Showing results for: intercare

How To Properly Maintain Your Marble Surfaces

Are you concerned whether or not your marble is being maintained properly? Maybe, maybe not. Often times people forget how their marble originally looked and get used to the new imperfect state. Or maybe they move into a place and never knew the potential their marble could reach. Or maybe you are fully aware of the impaired state of your marble and are actively looking for a surefire way to have it renewed and looking amazing.

Whichever person you are, you have come to the right place. Much like any other task, there is a proper and an improper way to do it. Numerous people continuously make the same mistakes, such as: cleaning their marble with acidic solutions, mopping by pushing around dirt, and forgetting to seal grout. But unlike other issues of life, you can reverse this problem and make a difference in the appearance and cleanliness of your home.

Now, this sounds great but how can you do it while staying on a budget? It’s simple! You just have to turn to Marblelife. Marblelife is a company specializing in professional stone care that provides skilled services and products for all your marble maintenance needs. They are the largest and most experienced stone restoration and maintenance company in North America with over 50 years of being in business. So they definitely know what they’re doing.

Treat Your Marble And Help It Look Amazing

If you’re catching your marble at a time where there aren’t large and noticeable stains, scratches, and other imperfections, then you can probably stay on budget and improve your marble’s color and shine with ease. With Marblelife’s quality cleaning products, you can service your own home helping to improve it from present dulling or even minor stains and scratches.

Using products such as Marblelife’s “Marble & Travertine InterCare Cleaner” followed by “Marble Polish” will not only restore your shine, but also eliminate stains and etches. Additionally, these are non-acidic cleaners meaning that your marble won’t suffer from accidental marks left in the marble while attempting to clean. You’ll be amazed at what these products can do.

Marblelife’s “Homeowner University” will also help you to use these already easy-to-use products properly and provide you tips you never knew you needed. For instance, using the Marble & Travertine Cleaner with a swiffing-type mop and terry towels will eliminate the technique of improper mopping. No longer push dirt into the grout lines and leave your marble foggy and dull. With Marblelife’s cleaners you’ll be set to maintain your gorgeous marble.

Marblelife is known for their spectacular marble maintenance and repair services and now you can acquire some of their expertise without even calling for service. Simply visit the Marblelife website and determine what products you’ll need for an optimal clean, shine, and restore. And if you realize that these products are an option that’s a little less intense then you’re looking for, think about calling Marblelife for a free consultation concerning how they can clean, restore, or repair your stone. Don’t wait, get your marble looking beautiful today!

6 Tips On How To Clean Your Tile and Grout Properly

Modern kitchen interior in new home.When it comes to cleaning your house, your first thought probably isn’t about cleaning your tile and grout properly. However, there are proper ways that you should be cleaning these surfaces in order to keep them durable and clean.

Learning how to properly clean your tile and grout now, can save you future time and headaches. Here are some of the best tips to get you started on your path to cleanliness:

  1. Don’t Use Acidic Cleaners.

Cleaners infused with acidic components may cause grout to lose its color or crumble out of grout joints. For a long-lasting and durable color and surface, try using MARBLELIFE’s Marble & Tavertine InterCare Cleaner. No damage and plenty of clean.

  1. Learn how to mop the RIGHT way.

Scrubbing your tiles the old fashioned way with water, soap product and mop is a process of the past. Pushing muddy water around just for the dirt to collect in grout joints, defeats the entire purpose of cleaning. That’s why MARBLELIFE has innovated a new way to mop with its Tile & Grout Cleaner.

This product will give your tile a streak-free and professional clean. Use a “swiffing” type mop, MARBLELIFE’s Tile & Grout Cleaner, and terry towels to make the process easy and actually productive in fighting germs and maintaining quality.

  1. Catch mold before it becomes a serious problem.

Red/black mold-like substances can be cleaned away, however since mold is a microorganism, it remains in the crevices of your tile and grout. That’s why mold needs to be stopped in its tracks especially in areas like your shower.

MARBLELIFE’s Soap Scum Remover for Tile Showers is perfect if your shower is struggling with water deposits, soap scum, and/or mold. Once your grout is clean, this is the perfect time to seal your grout.

  1. Seal your grout.

Sealing your grout will ultimately help you in your future cleaning endeavors. Grout can be sealed to help keep out germs, scum, and mold making your life easier and cleaner. MARBLELIFE’s Grout Sealer is essential to this process. Learn how your seal your grout, here.

  1. Clean your tile and grout more often.

Cleaning your tile and grout daily is ideal, but realistically, cleaning it weekly will also produce some of the best results. Continuing the process of cleaning, repairing, and sealing will keep your surfaces in the greatest shape for longer periods of time.

