Travetine marble is formed in mineral springs and is a very porous stone. The travertine marble has viens running through it that are filled with an epoxy before grinding and polishing the travertine tiles. The travertine tiles can be flat and unpolished or can have a satin shine. Travertine marble is softer then most marble but is also less sensitive to acid etching and easy to polish.
Due to is porous nature, it is very important that travertine marble be sealed. When the sealer starts breaking down and the floor starts getting worn travertine becomes harder and harder to keep looking nice. A simple cleaning will not restore travertine to a more serviceable condition. It needs to be cleaned, polished, and sealed.
The first step to creating a easy to maintain and beautiful travertine marble floor is getting the floor flat and level. The Floor Cleaning Experts provides full stone Restoration services. Lippage removal or leveling of the floor makes dust mopping and wet mopping easier and make the travertine have more shine and uniformity.
Due to the soft nature of travertine marble and the veins filled with epoxy it is necessary to fill holes or voids in the travertine marble. These are filled with an epoxy and then ground and polished to blend into the stone.
When the stone is level and any voids are filled and smoothed out its time to diamond hone the travertine marble this brings a nice satin shine from the stone. Powder polishing the travertine marble blends the shine and makes it deeper.
Polishing travertine makes it less porous and easier to clean but it doesn't seal and protect the travertine marble. A penetrating sealer will keep water from penetrating the tile and will keep oils from sticking to the surface. Then Floor Cleaning Experts is a Drytreat Stainproof Certified Applicator. Drytreat Stainproof has a 15 year warranty.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
What can you do to help your springtime allergies?
This has been a very brutal spring for oak pollen. You could see it settling like a fine mist at times. When there is that much pollen in the air it will invade the home even if you don't open your windows. It comes in with every opening of the door and step of your foot.
If you have hard floors and no rugs it will be more difficult to capture and remove the pollen. Carpet and rugs capture the particle that fall on them and hold them until your trusty vacuum comes to take them away. Dry vacuuming with a new bag and clean heppa filter is your best way to clean pollen from carpets and furniture.
If you are sensitive to pollen or suffer from frequent allergies you should vacuum daily and have your carpets cleaned every 3-6 months. Carpet, rugs, draperies, and cloth furniture act as filters. When dust and pollen fall on the fabric they stick to the fabric instead of getting redistributed in the air with every passing breeze. But these filters need to be cleaned.
A thorough truck mounted hot water extraction cleaning of your carpets and a thorough cleaning of your furniture every 3-6 months will keep allergens under control.
Applying a flourochemical treatment like Scotch Guard or Dupont Teflon will help make vacuuming much more effective and should be applied once per year. This keeps the very small pollen particles from sticking to the carpet like static cling. So the Scotch guard changes static cling to static push which makes vacuuming much more effective.
Properly maintained carpets and rug can help you moderate your allergies and provide you at least one safe haven when the pollen falls like snow.
Again, the most important thing you can do to help your allergies now is to take your vacuum outside and clean it and replace the bag with a new one. Then vacuum every piece of fabric and all rugs and air vents. Then replace your AC filters.
If your allergies knock you low the Floor Cleaning Experts provide a very thorough vacuuming, carpet cleaning, and upholstery cleaning that will leave you breathing deeply again.
If you have hard floors and no rugs it will be more difficult to capture and remove the pollen. Carpet and rugs capture the particle that fall on them and hold them until your trusty vacuum comes to take them away. Dry vacuuming with a new bag and clean heppa filter is your best way to clean pollen from carpets and furniture.
If you are sensitive to pollen or suffer from frequent allergies you should vacuum daily and have your carpets cleaned every 3-6 months. Carpet, rugs, draperies, and cloth furniture act as filters. When dust and pollen fall on the fabric they stick to the fabric instead of getting redistributed in the air with every passing breeze. But these filters need to be cleaned.
A thorough truck mounted hot water extraction cleaning of your carpets and a thorough cleaning of your furniture every 3-6 months will keep allergens under control.
