Trouble with gritty dirty tile

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grankate

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May 5, 2013
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I have had my tile floor in my kitchen for nearly two years. I have trouble getting it clean. The other day I swept twice and washed it 4 times. It still feels dirty. Any thoughts? What am I doing wrong?
 
Another question may be what kind of tile do you have? While most porcelain tiles are coated and would not carry much dirt, a natural stone or travertine that hasnt been properly sealed will definitely hold a ton of dirt and be hell to clean.
 
grankate said:
I have had my tile floor in my kitchen for nearly two years. I have trouble getting it clean. The other day I swept twice and washed it 4 times. It still feels dirty. Any thoughts? What am I doing wrong?

Is your cleaner leaving a residue?
 
It is the whole floor. It is precelain tile. The grout was sealed after the tile was laid. I wash it with vinegar and water. It has been gritty from the beginning, but I just thought it was residue at first. I have washed it on my hands and knees and also with a mop.
 
It comes off on my bare feet!! I sweep and it is still there. I know there is texture to the tile, so I might be feeling that. But after sweeping twice and washing 4 times, the water was still dirty. That just doesn't seem right.
 
grankate said:
IBut after sweeping twice and washing 4 times, the water was still dirty.

Do you enter on to the tile from an asphalt driveway or from a garage where you park a car? Maybe you're dealing with asphalt tracking?
 
I'm guessing that your grout sealer is no longer doing its job, and what you are feeling is the grout slowly being dissolved. Most sealers only work for a limited time, so I would recommend a deep cleaning of the entire floor, then finish with two coats of a good sealer.
 
Floormaven, I don't enter from asphalt driveway. Havasu, I hate to hear that. Although it has been doing this since it was first laid and it was newly sealed then. Thank you for the input. I'll have to try that.
 
Many grouts are of such poor quality, it is necessary to reseal them a few times a year. Porcelain tile is very hard and the coloring is baked all the way through it, so I am fairly certain your problem is within the unsealed grout.
 
You can test the grout by getting a warm, wet white colored cloth and rubbing it within the grout lines. If the cloth easily changes colors to the color of the grout, then it is time to reseal it.
 
This thread only serves a reminder to myself that my "wood plank" floor tiles are also in need of resealing. It is no different then the routine maintenance with your car's oil changes, your water heater's annual flushing, or your granite counter top's being resealed.
 
...what you are feeling is the grout slowly being dissolved.

Dissolving grout? If the integrity of the grout is compromised its due to improper mixing at installation not due to worn sealer. Sealer is only designed to offer protection from staining not improve the integrity or hardness of cementitious grout.
 
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I've never had any issues with the grout. I almost wonder if the installer used an epoxy grout and mixed it with water instead of the other parts of the kit, ie spectralock.
 
Ken said:
I almost wonder if the installer used an epoxy grout and mixed it with water instead of the other parts of the kit, ie spectralock.

That's a leap of spec-ulation.
 
Unless the grout is made with epoxy, once it gets wet (without a sealer) it can be removed easily with a cloth. If kept dry and sealed, this won't happen.

Not the regular grout I use, it's as hard as a rock and only a chisel will take it out. Now maybe if you mix it with salt water from the ocean.......seen some concrete down in cholla bay you could kick chunks out with your foot which was mixed with ocean water.

Over watering the grout at application will make it weak as well. hmmmmmmmmmm
 

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