Heavy duty tile cleaner?

[Jamie]

Hi all,

Was hoping someone had some suggestions as to how I can get some tiles clean. I have about 75sqm of off-white tiles - about 25sqm in an open air atrium, and about 50sqm in lounge/dining/kitchen area.

Most of it is relatively easy to get clean - its the high traffic and activity areas (walkway, near oven/sink etc) Im having a problem with. I usually use basically the most heavy duty stuff I can get at Bunnings or Coles, but lately after cleaning the floors the superficial dirt is easy to get, but the high traffic areas look exactly the same after being mopped as they did before.

These photos were taken after being scrubbed with the normal tile cleaner:

Any thoughts/ideas on ways to get them back to their former glory?

Thanks,

Jamie.

 

[Simon]

We had some tiles once that just couldn't get clean - was because they were unsealed I was told.

Commercial cleaners used an old fashioned hall polisher - you know the rotary ones. Brought them instantly back up spotless. Not sure if they used any product with it.

I have used bleach to some effect but you prob tried that.

 

[sparky23]

I haven't tried it as yet but the site supervisor of a house we have recently finished told us that vinegar & water was good - if you try it let us know how you go!

Sparky

 

[yadreamin]

jamie
Bunnings now have a comercial tile cleaner machine that you can hire.So maybe check out your local store.I believe it works a treat.
If you dont have a store near you then l once cleaned some very dirty tiles and grout with oven cleaner.Slow going but boy did it work!!!!
A tiler also said if you use hydorcloric acid it works very well also.$6/7 bucks for a few litres at a pool shop.
cheers yadreamin

 

[geoffw]

Mopping? The probably need scrubbing.

For my Subway floors, I use a stiff bristle broom with a tile floor cleaner (which we get through the Subway suppliers) along with a lot of elbow greas. It takes several hours- though I suspect my floor has a higher traffic than yours. Mopping only removes superficial dirt; inground dirt needs something more.

Other options may be a high pressure spray, or have it professionally done.

 

[wish-ga]

Can you borrow a steam bullet? I don't want you to buy one if it is not going to work. I have seen them in Big W for about $70 (was definitely under $100). But these things are AMAZING.

Things I have seen a steam cleaner do;
1. clean scorch marks off the glass doors of combustion stoves
2. clean burnt on anything from glass/metal shelves in oven
3. clean candle wax from bathtub (don't ask!)
4. clean stove blackening off electric hotplates when it was not sealed properly by prev householder

I am sure there are lots of other things they can do. They are high pressure so may shift the marks so you can seal the clean tiles.

Good luck!

 

[The Y-man]

I am blessed to have my wife as a heavy duty tile cleaner......

Anyone tried these?
http://www.godfreys.com.au/more_information.php?cat=7&id=33&page=1

How about putting a polishing / buffing attachment on a drill....

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[geoffw]

How about putting a polishing / buffing attachment on a drill....

Ooh yes, what fun. Lots of water on the floor, and an electric had drill. That could be great fun. To watch.

 

[The Y-man]

Ooh yes, what fun. Lots of water on the floor, and an electric had drill. That could be great fun. To watch.

Alright then, time to get the pneumatic drill out...

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[see_change]

We have a steam mop , which is very good at keeping new tiles clean. Don't now about the ingrained stuff, but is another option.

See Change

 

[handyandy]

We have this problem with inground grease in the kitchens of units.

I use bleach, sometimes straight, in the form of the 'homebrand' domestos about a $1 per bottle.

Basically it gets used everywhere, we don't bother with all the other product anymore.

Cheers

 

[Jamie]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the replies - some great ideas there.

Andreas/Simon: have bleached a few times in the past, and found it quite good - but any sort of dirt or activity on the tiles within 24 hours of the bleaching seemed to just cause the new grime to be even harder to get off later (there are still footprints embedded in the tiles outside from the last time I bleached out there )

Bleaching again was actually my first thought, but thought I would see if there were other options available - plus Im always hesitant to use harsh cleaners/products on inside tiles if theres a chance they might damage them.

Have managed to get on to a friend who owns a restaurant, who has said I can borrow the industrial size cleaning machine he uses - Im assuming this is something like Geoff mentioned using at Subway. Will give that a go and see how things turn out.

Thanks again for all the responses

Jamie.

 

[AlmostBob]

Anyone tried these?
http://www.godfreys.com.au/more_information.php?cat=7&id=33&page=1
The Y-man

in one of my previous incarnations I worked at the Caulfield and Clayton warehouse stores, polishers second hand for $49.99. they had studs in the center of the brushes that took a nylon scourer pad, could take the rough edge of brush finished concrete. Wertheim are made in Eastern Europe somewhere, i forget where, the plastic work of the bodies is fragile, you could smash em up and they just kept running, the guts of it is tough.