HOME DESIGN CHAT WITH NANCY

A very large percentage of homes have tile flooring, showers, backsplashes and more.  The question is how to clean the tile and grout. Gil Olachea, owner of Ceramica in Scottsdale, AZ, chatted with Nancy about the do’s & don’ts of cleaning all tile.  Share with friends & family who have tile.  Most people are using the wrong products!

These are the show notes:

  •  Generally accepted cleaning myths
        Water
        Liquid dish soap w/ exception
        Vinegar, bleach, glass cleaner “Windex”
  • Types of tile
        Ceramic & porcelain
        Stone
        Glass
        Metal
        Mosaic v field
  • Grout joints
        Grout joints behave like dirt squeegee’s
        Absorb: spills, grease, grime, oils, wine, etc.
        Cement v. epoxy -based
        Epoxy is higher-performance to stain resistance
        New, innovative grout available with infused antimicrobial protectant
  • Baths & showers, powder-rooms
        in showers can harbor germs, grime, mildew
        properly ventilate
        ‘pathway’ to wall or substrate behind tile
  •  Kitchens – counters and back-splashes
  • Sealers & cleaners
       Seal ALL tile surfaces shortly after time of installation
       Misconception – barrier to staining
       Spot-cleaning: baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, clear-liquid dish soap
       pH-neutral, nothing that will etch tile surfaces or grout
       “Big-Box” v. commercial products
       Follow product manufacturers guidelines, instructions