There’s a lot of cleaning solutions available to the average consumer, and it is quite difficult to navigate the options that are out there. There’s a lot to consider, such as how safe they are for the material that you’re cleaning, how abrasive it is, and whether or not you will have to worry about leaving residues behind. Many people jump straight into cleaning without really thinking about the longer-term effects that cleaning solutions can have on grout and tile surfaces. In this blog post, we’ll be talking about the best cleaning solutions available to you (based on our experience) and how you can use them to get the best results possible.
The Five Primary Benefits of Alkaline Degreasers
Versatility
Alkaline degreaser is a great cleaner to be used, it provides great results and usually does an awesome job at lifting out grease and grime from tile, grout, and various natural stones. Without the help of an effective cleaning chemical, these tasks would otherwise be very difficult to achieve. Typically, most cleaning solutions available in stores cannot safely clean almost all materials like alkaline solutions can, ranging from man-made tile to natural stones such as travertine. This added layer of versatility is one of the strongest selling points for alkaline-based cleaners, as other cleaners do not usually offer this level of versatility.
You have to be careful using cleaners that are not alkaline-based, always be sure to read the instructions and verify that the surface you’re cleaning is compatible with the cleaning solution. Otherwise, you face risks of damaging, burning or etching the surface of your tile floor, shower, and/or countertop.
One of the most valuable features of alkaline cleaners is that they can be used on almost all types of man-made tile and natural stones, this is a huge upside due to added convenience factor and versatility. It provides incredible results for all the following materials:
Tile: Porcelain, Ceramic
Grout: Sanded, Non-sanded
Stones: Travertine, Flagstone, Slate, Limestone
Countertops: Marble, Granite, Quartz
Cost-Effective
Unlike most cleaning solutions, alkaline degreasers such as Zep or Ultra Clean – by Modern Stone Technologies do a great job in smaller, less concentrated quantities (sometimes even better). A five to one ratio can be used for starters, allowing you to gain a baseline for what you can expect the rest of your cleaning project to turn out like. These cleaners usually do a great job in a less concentrated form factor, however, a more aggressive mixing ratio can be used without risk of etching your tile, grout, or countertop surface as you would experience with an acidic cleaning solution. It’s important to note that the higher concentration used, the more you have to worry about extracting residues after scrubbing, and the less cost-effective the cleaning solution becomes.
Safer Than Its Counterparts
Don’t we all love having peace of mind? That’s a great attribute to not overlook when using alkaline degreasers. Just knowing for a fact that your expensive surfaces are being cleaned and they’re being cleaned safely, can oftentimes be a deciding factor for most people. The risks associated with other cleaners can put your grout, tile, showers, and countertops at risk of needing to be polished or sometimes even replaced. As you probably know, honing and travertine polishing is a multi-step process and sometimes it can be an expensive method as well. This is why we almost always recommend a conservative alkaline ratio to aid a soft bristle brush in your cleaning efforts.
Below you can see a visual representation of our ph scale, ranging from most acidic to most alkaline/basic:
Compounding Cleaning Potential and Minimal Effort
One of the most overlooked strategies in the cleaning/restoration industry is allowing the cleaning solution to soak for at least fifteen minutes to one hour. If you decide to soak your grout or tile surfaces for longer than 20 minutes, then it’s important to make sure that the surfaces are kept wet and pretreated. You should never let the surface dry throughout the entire cleaning process.
When tile, grout, or, natural stones such as travertine or slate are pretreated for a substantial period of time, the level of cleanliness is not a diminishing return, but rather exponential. Typical store-bought cleaners usually require a higher concentration than Zep or Ultra Clean, you should consider this when shopping for an alkaline cleaning solution.
Cleaners We Suggest
Deciding on a cleaning solution can be a difficult task, as there are a ton of options available in the marketplace. At the end of the day, they’re all great cleaners and will get the job done, however, depending on the type of cleaning that you’re doing you may find better results with one or the other.
You can better understand the pros and cons of each cleaner and get an understanding for what their strengths are with the infographic that we’ve provided below:
Conclusion
The cleaning solution that you decide to use for your cleaning project whether it’s at home or in the office, should be determined based on the type of material that you’re cleaning (this should not be a compromise). If you’ve tried cleaning your tile and grout, or natural stone such as travertine, and you are not happy with the results, we would like to offer our professional cleaning and floor refinishing services to you at a discounted rate. You may give us a call at (602) 932-6349 or visit our homepage to take advantage of this offer.