Repair stains and fill cracks as quickly as possible and reseal your grout annually. This will save you from having to deal with stains or mold. However, MARBLELIFE has a Mold & Mildew Stain Remover product if cleaning weekly has not fit into your schedule.

  1. Never settle for less!

You can have a professional and easy clean at an affordable price with MARBLELIFE’s tile and grout products. MARBLELIFE has considered all of your needs and has a product for virtually any tile or grout cleaning emergency. So there’s no need to substitute with store brand products that fail to deep clean or improve your surface durability.

Your tile and grout will thank you for choosing MARBLELIFE.

 

Your Tiles Might Be Overrun By Germs If You’re Not Following These Cleaning Strategies

MARBLELIFE-BATHROOM-Cleaning-KITS-Marble-486x500Ever wonder if you’re cleaning properly versus just making things look and smell good? Or maybe you’re not so sure how the science of mopping prevents just pushing dirt around. Luckily there are some sure-fire ways to change your cleaning habits to produce the cleanest and most durable tile and grout surfaces.

You’re probably cleaning your grout wrong.

Did you know that acid cleaners might cause grout to lose color or crumble out of grout joints? That’s why you should use MARBLELIFE’s Marble & Tavertine InterCare Cleaner for a guaranteed cleaning of your tile and grout without fear of damage.

Pro tip: for intense cleaning of grout that is exceedingly dirty, use MaxOut Tile & Grout Deep Cleaner. The end product is a professional and satisfying grout cleaning free of mold, mildew, and other germs.

 

You’re probably mopping wrong.

Sticky floors and muddy grout joints are the end product of regular floor cleaners and the old-fashioned process of mopping. MARBLELIFE’s Tile & Grout Cleaner can fix this problem quickly and easily for a streak-free, professional clean.

Pro tip: use a “swiffing” type mop and inexpensive terry towels for mopping without the chance of muddy water. Afterwards, just throw the towel in the laundry. No more muddy tiles!

 

You’re probably cleaning your shower wrong.

 Mold is a microorganism that cannot be seen with the naked eye, so even after cleaning red/black mold like substances, the mold remains in the pores and crevices of the shower.

If your shower is in good shape, just continue the upkeep with MARBLELIFE’s Tile & Grout Cleaner. If your shower is struggling with water deposits, soap scum, or mold then use MARBLELIFE’s Soap Scum Remover for Tile Showers.

Pro tip: once the grout is clean, use MARBLELIFE’s Grout Sealer to prevent mold buildup and ensure easier cleanup in the future. Learn more about how to seal your grout, here.

 

You’re probably not cleaning enough.

 Make sure that you are consistently cleaning your tile and grout daily and/or weekly for the best results. Familiarize yourself with how often you should be cleaning, repairing, and sealing. Generally, you want to repair any stains or fill cracks as promptly as possible and reseal annually to protect against stains.

Pro tip: if you don’t get to the stains or mold in time, use MARBLELIFE’s Mold & Mildew Stain Remover. There is a product for almost anything you can think of!

The products you choose and the methods you adopt can be the difference between a mediocre clean and a professional clean. Learn how to properly clean your tiles and grout now so that you don’t suffer the consequences later. Don’t settle for less than a professional clean for an affordable price.

So choose MARBLELIFE’s methods and never have to worry again that your tile and grout are overrun with unnecessary germs.

Keeping Your Marble Countertops Beautiful

Provence blue bathroom trend. Bathroom furniture in white. A large mirror with mosaic frame of blue, white mixer sink consoles. 3D render

The use of marble dates back to ancient times. Bright Hub Engineering explains this beautiful, natural stone was often used for sculptures, monuments and colossal buildings built by emperors. Today marble is still commonly used for exterior and interior design projects. Outdoors it can be found in exterior walls, decorations, and stairs. Indoors it’s often used in bathrooms and in kitchens as countertops and flooring.

 

Marble countertops are a common design element in many homes. The various colors and tones can enhance many styles of kitchens or bathrooms. Although used for these types of surfaces, marble can be damaged by acidic foods and products. One of the main components of marble is calcium carbonate. This is the ingredient found in anti-acids. With contact, acids will eat away at the calcium in the marble causing etches in the stone. Certain foods are acidic and can damage your marble surface if not cleaned up right away. Foods that are acidic include coffee, soda, most fruit juices, wine, vinegar, pickle juices, limes, lemons, oranges, and many sauces. Many products are also acidic and can cause damage to marble surfaces. These can include room fresheners, perfumes, glass cleaners, and other cleaning products. Sealing marble will protect the surface against stains, but will not protect the stone against acid.

