We are coming across this question more and more now a days, the question is hard to answer to be honest. There are a lot of quality DIY tile cleaning and grout cleaning products out there that you can pick up from your local Home Depot or Lowes and if not there you can find homemade cleaners all over Pinterest and other site. Most of them will do a great job but will require some elbow grease and a lot of proper neutralizing. Below I will give the positives and negatives to both DIY and hiring a professional, after that you should be able to make an educated decision on which way to go.
Low Cost
Doing your own Tile and Grout Cleaning will cut your cost between 50%-70%
Can Be Done On Your Time
By doing your own Grout Cleaning services you can plan to do it on your own time off or even space it out a few days
Great Workout
Tile and Grout Cleaning is not easy work especially without professional equipment, so you might be a little sore the next day
Limited On Equipment
Professional equipment is costly, so most people are stuck using what their local hardware store has (Brushes, Degreaser, Mop and Bucket)
Chemical Residue Left Behind
Since homeowners don't have proper training or equipment it is very hard to neutralize the chemicals put down.
Limited Knowledge On How To Clean
Depending on your tile and the dirt buildup will determine the cleaning process and chemicals needed, homeowners don't have the knowledge to pick the right tile cleaning process
Tile and Grout Will Get Dirty Quicker
Again since homeowners are limited on equipment and there will be chemical residue left behind that will attract dirt faster to your floor
Time
Even though you can take your time on your tile and grout cleaning project, it will usually take up a full day if not 2 on bigger floors.
Professional Equipment
Professional Tile and Grout Cleaning equipment is crucial, most tile and grout cleaning setups cost between $20k-$40k
Professional Tile and Grout Cleaners
Professional Tile Cleaning Companies have access to higher quality cleaners, they also have a bigger selection of cleaners depending on what the job needs.
Professionally Trained Technicians
Tile and Grout Cleaning technicians are professionally trained to tackle all types of tile flooring and grout situations, not all floors will require the same chemicals and method
Proper Chemical Neutralization
With the proper grout cleaning machines and equipment we can neutralize any chemicals we use, leaving your floors chemical free
Complete Sanitation Of Tile and Grout
Tile and Grout cleaning machines clean at 1500 PSI and heat the water to 250 degrees ensuring the tile floors are completely sanitized
98% Of All Dirt Removed
This also falls under proper cleaning equipment, the SX-15 is a self contained pressure washer so it power washes your floors and extracts the dirt at the same time
Average Jobs Only Take 1-3 Hours
Professional Tile and Grout cleaning companies don't require a lot of your time and can complete most jobs in under 3 hours.
Higher Cost
Tile and Grout Cleaning companies will get things done faster and more proficient but the does come at a cost, most tile cleaning jobs cost $200.00-$300.00
Time Slots
Most professional cleaners will have mutiple jobs on the day and will require a time slot to arrive in, sometimes these time slots can be a burden on your everyday life.
As you can see there are pros and cons to both sides of this but in reality if you can it will always be better for you to hire a professional tile and grout cleaning company. Depending on the equipment you currently have in your home will depend on how much it will cost for you to do your own tile and grout cleaning. The average job here in Phoenix is 1000 sq feet of tile and grout and the average price for professionals is $0.20 - $0.35 a sq foot or $200.00-$350.00. Below I will give best practices for homeowners that want to clean their own tile and grout.
Here I will list the best tools and the cheapest way for you as a homeowner to clean your own tile and grout, this will never be able to replace a professional cleaning but will definitely get you cleaned.
Finding a good neutral PH tile and grout cleaner will help with you chemical residue at the end
Tile and Grout agitation is a very important step in properly cleaning your tile and grout
Extraction after agitation helps pull up as much dirt and chemical as possible
Water will act as a great neutralizer, especially if you find a decent neutral tile and grout cleaner
The first thing you want to do is remove as much dirt and debris as possible from your tile and grout using your wet/dry vac or a broom.
Second you will want to mix up your chemical to the specs you were given, then you will either mop it down with your mop bucket or spray it down with a 2 gallon pump sprayer(do small areas max 100 sq feet at a time). After the chemical has been applied to your small area let it dwell for 5-10 minutes, after dwelling agitate the tile surface and scrub the grout joints with the grout brush.
Third after the agitation you will want to put down a little water to flood the small area making it easier to extract all the dirt and chemical. I recommend for the water using a 5 gallon bucket from a local hardware store so you don't have to dump your cleaning solution.
After you have cleaned all your tile and grout the final step will be to neutralize your floor using your mop bucket and mop. Fill your mop bucket with hot water and mop your flooring thoroughly 3-4 times. This should get up as much as you possibly can.
Remember it is recommended you have your tile and grout professionally cleaned every 12-24 months to ensure they stay the cleanest and minimize staining. So when you are ready give your local professional tile and grout cleaning company a call 480-352-2987
Our Tile and Grout Cleaning process is the best t in the Arizona, we provide only the best for our customers, we will start by spraying the floor with our cleaner, then agitating it with a floor machine and grout brushes. Then we will power wash your floors with our state of the art truck mounted unit, this blast dirt and debris and extracts it all at the same time leaving your floors looking their best.
Learn MoreGrout sealing is a crucial part of keeping your tile and grout looking its best for years to come, grout sealing stops dirt and debris from absorbing into the grout, stopping staining and discoloration from happening
Color Sealing Grout is one of the best ways to seal your grout, color sealing can restore the worst grout lines providing a brand new look to your tile floors. Color sealing will on average last 7-10 years.
Accidents can happen! Tile and grout can both crack or break, if this happens then we can help you get your floors back to looking good. We offer full tile and grout repair services