Applying a flourochemical treatment like Scotch Guard or Dupont Teflon will help make vacuuming much more effective and should be applied once per year. This keeps the very small pollen particles from sticking to the carpet like static cling. So the Scotch guard changes static cling to static push which makes vacuuming much more effective.
Properly maintained carpets and rug can help you moderate your allergies and provide you at least one safe haven when the pollen falls like snow.
Again, the most important thing you can do to help your allergies now is to take your vacuum outside and clean it and replace the bag with a new one. Then vacuum every piece of fabric and all rugs and air vents. Then replace your AC filters.
If your allergies knock you low the Floor Cleaning Experts provide a very thorough vacuuming, carpet cleaning, and upholstery cleaning that will leave you breathing deeply again.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Cleaning Satillo or Mexican Tile
When your saltillo or Mexican tile and grout stop responding to your mop bucket and brush it may be time to strip the floor down and clean it. Then, after it dries, rebuild the finish.
The floor needs to be completely empty for stipping and waxing saltillo tile. Base boards and delicate surfases need to be protected. The stripper disolves the wax in the tile creating a slippery slurry that needs to be rinsed from the floor. Stripping mexican tile is the most challenging job that the Floor Cleaning Experts does. Most old saltillo tile and grout floors have multiple layers of wax from many different era's. Some of the finishes used in the 70's are VERY hard to break down and require a special stripper.
Once the Mexican tile and grout have been stripped completely free of wax or sealer it is cleaned just like normal tile and gout.
Saltillo or Mexican tile is a sun backed clay tile that is not fire hardened. This leaves the tile soft and very porous. Sealing satillo or Mexican tile is very important as is how you seal it.
The first thing you need to decide is whether to coat the tile and grout with an acrylic topical sealer or a penetrating flourochemical sealer. Floors inside can be decided solely on preference. Shinny finish that needs to be redone every 3-5 years but is easy to keep clean or the natural texture of the stone with a penetrating sealer that lasts much longer but isn't as easy to keep clean due to the course texture of satillo tile.
Outdoors acrylic finishes really get abused by the sun and rain and need either a solvent based acrylic sealer or a UV resistant penetrating sealer. The Drytreat StainProof penetrating sealer bonds to the molecular structure of the tile and permanently seals the tile with the flat texture. And comes with a 15 year warranty when applied by a certified applicator like the Floor Cleaning Experts.
The floor needs to be completely empty for stipping and waxing saltillo tile. Base boards and delicate surfases need to be protected. The stripper disolves the wax in the tile creating a slippery slurry that needs to be rinsed from the floor. Stripping mexican tile is the most challenging job that the Floor Cleaning Experts does. Most old saltillo tile and grout floors have multiple layers of wax from many different era's. Some of the finishes used in the 70's are VERY hard to break down and require a special stripper.
Once the Mexican tile and grout have been stripped completely free of wax or sealer it is cleaned just like normal tile and gout.
Saltillo or Mexican tile is a sun backed clay tile that is not fire hardened. This leaves the tile soft and very porous. Sealing satillo or Mexican tile is very important as is how you seal it.
The first thing you need to decide is whether to coat the tile and grout with an acrylic topical sealer or a penetrating flourochemical sealer. Floors inside can be decided solely on preference. Shinny finish that needs to be redone every 3-5 years but is easy to keep clean or the natural texture of the stone with a penetrating sealer that lasts much longer but isn't as easy to keep clean due to the course texture of satillo tile.
Outdoors acrylic finishes really get abused by the sun and rain and need either a solvent based acrylic sealer or a UV resistant penetrating sealer. The Drytreat StainProof penetrating sealer bonds to the molecular structure of the tile and permanently seals the tile with the flat texture. And comes with a 15 year warranty when applied by a certified applicator like the Floor Cleaning Experts.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Are All Tile and Grout Floors the Same?
There are a wide variety of types of tile and grout floors. Most of them are serviced the same as ceramic tile and grout. There are a few that require special care. These are porous textured tile floors that will generally have a finish applied to them.
