Advice for the maintenance of tiles

INSTRUCTIONS FOR INITIAL CLEANING AFTER
INSTALLATION

Quick, thorough initial cleaning is of fundamental importance and is necessary on all
types of ceramic tile to allow easy subsequent daily cleaning.

In the event of the failure to carry out this procedure properly, smears may be left which make it impossible to keep the floor clean in spite of thorough routine cleaning.

The floor must be washed thoroughly to remove cement and grout residues.

For cement-based grouts, clean within no more than 48 hours. For grouts containing latex or epoxy resins, cleaning must be carried out very quickly, since the components are very difficult to remove once set.

The recommended products for this type of cleaning are acid-based (see table of examples).
To clean, proceed as follows:
- Apply the acid product, diluted in a 10-20% solution to the surface.
- Wait 7/10 minutes.
- Clean with a vigorous scrubbing action, with suitable equipment by hand, or appropriate floor cleaning appliances (floor cleaners fitted with white felt brushes are recommended; do not use black brushes which leave a carbon residue). Take care to clean the whole floor as evenly as possible.
- Neutralise the acid solution by washing with plenty of water, hot if possible. Keep rinsing until all acid residue has been removed.

To aid in the initial acid cleaning operation, use of a special vacuum drier is recommended to prevent the water-acid solution from drying; if the solution dries to form a coating over the surface, the cleaning procedure will have failed. For structured products, with noticeable relief patterns or anti-slip surfaces, acid washing must be carried out as soon as possible after installation. Before washing with acid, excess grout should be removed with a sponge and water during the installation procedure itself. The effect of the washing operation should be tested on a spare tile before proceeding, especially in the case of honed or polished products.

PROTECTING THE FLOOR DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK

After laying and cleaning, it is essential to take special care to protect the floor to prevent damage during finishing works on the site. The entire surface should be covered with cardboard of suitably thickness.

EXTRAORDINARY CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS

Extraordinary cleaning procedures are needed if the floor becomes stained or dirty with specific
substances due to accidents. In this case, professional, alkaline detergents, specifically developed for the type of dirt to be removed (see table of examples), are required. For effective extraordinary cleaning, we recommend the following:
1. Wash with water to remove superficial dirt
2. Apply the alkaline product diluted in a solution of about 3% to the surface. The detergent concentration can be gradually increased to deal with difficult cases where coatings have to be removed, or unusually tough stains.
3. Wait 7/10 minutes. For stubborn stains, the abrasive effect can be increased by using a dry powder soap, sprinkling it over the detergent at the end of the waiting time.
4. Clean with a vigorous scrubbing action. Use suitable equipment by hand, or appropriate floor cleaning appliances (floor cleaners fitted with white felt brushes are recommended; do not use black brushes which leave a carbon residue). Take care to clean the whole floor as evenly as possible.
5. Rinse with plenty of water, hot if possible. Keep rinsing until all residue has been removed.

Nerang Tiles is a multi award winning tile showroom with thousands of quality floor tiles and wall tiles on display at discount prices. With porcelain and ceramic tiles for both floors and walls on display and a range of tiling products you are sure to find what you are after at Nerang Tiles.

Visit in store to find out more information on tile cleaning products.

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