Tile and Grout Cleaning

Having your tile and grout professionally repaired, cleaned, and sealed is one of the most noticeable improvements you can make in your home’s appearance. Tile and grout cleaning can make your whole bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room look new and smell fresh.

Many households live with a little bit of mold in their grout or tiles that have water stains. We don’t think about it unless we are right there in front of it, and then when guests are coming over, we regret not doing something about it. The next day it gets forgotten again until the next time company is coming.

Why Grout Gets So Dirty

Grout is installed at a slightly lower level than the tile surface. This creates small trenches that collect every bit of dirt and debris. If the surface is horizontal, like a floor, these trenches also hold water. Particles of dirt and soap scum collect in the grout channels, and since grout is a non-smooth surface, there are lots of tiny pockets to hold all of this debris material. Grout dries slower than smooth tile as well, making a possible breeding ground for mold.

Sealed and unsealed grout can both have these problems, but if your grout is unsealed, it’s going to be extra susceptible to dirt buildup and mold. Sealing is the application of a protective clear shielding material that smooths out the rough surface and makes it more difficult for debris and water to become trapped. Consider having your grout professionally sealed to make it easier to clean and require less frequent maintenance.

Health, Not Just Beauty

Restoring your home’s beautiful appearance is our primary mission, but we also have the health and safety of you and your family in mind. We certainly want to make sure that your tile and grout areas help make your rooms and living spaces attractive. And although mold and mildew removal from tile and grout is the main part of our cleaning process, it isn’t just about appearances.

Mold can germinate and form on all tile and grout surfaces, especially in your home’s high humidity areas, such as bathrooms, the kitchen, and the basement. Fort Worth compounds the high humidity the problem, making it difficult for damp rooms to dry out completely. Certain types of toxic mold are potentially dangerous to your family’s health, as they can cause or exacerbate allergies and respiratory ailments. Some of these ailments are potentially life-threatening.

Some mold varieties are easy to spot because of their highly visible greenish-black appearance, where other types are essentially invisible to the naked eye. In some cases, health problems may be directly attributable to the presence of mold in your tile and grout areas. At especially high risk are infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and those who already have an underlying respiratory condition.

Tile and grout can harbor several common household mold varieties:

Alternaria

the world’s most common form of allergenic mold. It usually grows in damp locations such as showers, bathtubs, and below leaking sinks. Alternaria has a fuzzy texture, with green or dark brown filaments. Because it is an allergen, Alternaria causes asthma-like symptoms in the upper respiratory tract.

Stachybotrys

also known as “black mold.” It grows in damp areas with constant high humidity levels and has a wet, slimy texture. Because it produces dangerous mycotoxins, Stachybotrys was the first mold to be classified as “toxic.” Symptoms from exposure are numerous, including difficulty breathing, fatigue, burning sensations in the airways, a tightening in the chest, persistent cough, nose bleeds, fever, and headaches.

Ulocladium

another slimy black-colored mold, typically found in kitchen and bathroom tile, damp basements, and sometimes around windows with high condensation levels. Ulocladium may grow alongside Stachybotrys (“black mold”) and other varieties. When exposed to ulocladium, people with allergies or immune disorders may experience respiratory reactions, such as asthma-like symptoms and difficulty breathing.

Acremonium

a toxigenic mold type that changes appearance over time. It starts as a moist substance, which then turns fine and powdery. It is often pink, orange, grey, or white. It is one of the “invisible” molds that you might never notice in its lighter-colored variations. Acremonium typically grows in the grout and also in humidifiers, air conditioning cooling coils, drain pans for condensation, and around windows. It is a carcinogen and considered one of the most dangerous mold varieties.

Aspergillus

another prevalent mold found in many American bathrooms. Its structure can form long, thick chains. There are over 185 species of aspergillus mold, appearing in many different colors. It is allergenic and capable of becoming toxic, depending on the species and environmental factors.