The most common are the satillo or Mexican tile, flagstone, quarry tile, and sometimes even porcelain tile. When a topical coating is applied to these floors it must be maintained on a regular basis. When the coating starts looking bad or breaking down you will need to strip the floor of the existing coating and then rebuild the floors finish. This is the most problematic processes we perform. Sometimes it strips easy and other times you have to try 4 different strippers to find one the works. This is an area the Floor Cleaning Experts excels in. Simply because I'm to stubborn to let a floor finish beat me.
After the tile and grout have been completely stripped of wax and sealer, it needs to be either re coated with an acrylic topical sealer or with a penetrating sealer. If there is difficulty removing ALL traces of old finish from the surface re coating the service is the best option. The old sealer will bond to the new sealer and fade from view. Usually, at the next stripping all the old sealer will come off bonded to the new sealer.
When choosing a topical coating you must first look at the floors environment. Is it indoors or out doors? Does it get direct sunlight or pooling water.
If the floor is indoors, a water based acrylic coating will be used. This is a much easier to work with product and gives great performance indoors but will not stand up outside.
Outside or in direct sunlight a water based acrylic will not hold up, A solvent based acrylic is much more durable and can withstand a lot of punishment. But this product is very hard to work with and requires the proper safety equipment and VERY thorough preparation. Your only going to get one chance to get it right and mistakes are hard to fix with these sealers.
If the floor stripped to a pristine state, a penetrating sealer can provide excellent protection and a significantly lower cost of ownership. If you use the right product the right way.
Saltillo or Mexican tile, quarry tile, flagstone, and porcelain tile and grout are porous. Some more so then others. The saltillo and Mexican tile are the most absorbent and require a lot of sealer to fill the tile. These product work from inside the tile to increase surface tension so that water can't penetrate and oils won't adhere.
Sealing is a fine line between not enough sealer to fill the tile and grout and too much so you have a sticky mess to clean up.
The Floor Cleaning Experts uses Drytreat Stainproof to seal grout, porous tile, Mexican tile, and porcelain tile. StainProof penetrates into the tile and permanently bonds to the molecular structure of the tile or grout. This permanently seals the tile and grout. The Floor Cleaning Experts is a Drytreat Authorized Applicator. This allows us to give our clients a 15 year warranty on their grout sealer.
The most common are the satillo or Mexican tile, flagstone, quarry tile, and sometimes even porcelain tile. When a topical coating is applied to these floors it must be maintained on a regular basis. When the coating starts looking bad or breaking down you will need to strip the floor of the existing coating and then rebuild the floors finish. This is the most problematic processes we perform. Sometimes it strips easy and other times you have to try 4 different strippers to find one the works. This is an area the Floor Cleaning Experts excels in. Simply because I'm to stubborn to let a floor finish beat me.
After the tile and grout have been completely stripped of wax and sealer, it needs to be either re coated with an acrylic topical sealer or with a penetrating sealer. If there is difficulty removing ALL traces of old finish from the surface re coating the service is the best option. The old sealer will bond to the new sealer and fade from view. Usually, at the next stripping all the old sealer will come off bonded to the new sealer.
When choosing a topical coating you must first look at the floors environment. Is it indoors or out doors? Does it get direct sunlight or pooling water.
If the floor is indoors, a water based acrylic coating will be used. This is a much easier to work with product and gives great performance indoors but will not stand up outside.
Outside or in direct sunlight a water based acrylic will not hold up, A solvent based acrylic is much more durable and can withstand a lot of punishment. But this product is very hard to work with and requires the proper safety equipment and VERY thorough preparation. Your only going to get one chance to get it right and mistakes are hard to fix with these sealers.
If the floor stripped to a pristine state, a penetrating sealer can provide excellent protection and a significantly lower cost of ownership. If you use the right product the right way.
Saltillo or Mexican tile, quarry tile, flagstone, and porcelain tile and grout are porous. Some more so then others. The saltillo and Mexican tile are the most absorbent and require a lot of sealer to fill the tile. These product work from inside the tile to increase surface tension so that water can't penetrate and oils won't adhere.
