Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material that was fairly simple to clean

Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material that was fairly simple to clean that was fairly simple to clean, but in the past few years, professional cleaners all over the world have begun to have problems cleaning newer porcelain products. When using high-pH pre-sprays and cleaners, these tiles will dry and have difficult-to-remove spot patterns, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and costly repair or replacement of the affected floor.
Industry expert Mike Pailliotet (the founder of Mikey’s Board) and Saiger’s Steam Clean owner Mark Saiger have witnessed this problem first-hand and are working to come up with a solution to clean these popular flooring materials without damaging them.
Pailliotet first noticed this problem about three years ago when he was using a hard surface cleaning Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material that was fairly simple to clean from Saiger to clean newer floors. After cleaning and rinsing the floor with water, the tiles dried out, but Pailliotet noticed that the patterns of these traces were completely random and had nothing to do with his cleaning process or tools. This convinced him that it was a problem with the cleaning fluid or the floor. He was able to reproduce the problem with different high pH cleaners, leaving only one possible culprit: the floor itself.
Pailliotet posted a video of the original epoxy floor machine Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material that was fairly simple to clean Ceramic tiles used to be a durable flooring material that was fairly simple to cleanon YouTube, and cleaners around the world who encountered the same phenomenon began to comment. In the past six months, Pailliotet and Saiger have received more and more calls, text messages and comments. There is rarely a day when they haven’t heard of this problem.
Shown is the first porcelain stain problem Pailliotet encountered. Courtesy of Mark Saiger and Mike Pailliotet
In order to find out the cause of this tile cleaning problem, Pailliotet and Saiger began to conduct their own tests. They went to flooring suppliers and hypermarkets and obtained a wide range of sample tiles. When these tiles are exposed to high-alkaline cleaners, whether liquid or powder, the same problem occurs: the stain pattern deteriorates with each cleaning and is more difficult to remove.
In their tests, the problem did not always appear in the first cleaning of the sample tiles, but subsequent cleanings caused stains. “You could have succeeded the first time – the second time you won’t be so successful, you will encounter this taint,” SEG reported. Pailliotet found that even after wiping off the stains, they reappear and deteriorate with each cleaning and become more difficult to remove. Pailliotet and Saiger also tried low pH cleaners, but eventually began to see any cleaner with a pH above 10 have the same effect.
Saiger admits that they still don’t know the exact cause, but “suspicion is that the epoxy floor machine is worn out-the homeowner cleans it, the environment [factors], such as lighting.” He explained that porcelain should be very durable, but it seems that newer porcelain products are better. The finish is easily degraded, which causes this problem. “I call it the zombie problem,” Saige said. “We brought in higher power, higher pH, more heat, and then we exposed what was happening there.”
Pailliotet pointed out that they were unable to determine which cleaning products might have been used or how these products would affect the finish of the tiles. Saiger explained that when cleaning solutions that are usually safe and effective for porcelain floors suddenly cause this stain problem, “we as cleaners are caught off guard, so we are trying to promote the term.” “This is a panic mode; indeed; So. A skilled cleaner—even myself when I see this—I thought,’Oh, no.’”
Another unusual new epoxy floor machine product to be aware of is porous tiles, which are particularly problematic because they absorb cleaning fluid and cause more stains. A customer of Pailliotet was oversold about the ease of maintenance of this type of floor, but found that it quickly became dirty and it was almost impossible to keep it clean. When he was asked to perform professional cleaning, the pre-spray was absorbed by the tiles and then did not respond to the cleaning attempt. “I had to constantly reapply the cleaner, re-emulsify it, and the turbocharger was very slow,” Pailliotet recalled.