Penicillium

a mold with a familiar name. The drug penicillin was derived from this mold and revolutionized the medical profession. However, this mold can induce allergic reactions because it produces mycotoxins. It is found in damp areas of the home and is the most common mold species found indoors. Penicillium spores can travel throughout a home and can be inhaled by occupants, including pets and children. Penicillium exposure can cause pulmonary inflammation and asthma, and with prolonged exposure, can lead to chronic sinusitis.

Trichoderma

an allergenic mold with five different subspecies. It thrives in continuously damp areas, such as showers that never fully dry. Most Trichoderma molds are non-pathogenic, but a few have been linked to pulmonary and liver infections. It is also extremely damaging to building materials, as it contains an enzyme that destroys wood, paper, and textile products…like your fabric shower curtain.

“Pink Mold”

not actually a mold, but a bacteria called Serratia marcescens. Commonly found on shower curtains and in tile grout, it ranges in color from pink to orange. It lives off the fat and phosphorus in soap scum. Shower tile grout and the water lines going to the sink and toilet are among its favorite spots, but it also likes toilet bowls and sinks. It can even show up on the wall and floors and sometimes inside cabinets in very damp bathrooms. It can cause a bacterial infection if it enters an open wound or scratch.

What We Do

When we come to your homing to clean your tile and grout, we begin by applying a cleaning agent that is pH neutral and non-toxic to humans and pets. Our experienced technicians will use a gentle high-speed scrubber to reach deep into the grout material and remove the most stubborn mold and mildew stains.

Steam Power

We also have a vapor steam cleaning method for complicated areas. Steam vapor cleaning uses low-moisture steam with very high surface temperatures. The steam vapor does not leave any residue or buildup inside the grout lines. This is because the steam carries the heat to the surface and penetrates the porous grout material, forcing the soil out. Our steam vapor cleaners use a boiler to superheat the water. This results in much less moisture on the surface than other so-called “steam cleaning” methods since it is actually heat doing all the work. “Dry” steam vapor, as it is known in the industry, has less than 6% humidity. It is very low moisture steam, with a surface temperature between 200 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Over time, grout will begin to disintegrate. When it begins to fall apart, it becomes an even more likely spot for mold growth. If your older grout shows signs of crumbling, we can repair and replace as much of it as you would like, from a small spot repair up to completely re-grouting your whole bathroom, kitchen, or a laundry room. In cases of severe physical damage, we will recommend the removal and replacement of old grout material.

Controlling excess moisture will help prevent future mold growth around your tile and grout. After we have returned your tile and grout to their original fresh new condition, we encourage you to locate and repair any water leakages from plumbing, as well as tub and shower seals.

Benefits of our steam vapor cleaning method include:

Minimal Rinsing

Since we do not use chemical cleaners in our steam vapor machines, there’s nothing left behind to rinse away.

Less Water Use

Our system uses less than a quart of water for 30-40 minutes of cleaning. By comparison, traditional mopping can use gallons.

Faster Cleaning Time

We can complete a tile and grout cleaning process in a fraction of the time it takes for companies that use older methods.

Cleaner Grout

Instead of dirty water and chemical residue settling into the grout lines, steam doesn’t settle or leave residue behind. Instead, it carries the heat into the grout line and forces the dirt to rise out of the grout surface for easier removal.

Longer Grout Life

Since we do not use harsh chemicals or acids in this process, your grout will have a longer lifespan degrade over time.

Longer Lasting Results

The absence of leftover residue means nothing sticky is left behind to collect dirt and debris. You can enjoy the results of your freshly cleaned grout for a longer time before it needs attention again.

We guarantee the complete elimination of mold, mildew, hard water stains, mineral buildup, and soap scum with our advanced cleaning methods. We can also professionally restore damaged tile and grout, returning your home to its former beautiful condition. Contact us for a free inspection and estimate.

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    CALL: 817.441.8200