Content Supplied By Woodstone Bathrooms Mosaic tiles are a style of flooring and wall decoration that is steeped in centuries of rich history, and their popularity shows no signs of waning – even in 2013. They’re a stylish option for contemporary and classic designs alike, whether used as a splashback in a kitchen, as wall tiles in a bathroom or as a unique flooring choice for an outdoor area. Whatever you choose mosaic tiles for in your home, they’re a fantastic addition – that is, so long as you look after them. Mosaic tiles are just like any other form of tile in that they need regular cleaning and maintaining to ensure they’re well-kept and will stand the test of time. Due to their small size and range of materials available, mosaic tiles can be particularly susceptible to neglect and poor cleaning techniques – so here are some key ways to achieve a flawless mosaic tile, without risking any damage. 1. Always Apply Sealant – Especially Outdoors! Waterproof sealant is a vital part of any tiling process, especially when being used in frequently damp areas like bathrooms or outdoor areas.

After you’ve laid the tiles and filled the joints with a good quality grout, it’s always best to treat both the tiles and the grout with a waterproof sealant. This prevents the tiles and joints taking on water when it rains/in a steamy bathroom/next to a kitchen sink, which stop mould appearing and damp affecting the adhesive and structure of the tiles. best vacuum cleaner recommended by allergy associationSealant is particularly important when working with natural stone, as it is a porous material and often comes unfinished.carpet steam cleaner with attachment 2. Always Wipe Down With Soapy Watervacuum cleaner price in pakistan

As well as giving your tiles a regular wipe down with soapy warm water, you should always thoroughly wipe them down with this simple solution after using any cleaning products or chemicals. Even if the products you’ve used are friendly for tiles, grouts and sealants, it’s still worth wiping the slate clean (for want of a better phrase).carpet cleaners derby area This way you ensure that there is no residual product left over that could cause damage to your tiling if left on for a long time. carpet cleaning machines sale perthIt’s also a good idea to wipe your tiles dry afterwards, to avoid water spots or stains from appearing on the tile surface.hotels in orlando with pool slides 3. Regularly Clean Grout To Avoid Mould Build-Up

Tile grouting can be a real magnet for dirt, damp and mould, so regular cleaning is always an absolute must. This is even more true when it comes to mosaic tiling; their small individual tile size means that there is more grout, and more grout means more scope for damp and mould to take hold. Using a specialist grout cleaner (there are some great, really cheap products out there) and a sponge (and/or toothbrush if the grim is particularly bad), get right in the grout joints to ensure they’re spotless and step back and admire your bright clean tile grout. Don’t let damp take hold; give a little elbow grease to make sure your tiles don’t deteriorate. 4. Avoid Acidic Substances & Homemade Cleaners It can be really tempting to avoid going down to your local DIY shop and sifting through shelves full of specialised cleaning products, and instead concoct your own homemade cleaning solutions. In reality, though, tiled surfaces require special treatment regardless of their material – whether it’s ceramic or porcelain, natural stone or glass.

A lot of ‘recipes’ for homemade tile cleaners include vinegars; This is perhaps one of the most harmful substances to tiled flooring – its acidic nature can mean it works wonders in a number of other applications, but can potentially damage and eat away at the grouting in between the tiles. It’s also been known to etch away at marble surfaces. To avoid ruining your tiling, grout or the effectiveness of your sealants, leave the vinegar on your food and grab a bottle of specialist tile cleaning product. This guest post was written by Tom McShane – avid blogger, DIY enthusiast and regular interior design writer. Tom highly recommends these top cleaning tips, professional advice and mosaic tiles from Woodstone Bathrooms for a perfect, long lasting finish in your home. Clean Tile & Grout Find out how much your project will cost Browse All Project Categories What is grout and why should I have it cleaned? What if I do not clean my tile and grout? Cleaning Equipment and Supplies

Tile & Grout Square Footage Refer a Pro who does this service and receive an Amazon Gift Card! Help us improve this article Was this page helpful? 5 - Extremely Helpful 4 - Very Helpful 2 - Somewhat Helpful 1 - Not Helpful Share your cost experience Help others plan and budget for their projects 2. San Antonio, TX 5. Fort Lauderdale, FL 6. Las Vegas, NV 15. New York, NY 16. Los Angeles, CA 17. San Diego, CA 23. Fort Worth, TX 25. West Palm Beach, FL 27. Saint Petersburg, FL 28. Colorado Springs, CO 35. Saint Paul, MN 39. Saint Louis, MO 41. San Jose, CA 43. Virginia Beach, VA 46. El Paso, TX 48. Oklahoma City, OK 49. Kansas City, MO 50. Salt Lake City, UT Don't see your city? Removing Grout Haze on New Carrara Marble Tile Installation QUESTION: I just had my bathroom remodeled with white Carrara Marble with the grey veins running through.

We accented it with the opposite, black tile with white veins. We put in on the shower walls, ceiling, bathroom floors and 1/2 up on some of the walls. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The tile installer is supposed to come back this Saturday morning and seal the entire room. He told me to wash the walls down with 1 part white vinegar and 5 parts warm water before he comes by to remove all the residue of the grout. Is using vinegar correct or is there anything else that I should use?It is not correct and I'm amazed that a marble tile installer is telling you to put vinegar(a damaging acid) on your marble AND that he wants you to clean off the grout haze when it's his job to complete the install.Vinegar would be okay to use on ceramic or porcelain for this purpose because it is acidic like most "grout remover" products. But acidic foods/products like vinegar will etch marble and shouldn't be used for cleaning marble. Etching is corrosion that eats at the marble destroying the shiny polished layer and exposing the more dull marble underneath so you get dull and light discolored spots.

Now if the marble tile has a rough honed or tumbled finish you wouldn't notice the etching as much as on a polished surface, but you still shouldn't use vinegar or any other acidic product on it. I imagine that most of the marble tile you installed is polished though... correct? You need to get a non-acidic grout remover product. I recommend using Soap Scum / Hard Water Remover, which is safe for use on marble as are all the products we recommend. And I'd make the installer do all the work and don't make final payment until you are satisfied that the job is done correctly andMarble tile is not very porous or absorbent and often does not need sealing especially polished marble, which often cannot be sealed because the sealer simply won't absorb.This is a good thing. Means the marble will not readily absorb anything else either and will be very difficult to stain. A couple other considerations: 1. You should wait at least 2-3 weeks before you seal any stone installation on a wall or floor to allow plenty of time for all moisture to evaporate from the stone and grout.

Not an issue with countertops since their underside is exposed. 2. Typically bathrooms aren't at much risk for staining, so sealing isn't that necessary especially in the marble shower. The common wisdom is that you shouldn't seal stone in a wet environment like a shower since moisture could get trapped in the stone leading to degradation of the stone. Plus, do you drink a lot of coffee and wine in the shower? Probably not and not many if any personal products stain and with all that water washing everything down the drain your risk of a stain in the shower is near zero unless you leave say a leaky bottle of an oily product in there. The only surface I'd really consider sealing is the countertop, but remember it may not need or be able to take a sealer. All you need to do is perform the water test to determine if you should or shouldn't seal the marble vanity. Also, I'd consider sealing the marble flooring if honed and/or if testing says it should. But you shouldn't apply a sealer "just to be safe."