This porous porcelain is becoming more and more common. Here we can see that it is almost pinhole in nature. Courtesy of Mark Saiger and Mike Pailliotet
Whether in the field or in the test, Pailliotet successfully removed stains on the porcelain by rinsing with neutral detergent or acidic water and then thoroughly polishing the floor; however, he and SEG warned that in the worst case scenario Down, it’s not always possible to completely reverse the damage. “You may be able to make it satisfactory,” Saige said. “It’s a bit fierce; it’s not a normal and easy thing for carpet cleaners, but we told [the cleaners with this problem] to start with polishing; start with a neutral cleaner.”
In order to solve more serious damage, MB Stone Care is developing an Italian porcelain repair cream. Pailliotet explained that this is a thick cream that can polish (or polish) the surface of the tile, but technicians need to be careful because if overused, it can completely remove the glaze and even start to remove the photos under the glaze. It is what gives the tile its design. He advises those without proper experience and training to leave this process to stone and tile restoration professionals.
Although Pailliotet and Saiger have not discovered the exact cause of tile stains or a foolproof solution, they do provide some tips for cleaners who encounter problems on site:
Identify the type and age of the floor-just as you must be able to identify fibers to clean carpets, you must be able to distinguish between porcelain, ceramics and stone to clean tiles. In addition, you need to determine the age of the floor, because stain problems are a phenomenon of newer porcelain products. Pailliotet recommends asking your customers when installing the floor. If you are not sure about its age, please assume it is new and proceed with caution.
Communicate with customers-before you clean the epoxy floor machine that may be problematic, disclose to customers exactly what the risks are and your limits to mitigate these risks. Pailliotet created a free disclosure form that cleaning technicians can use to discuss risks with customers (downloadable from issa.com/porcelainform). When you introduce this issue to your customers, encourage them to schedule regular cleaning before the floor is heavily soiled, so that you can use milder chemicals and get good results, and reduce the risk of damage to the tile coating.
Working in smaller areas-Pailliotet points out that when highly alkaline products are dried on the floor before rinsing, the problem seems more likely to occur. When cleaning porcelain floors, he recommends working in an area of ​​100 to 200 square feet and keeping the product moist until it is thoroughly rinsed.
Pay special attention to traffic lanes and pivot areas-SEG has noticed that in many cases, spots appear in these areas, most likely due to the wear of the factory coating due to pedestrian traffic.
Use neutral or lower pH cleaners—Many newer floors use high-performance polymer or epoxy grouts that are stain-resistant and do not require sealing. The advantage of these grouts is that you may not need to use high alkaline cleaners to clean them, so professionals can use milder cleaning solutions, which may be less prone to stains.
“These epoxy floor machine are easy to clean; now, you can clean them with an improved carpet cleaning stick,” Pailliotet said. He recommends starting with a neutral cleaner, then staying for a while to see if the work can be done, and starting from there when needed. This may take more time, but in order to avoid unnecessary risks of damaging customer floors, it is well worth it.
Saiger warns that there is no guarantee that neutral or lower pH cleaners will not eventually cause the same problems, so be sure to follow their other recommendations on communicating with customers and working in small areas. Saiger said his team has been using the 9.5-pH solution and has not encountered any problems (his testing is in progress.) But he heard about the 9.9-pH solution stain problem from the cleaners in California. Since this is a new issue, Saiger pointed out that it is currently impossible to promise which ones will work and which ones will not work.
Reject this job-Finally, Pailliotet said, if you are not confident in your ability to clean tile floors or do not have the necessary equipment, such as the 175 floor machine for polishing, you might consider rejecting the tile cleaning job to avoid Any liability for damage to the floor.
Tests have found that, as a result, letting the alkaline cleaner dry will cause a significant mark. Courtesy of Mark Saiger and Mike Pailliotet
This is an emerging problem in the industry, and even if you have not encountered it yourself, you may encounter it in the future, especially if you work in a newer construction field. Saiger and Pailliotet are committed to researching this issue and promoting it, but they recommend that professional cleaners also do their own homework, especially as hard floors are becoming more and more popular.
“Spend time in tile shops and hypermarkets,” Pailliotet said. “Look at what epoxy floor machine they are selling and what will appear in new development projects in your area.”