and grout,,,thanks

 

[KevinL]

Re: Anyone using the 360i for t&g?

I'd like to know too before I pull the trigger.

 

[sam miller]

I think most guys use a spinner, but ya I wonder how the 360i works on tile too. My SX12 works good. I think if you call rotovac they might let you demo it???

 

[Contemporary Carpet Clean]

Try cleaning with high PH cleaners only. You can't really ruin tile and grout with high PH (base) cleaners. Acid on the other hand can ruin/etch certain tile/marble and can damage stainless steel appliances and wood cabinets.

I use my regular carpet cleaning traffic lane prespray for tile and grout and get great results. On really greasy tile and grout I may boost it more. Viper Venom type products get expensive and on tile and grout that is not really greasy I have not noticed a difference. In a normal kitchen and tiled areas in a home I have never seen a difference in cleaning ability (Viper Venom vs. Carpet traffic lane prespray).

Becareful of loose tile and cracked grout. Ask custy about loose grout/tiles and tell them before starting that cleaning my loosen the grout even more especially if it is already cracked/missing. If thats the case I just turn the PSI down to 500-600 psi. Sometimes even lower. You do not want to make someone elses problem yours!!! Tell them ahead of time especially when tile and grout is really dirty and they have light colored grout that after cleaning it my have stains in the grout. I have gotten grout free of dirt...however sink, oven, refridgerators areas are notorious for stain/spotted grout that does not come out. That is where you might need to use an acid.

 

[dan mabes]

I'm not familiar with the 360i, so I can't comment on it. But we use the Turbo Hybrid snd get excellent results. I think it sells for around $800 or $850, so it's a considerably less investment if you're just getting into tile and grout
Dan M

 

[brendan]

thanks for all your replies,,ive been looking at the turbo hybrid but my body starting to ache from using the wand so the 360i looks easier to use with great results so im trying to convince myself that its as good on tile as carpets then i can justitify the cost

 

[cucu]

stop being a woman and just get it ...its better then what your doing now..so whats your problem

 

[Bee Busy]

here's the advice you asked for: buy a turbo or sx-12 if your serious about t/g cleaning not that expensive carpet cleaning tool....use alkaline AND ACID when cleaning t/g, don't use acid on natural stone...tape and protect baseboards and kitchen appliances so they don't get damaged from alkalines and acids...if you are to seal the grout properly, it has to be etched by acid....maybe take a class at your local supplier for more info

 

[GroutGuy]

I agree, with busy bee. Love my turbo! I do a lot of tile & grout... as stated already you can't be too careful with the acids, however they can be your friend if used with care. I have a large plastic storage container on my truck with several different colors of grout, this always comes in handy as you will blow out a small piece of grout from time to time. Between the grout and the grout stain I carry with me I can usaully make a small repair in a minute without the customer even knowing. If there are pre existing pieces of grout missing I can repair as a added service. My point being, if you are going to clean tile and grout it is a good idea to learn how to do grout repairs, or even better, know how to replace a craked tile. Just like carpet repairs, they are not that difficult once learned. Just one more very important thing to keep in mind, if tiles are cracked or grout is missing it usally indicates a bad installation, so you should not offer a gaurentee or make the problem floor your problem. If a tile cracked because a 25 lb frozen turkey fell on it, that is not a install problem.

 

[brendan]

great thanks for all your information,,turbo and a rotovac it is,,,,

 

[Mikey P]

So according to Bill, grout around calcium based stone tiles can never be effectively sealed?

 

[curt johnson]

Keep it simple. I've used the Turbo for going on 9 years now....I also have the Gecko edging tool, a mini turbo for showers and counters and also the handheld Cobra for counters, showers, or hard to reach areas. I don't tape baseboards and edges, but I use cleaners that are safe. As stated a high ph cleaner will do the job on 95% of residential jobs.....if you can charge several dollars a square foot knock yourself out taping and stuff, if not keep it simple and just get it clean. Turbo, good cleaner, edging tool once in a while, some towells, and your set.

 

[brendan]

i have a prochem hard floor wand with brushes on the end like a glide,,,so a turbo,grout brush and hand tool and im sorted ??????