Sealing is a fine line between not enough sealer to fill the tile and grout and too much so you have a sticky mess to clean up.
The Floor Cleaning Experts uses Drytreat Stainproof to seal grout, porous tile, Mexican tile, and porcelain tile. StainProof penetrates into the tile and permanently bonds to the molecular structure of the tile or grout. This permanently seals the tile and grout. The Floor Cleaning Experts is a Drytreat Authorized Applicator. This allows us to give our clients a 15 year warranty on their grout sealer.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Mopping Tile and Grout the Right Way.
Using microfiber mopping regularly will keep bucket mopping your tile and grout to a minimum. But eventually you will need to break out the mop and bucket to clean your tile and grout.
When cleaning dirty grout and tile you start with clean hot water with a neutral floor detergent mixed EXACTLY to label directions. More IS NOT better. If it says 2 oz per gallon and you have a 3 gallon bucket you use 6 oz. If you add more you just make it harder to rinse.
The floor should be either vacuumed or gone over with a dry microfiber mop to get up loose dirt. Better to get it when its dry then after its turned to mud. Its important to be thorough getting the dry dirt up as it will want to seep into the grout when you mop.
The Proper Way to Mop: Dip the mop completely in the mop bucket then raise the mop out of the bucket, holding it over the bucket until it slows to a drip. Then put the mop on the center of the floor and work it slowly to the edges. You should leave the area wet for a little while to let the detergent work. If the grout is very dirty you can use a brush to raise the dirt that has penetrated into the grout.
Now wring out the mop and mop up the detergent. Rinsing often is important to keep the mop absorbing and not spreading dirt. Twisting the mop head in the wringer before wringing will get your mop the driest. The dryer the mop is the more it will absorb. Once you've completely dried the floor you have completed step one.
Now go change the bucket for clean hot water and repeat the mopping process. This clearwater rinse will help your tile and grout stay clean longer by eliminating residue buildup.
When cleaning dirty grout and tile you start with clean hot water with a neutral floor detergent mixed EXACTLY to label directions. More IS NOT better. If it says 2 oz per gallon and you have a 3 gallon bucket you use 6 oz. If you add more you just make it harder to rinse.
The floor should be either vacuumed or gone over with a dry microfiber mop to get up loose dirt. Better to get it when its dry then after its turned to mud. Its important to be thorough getting the dry dirt up as it will want to seep into the grout when you mop.
The Proper Way to Mop: Dip the mop completely in the mop bucket then raise the mop out of the bucket, holding it over the bucket until it slows to a drip. Then put the mop on the center of the floor and work it slowly to the edges. You should leave the area wet for a little while to let the detergent work. If the grout is very dirty you can use a brush to raise the dirt that has penetrated into the grout.
Now wring out the mop and mop up the detergent. Rinsing often is important to keep the mop absorbing and not spreading dirt. Twisting the mop head in the wringer before wringing will get your mop the driest. The dryer the mop is the more it will absorb. Once you've completely dried the floor you have completed step one.
Now go change the bucket for clean hot water and repeat the mopping process. This clearwater rinse will help your tile and grout stay clean longer by eliminating residue buildup.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Daily Tile and Grout Cleaning Made Easy.
The best tool for any maintenance job is the one that makes it the easiest. When you make something easy it gets done more often. This in turn makes it easier still. For hard floors like tile and grout, marble, travertine, terrazzo, vinyl composite tile or VCT, and wood floor the right tool is the Microfiber Mop System. This flat bar mop is very effective at dry dusting and can clean a greasy floor with just water. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is.
