cleaning services Archives - Edinburgh Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiles Before and After Cleaning in Whitburn

Cleaning Victorian Hallway Tiles in Whitburn

This dull and un-inviting Victorian tiled entrance hall was located at a house in the small town of Whitburn in West Lothian which is half between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The tiles were in need of a deep clean and seal and we do see our fair share of Victorian tiled floors in this area and so have become quite experienced in their maintenance.

Victorian Tiles Before Cleaning in Whitburn

Cleaning Victorian Tile and Grout

To clean the floor and remove any remaining sealer a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and left to soak into the tiles for around fifteen minutes before being worked into the tile and grout using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary bonnet machine. Pro-Clean is a heavy duty alkaline cleaning product that un-like acid based cleaners are safe to use on Tile, Stone and Grout.

The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off using water and then the whole process repeated; three times to ensure any remaining sealer was removed and the floor was clean. The final step was to neutralise the floor before sealing which we did by giving it a final wash with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this time we extracted as much water as possible using a wet vacuum and then left the tile to dry off overnight.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

We came back the next day and after checking the floor was clean and dry proceeded to seal the tiles using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. Seal and Go is a water based sealer so it doesn’t leave a smell as its drying, it also offers good stain protection and adds a nice sheen to the floor.

Victorian Tiles After Cleaning in Whitburn

The entrance tiles now look new again and the sealer should keep it that way for a long time to come.

Victorian Tile Deep Cleaned and Sealed near Edinburgh

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Victorian Tiles Before and After Cleaning in Musselburgh

Cleaning Dirty Victorian Tiles Floor in Musselburgh

1 Comment / Dalkeith Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

We had a great result on this Victorian tiled floor at a house in Musselburgh which is five miles east of Edinburgh and apparently one of the oldest towns in Scotland. If you take a close look at the photograph below you can see how dirty the tiles were before we got started.

Victorian Tiles Before Cleaning in Musselburgh

Cleaning Victorian Tile and Grout

We were quite lucky with the floor in that it was in good physical shape and really just need a deep clean and re-seal. So the first step was to strip of any old remaining sealer or other coatings from the tiles using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is safe to use on these old tiles. The solution was mopped onto the tile and grout and then scrubbed in using a rotary bonnet machines fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off using water and then the whole process repeated; three times in fact before being satisfied that the floor was clean. The floor was given a final rinse using Neutral Tile cleaner and then water extracted using a wet vacuum before being left to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

We came back the next day and checked a few areas to make sure the floor was dry before sealing. The tiles were dry so the sealing process was started using Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is an ideal sealer for Victorian Tiles as it affords good stain protection whilst adding a nice subtle sheen to the floor, five coats were required before the tiles had become fully sealed.

Victorian Tiles After Cleaning in Musselburgh

I think you will agree the tiles look transformed and the sealer should keep them looking that way for some time to come.

Victorian Tile Deep Cleaned and Sealed near Edinburgh

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Terracotta Floor Tiles Edinburgh Before and After Cleaning

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned in Edinburgh

1 Comment / Edinburgh Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

This Terracotta Tiled Floor in the lounge of a house in Edinburgh was ingrained with dirt from what must have been years of use since it was last given a thorough deep clean and seal.

Terracotta Floor Tiles Edinburgh Before Cleaning

Cleaning Terracotta Tile and Grout

This floor was very dirty so to get them clean a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied and left to soak into the pores in the Terracotta for a good while. More Pro-Clean was applied and then worked into the tiles using a rotary bonnet machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This action saw the dirt coming out of the floor and it was rinsed away with water using a wet vacuum to extract the soil.

The process was repeated three times before the Terracotta tiles were clean; we also used a stiff grout brush along the grout lines during this process and then at the end the floor was given a good rinse down with more water again a wet vacuum was used to extract the water and get the floor as dry as possible.

Terracotta Floor Tiles Edinburgh After Cleaning

Sealing Terracotta Tiles

The photograph above shows the floor after cleaning as on this occasion and despite being advised against it the client didn’t want the floor sealed so we gave the floor a final wipe with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner with cloths to leave a clean finish. Terracotta is a very porous material and so it’s highly recommended that you seal it, leaving it un-sealed will soon see dirt becoming ingrained into the pores of the tile and once there it’s very difficult to remove without going through the deep cleaning process above.

When sealing Terracotta I would recommend Tile Doctor Seal and Go which gives the floor a nice sheen, if you prefer a more natural look however then choose Colour Grow which has the additional benefit of bringing out the natural colours in the tile.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned in Edinburgh

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Marble Tiled Kitchen and Hallway Cleaned and Polished in Edinburgh

1 Comment / Edinburgh Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

Details below of a Marble Tiled floor installed in the hallway and kitchen of a house in Edinburgh. The tiles were in good physical shape but had lost their polished appearance over time resulting in a dull un-appealing finish. This is not unusual for polished stone especially in high traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens.

Polished Marble Kitchen Edinburgh Before

Cleaning Marble Floor Tile and Grout

Our first job was to give the floor a general clean to remove grime and dirt especially along the grout lines. This was done by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is left to dwell on the floor before being scrubbed in, Pro-Clean is an alkaline cleaner so it’s safe to use on tile and stone unlike acidic cleaners which can damage the surface of the stone over time. The now dirty cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor given a rinse using water.

