AZ’s #1 Tile & Grout Service

Tile and Grout Cleaning

Services related to tile and grout cleaning include alkaline based cleaning (most common), acid washing, dual process cleaning, and color sealing.

When to Consider

A basic level cleaning should be done at least once a year, no matter what type of tile and grout you have. If your tile or grout has not been regularly maintained over the past three years minimum, then you should consider a service that goes a little more in depth such as an acid wash or dual process cleaning. This is due to the fact that your floors will most likely have deep staining rather than superficial grease and grime.

Most Common Steps

1. Pretreating

The pretreating process is a process in which we mix the appropriate solution based on the circumstances at hand, apply it using an application device, and allow it to soak on the surfaces for a range of 10-30 minutes. This helps break down any grease, dirt, germs, and grime so that it can be extracted later on in the cleaning process.

2. Grout Scrub

A grout scrub is conducted once the pretreating process is complete and the cleaning solution has soaked for the appropriate amount of time. This is when a highly specialized scrubber tool is used to scrub the grout lines. Grout scrubbing is the step in the process that provides agitation to the topical layer of the staining and loosens up the compacted dirt within the grout pores.

3. Pressure Wash and Extraction

Pressurized water is used to finalize the cleaning process. This is the step that really does a great job of breaking down any debris that the grout scrub was not able to tackle. As the water exits the floor machine at 1,000 PSI and 200 degrees fahrenheit, the extraction unit vacuums it up and away from the floor right away rather than spreading it around.

Natural Stone Cleaning and Restoration

Services related to natural stones include alkaline based cleaning, dual process cleaning (most common), tile sealing, grout sealing, honing, polishing, and color sealing.

When to Consider

Natural stones such as travertine and marble often times become worn down a lot faster than you might imagine. If the surface is no longer as shiny as it used to be and you feel as though it used to look substantially better, then you most likely need to consider getting your tile floor refinished (honing and polishing). Years of use can result in deep scratches on the surface appearing very dull and unappealing to the eye.

Most Common Steps

1. Honing

The honing process is performed using a rotary floor machine, a driver pad, and a honing pad. This step is very important because it is crucial that the tile surface be honed down lower than the deep scratches. This lays down the perfect foundation to get that nice and shiny polish that everyone loves.

2. Polishing

Once the travertine surface has been honed appropriately, this is when we begin the polishing process. It’s a must that you identify with us what type of finish you would like in the end, rather that be a satin or glossy finish. Polishing is performed much like honing, using the rotary floor machine. The only difference being that the polishing pad is used rather than the honing pad.

3. Sealing

Anytime you have your floors refinished, you should always have the tile surfaces and grout lines sealed. This is a very necessary step in the process, as it is the most effective way of preserving your polish and keeping your flooring as clean as possible for an extended period of time. The sealer most commonly used for natural stones is a solvent based sealer, and its most effective in soaking down into the pores of the grout and the pits of the natural stone.

Acid Washing and Sealing Showers

Services related to showers include alkaline based cleaning, acid washing (most common), dual process cleaning, tile sealing, grout sealing, color sealing, and grout repair.

When to Consider

Shower surfaces face substantially more abuse than other areas of the home like floors or countertops. The calcium buildup from hard water, bodily oils, and abrasive chemicals from man-made soaps are all the culprit for breaking down manufacturer’s sealers. This is why it’s so much harder to clean a shower as compared to other areas of the home that also have tile and grout. When experiencing calcium build up or dirt stains that do not rinse down the drain, you should talk to us about an acid wash.

Most Common Steps

1. Pretreating With Acid Wash Acid Washing is a treating process that really helps break down the grease, scum, dirt, and most importantly calcium buildup. The solution is applied to the tile surface using an application device, and it is then allowed to soak for 20-40 minutes.

2. Residue Removal Often times showers will have more residue buildup than most other applications. This typically calls for an extra step in the cleaning process if you want viable results in the end. Scraping residue is a strategic cleaning process for the tile surface, and it is done using a handled razor-blade tool. It’s the most effective strategy for removing stubborn residues and build up.