Microfiber is made from a very fine blend of polyester and nylon. When the fibers rub against each other they create a static charge that draws dust too it. This will pull dust almost as well as a vacuum with MUCH less effort. Just remember to change out the heads when they load up with soil.
the microfibers are triangular shaped and cut and lift greases and oils with out detergents when the mops are used wet. Just wet the mop head and wring it out. Then use a trigger sprayer full of water to mist the area you are going to clean and then mop with the microfiber. Again, just change out the heads as they get dirty. I like to have one head for every 100-300 feet I'm cleaning
When your microfiber mops get dirty just throw them in the washer. Just do not fabric softener or wash with terry cloth towels.
Also try microfiber towels for dusting and general household cleaning chores and start reducing the amount of detergents you use.
The Floor Cleaning Experts gives a free microfiber mop set to customers that sign up for our on-line news letter and have us come out and do work for them.
Microfiber is made from a very fine blend of polyester and nylon. When the fibers rub against each other they create a static charge that draws dust too it. This will pull dust almost as well as a vacuum with MUCH less effort. Just remember to change out the heads when they load up with soil.
the microfibers are triangular shaped and cut and lift greases and oils with out detergents when the mops are used wet. Just wet the mop head and wring it out. Then use a trigger sprayer full of water to mist the area you are going to clean and then mop with the microfiber. Again, just change out the heads as they get dirty. I like to have one head for every 100-300 feet I'm cleaning
When your microfiber mops get dirty just throw them in the washer. Just do not fabric softener or wash with terry cloth towels.
Also try microfiber towels for dusting and general household cleaning chores and start reducing the amount of detergents you use.
The Floor Cleaning Experts gives a free microfiber mop set to customers that sign up for our on-line news letter and have us come out and do work for them.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Why Seal Grout From the Floor Cleaning Experts Tampa St Petersburg Clearwater
I'm always asked, Why does my grout get dirty so fast? Why can't I keep in clean? The answer is always the same: Your grout wasn't sealed or the sealer has broken down due to time, sun light, or chemical action.
Grout is a concrete sponge. Its strength comes from the capillaries that form when it cures. This is also what makes it so hard to keep clean. When the floor is mopped the water suspends dirt and detergent and then seeps into the capillaries drawing the dirt and detergent deep into the grout. Once it gets that deep it takes a lot of scrubbing and rinsing to get it out.
There are two main types of sealers: Topical and Penetrating. Grout should be sealed with a penetrating sealer. The sealer changes the chemistry of the grout, increasing the surface tension so that water thinks its too big of a bubble to squeeze into the capillaries of the grout. It also keeps grease and oil from sticking to the surface. This makes the grout water resistant not water proof. Pooling water, water with a chemical surfactant (reduces surface tension), and pressure will push water through a penetrating sealer.
Most penetrating grout sealers fill the pours of the grout and break down under UV light, strong detergents, and time. These Flouro-chemical sealers generally last 3-5 years.
Drytreat Makes a penetrating sealer that actually bonds to the molecular structure of the grout and permanently seals the grout. This product comes with a 15 year warranty.
For more information on sealing grout contact the Floor Cleaning Experts 727-399-8803
Grout is a concrete sponge. Its strength comes from the capillaries that form when it cures. This is also what makes it so hard to keep clean. When the floor is mopped the water suspends dirt and detergent and then seeps into the capillaries drawing the dirt and detergent deep into the grout. Once it gets that deep it takes a lot of scrubbing and rinsing to get it out.
There are two main types of sealers: Topical and Penetrating. Grout should be sealed with a penetrating sealer. The sealer changes the chemistry of the grout, increasing the surface tension so that water thinks its too big of a bubble to squeeze into the capillaries of the grout. It also keeps grease and oil from sticking to the surface. This makes the grout water resistant not water proof. Pooling water, water with a chemical surfactant (reduces surface tension), and pressure will push water through a penetrating sealer.
Most penetrating grout sealers fill the pours of the grout and break down under UV light, strong detergents, and time. These Flouro-chemical sealers generally last 3-5 years.
Drytreat Makes a penetrating sealer that actually bonds to the molecular structure of the grout and permanently seals the grout. This product comes with a 15 year warranty.
For more information on sealing grout contact the Floor Cleaning Experts 727-399-8803
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