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

The next step was to burnish the Marble which is a process that removes ingrained dirt and brings up the polish on the tile. The process involves the application of four diamond pads in sequence; you start with the coarse pad together with a little water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through the other finer pads one by one until you get to the final polishing pad which provides a high polish.

When the Burnishing process was completed Tile doctor Shine powder which is a crystallising powder is worked into the floor using a bonnet machine fitted with a buffing pad and a little water; it adds an extra level of deep shine to the marble floor giving it that extra wow factor together with a tough durable finish.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled floor in Edinburgh

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External Quarry Tile Steps Before and After Cleaning

External Quarry Tile Steps and Grout Cleaned in Kirkliston

1 Comment / Broxburn Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

The photographs below are from a set of steps outside a house in the small West Lothian town of Kirkliston near Edinburgh airport and as you can see from the photograph the Quarry Tiled steps and Grout were looking tired and now in need of a good deep clean.

External Quarry Tile Steps Before Cleaning

Cleaning Quarry Tile and Grout

To get them clean we scrubbed in a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, it was a small area so this was done by hand using water to rinse away the soiled cleaning solution. The process was repeated until the dirt and grime had been removed and particular attention was applied to the grout using a stiff brush and plenty of elbow grease. Cleaning tiles outside does have its advantages as there is less preparation required but drying can take longer if it’s a cold day or shady spot.

Grout Colouring Quarry Tiles

Despite our best efforts to get the grout clean there was still evidence of staining so once it was dry the grout was coloured with 2 coats of grout colourant. The top layer of grout is actually porous so it will become ingrained with dirt over time that makes cleaning very difficult, the grout colourant product we use however forms an epoxy barrier over the grout which seals the grout and makes it easy to clean. Once complete and dry the steps were finished off with a wipe down using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner.

External Quarry Tile Steps After Cleaning

Quarry Tile Steps and Grout Refreshed in Kirkliston near Edinburgh Airport

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Quarry tiles Before and After cleaning and colouring

Stained Quarry Tile Grout Cleaned and Coloured in Livingston

1 Comment / Broxburn Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

The grout on this Quarry tiled floor in the kitchen of a house in Livingston near Edinburgh was proving impossible to clean effectively and had now become badly stained with dirt and grime and had gone dark in the process making it obviously dirty when compared with the clean areas.

Quarry Tiles Before Cleaning and Colouring

Cleaning Tile and Grout

The first step when cleaning grout is to apply a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaning agent. The solution is mopped onto the tile and grout and then scrubbed in by hand with a stiff brush along the grout lines, Pro-Clean is also a good general tile cleaner so it worked well on the Quarry Tiles as well. The soiled cleaning solution was rinsed away with water and as much water as possible was removed using a wet vacuum. Next we left the floor to allow it to dry leaving a turbo air mover in help to speed up the process.

Sealing Quarry Tiles

When the floor was dry it was clear that the grout would never be clean enough to match with the areas that were still white so we agreed to apply a white epoxy Grout Colourant to resolve the problem. The group colourant is applied by hand and is painted onto the grout using a small brush; any excess is then wiped off the tile. Two coats were required on this floor.

Quarry Tiles After Cleaning and Colouring

The floor now looks like it has come back to life and as you can see all the grout now has a uniform colour and should stay that way for a long time as the added advantage of an epoxy grout colourant is it forms a barrier over the grout that will seal and protected it.

Quarry Tile and Grout Cleaning and Colouring in Livingston, West Lothian

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Stained Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refresh in Edinburgh

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Edinburgh Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Work History / Thomas Wilson

Keeping the tile and grout in shower cubicles clean is often a headache for homeowners and this cubicle at a house in Edinburgh was certainly no different. You can see from the photograph below that although the glazed ceramic tiles were in good condition they were being made to look grubby by the stained condition of the adjacent grout and there were also signs of mould build-up. If you catch this early you can overcome the problem spraying on a product called Tile Doctor Mould-Away however in this case a full refresh was required.

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout

We started by spraying the tile and grout down with Tile Doctor which is a strong alkaline cleaner Pro-Clean, spraying it on mixes it with helping it to stick to Vertical surfaces where it can get to work on the dirt. We left it to dwell for ten minutes before scrubbing it in by hand using a stiff grout brush; this process certainly improved the grout but unfortunately it had become too badly stained to be satisfactory so it was agreed with the owner that we would recolour the grout using a white grout colourant.

Recolouring Grout

The grout colourant comes in a tube and is very straightforward to apply although I must admit the work is quite tedious. Two coats of white colourant were required to get the uniform appearance needed and I think you will agree the effect is quite transforming. The other advantage of these particular colourant products is that they are epoxy based and form a barrier of the grout preventing future staining and making it very easy to clean going forward.

The last step was to carefully remove the existing silicon strip along the base of the cubicle with a sharp nice and replace with new. The final result was a shower cubicle that looked recently installed.

Refreshing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Edinburgh

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