3. Grout Scrub Using a grout specific scrub brush, with a bristle stiffness of “hard”, the grout lines and tile surface are then scrubbed with a total of six to ten aggressive passes along the entire surface of the shower’s tile and grout lines. This step is most effective in creating agitation of the surface staining, and aiding the acid in breaking down the harder areas of calcium buildup.

4. Rinse and Extraction Once the technician has observed that the acid wash solution and cleaning processes have broken down the stains and buildup, a thorough rinse and extraction is performed. The rinse is most commonly done using the customers water supply and the extraction is done using our extraction device. The primary goal of extraction is to remove any left behind cleaning chemicals, residues, excess water, and debris. 05. Sealing Once the entire cleaning and extraction processes are completed, the next step is to seal the tile and grout so that dirt and man-made soaps will never have another chance of staining the shower surfaces. This is the most important step as it preserves the longevity of the tile surface and grout lines.

Countertop Cleaning and Sealing

Services related to countertops include alkaline based cleaning (most common), acid washing (least common – not suitable for stone based countertops), sealing, and polishing.

When to Consider

Countertops undergo a lot of localized usage, and as a result they can develop problems such as a hazy surface and calcium buildup around the faucets and sink perimeter. If you’re experiencing these problems with your granite or marble countertops then its most likely time to consider a cleaning and sealing service. We’re including a free buff for all clean and seals that we do for our countertop customers.

Most Common Steps

1. Pretreating With Alkaline Based Solution The first step to effectively cleaning and restoring countertops is to pretreat the granite or marble surface with a light concentration of alkaline based cleaning solution or degreaser. Once the solution has been applied using an applicator pad, the solution is then allowed for 10-30 minutes to soak and break down any stubborn residues.

2. Calcium and Residue Removal Removing residues from a countertop surface is done using a razor blade and handle for increased leverage. It does an exceptional job at reaching hard to reach corners and knocking down any dirt that has adhered to the countertop over time. This step of the countertop cleaning process is crucial if you want to have a satisfactory result in the end.

3. Dry Buffing Once all staining, residues, calcium buildup, grease, and grime has been extracted from the stone surface, its time to start the dry buffing process right away. A dry buff is very similar to polishing, and it is done using an electric rotary hand tool. The rotary hand tool is equipped with a buffing pad, and it is used to buff out any small scratches, haziness, or discrepancies in the countertop surface.

Cleaning Outdoor Patios, Driveways, and Porches

Services related to outdoor patios and porches include alkaline based cleaning, acid washing, dual process cleaning, stripping, sealing, tile honing, tile polishing, grout repair, regrouting, and color sealing.

When to Consider

Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause sealers and tile surfaces to absorb dirt much faster. In addition, with tile and grout being outside is it susceptible to more dust and dirt as compared to being inside. If you’re experiencing any sort of degradation of acrylic based sealers, staining of the grout lines, or haziness of the tile and/or natural stone surfaces, then you should consider a clean and seal of your outdoor patio or concrete driveway.

Most Common Steps

1. Stripping (acrylic or wax only) Usually outdoor tile or stone has an acrylic or wax based coating. This is to protect it from the elements in outdoor areas, such as dirt, water, and constant sunlight. The first step is to apply a solution that is designed to strip away the wax or acrylic, using a mop. We then allow the stripper solution to soak for 20-30 minutes.

2. 80 Grit Rotary Brush Pad Once the stripper has been given enough time to effectively do its job, a brush pad is installed on our rotary floor machine, and the floor machine is then used to breakdown the acrylic along with any dirty buildup.

3. Pressure Wash and Extraction Now that the acrylic or wax has been loosened up along with all of the dirty debris, it’s important that the stone or concrete surface be pressure washed and extracted. This removes the flakes of sealer and dirt from the grout lines.

4. Sealing The last step of the cleaning process is to seal the outdoor patio or driveway. This can only be done once we’ve allowed enough time for the tile surface and grout to thoroughly dry. Once dried, three heavy coats of sealer are applied to the tile and grout for optimum performance and preservation.