 

Etches caused by acidic foods and products can look like a small dull spot in the surface of the marble, or the entire area of the countertop will appear dull or worn. A high quality product such as Marblelife Marble polish can be used to remove any small etches or light scratches on areas such as countertops and vanities. Large or deep etches or scratches should be taken care of by a trained Marblelife service professional.

 

Keeping your marble countertops clean can be done easily. To ensure you are not damaging the surface use a product specifically formulated for marble, such as Marblelife Marble & Travertine Intercare Cleaner. You can take care of simple spills by wiping them up with water and a clean cloth or paper towel. This is not actually cleaning the countertop but removing any crumbs or sticky substances from the surface. Water doesn’t get to the oils and debris trapped in the pores of the stone, or kill any bacteria or viruses that have grown on the surface. A high-quality cleaning product can remove the debris and kill bacteria lingering on your countertop. To clean your marble countertops spray with a cleaner, and wipe with a cloth or paper towel. As you wipe make sure to agitate the cleaner so that it has the opportunity to loosen oils, grease and other substances trapped in the pores and absorb them. Once the area is wiped clean, turn your cloth over and buff the area dry. This will ensure there is nothing left on the countertop. Although any clean cloth or paper towel will work, using a microfiber towel is recommended.

 

Knowing a few simple facts about marble can help ensure your countertops remain beautiful for many years.

 

References:

  1. Marblelife Marble and Travertine Intercare Cleaner
  2. Bright Hub Engineering. “Marble Products”

Trump Or Hilary? Clean is Clean

Bathroom Tile Restoration Before & AfterWe face an interesting and likely bombastic election season in front of us.  Regardless what we hear and what we believe, the one thing we can all appreciate is …clean.

Today, when more Americans are dying from secondary infections secured while visiting a hospital for an unrelated ailment, we are becoming more and more aware of how important good hygiene really is.

We see this becoming more and more apparent.  The number 1 complaint of office building tenants for the past 10 years?  Dirty bathroom grout.

We sense it in our own lives, how may times have we opted to not return to a restaurant because of a bad bathroom experience.

Now as we enter the election cycle, and family and friends are over to “Vote” on our home, lets make sure we put our best foot forward.

Voted best cleaner by MARBLELIFE labs for the past 25 years?  MARBLELIFE Marble & Travertine Cleaner.  Best Cleaner for Granite?  MARBELIFE Granite & Quartz Cleaner.  Best Cleaner for Tile & Grout?  MARBLELIFE Tile & Grout Cleaner.

Any why not we have spent 25 years studying this problem, so that we fully understand the cause, and how to eliminate it.

If you have stained grout – CALL US – we can have it resolved in a day.  Not cleaned, but resolved.  When we walk you through the science it immediately becomes clear we have solved this problem.  From here forward you will never have a stained grout issue again.

Our cleaners are HONEST.  None of our cleaners include any waxes designed to trick the eye into thinking its clean by depositing a gloss coating that will build up over time.  No, our goal is to clean down to the surface free of dirt and oils for an honest clean.

We voted it the best…. And so do 25 years of clients.

Want Easy Cleaning and Effortless Results? – You only need to do these 2 things..

FIRST, don’t overwork your surface with a misguided, over-marketed cleaner who’s over the top marketing campaign focuses only on the quick buck rather than sure-fire solution.  SECOND, recognize and fix the damage that already exists.

 

colorsealDo you know the first thing a professional tile restorer will do to eliminate stained grout?  Apply a mild acid. This is done in order to REMOVE the seal before applying a new seal.  This makes sense ONLY if you are planning on applying the new seal, then subsequently an ideally non-acidic sensitive seal.  As you can see, use of an acidic cleaner on a grout floor cannot be a good idea.  Sure it provides a lighter stain, giving the appearance of being cleaner, but one has just opened the floor to actually accepting stains more easily.  Oops! And it gets worse! Because clearly the marketer wants you to use more of their cleaner.

 

If this sounds like your situation.  Relax.  We’ve got you covered.  First, let go of that acidic cleaner.  Back away from the bottle.  Take a breather.  Now let’s get this fixed!  First, halt the damage.  Shift to MARBLELIE TILE & GROUT Cleaner, or if you have marble MARBLELIFE Marble & Travertine Cleaner.   These products will remove the grease and oil and clean your tile without doing any damage.

 

Now, lets get it back to new.  You are going to need to reseal the floor, more specifically, your grout lines, -or else they will continue to darken.  In fact, an unsealed grout line will get darker as a result of the very act of cleaning as you solubilize the dirt on top of the tile and transfer it to the lower grout line in that very act of cleaning.  However, you can freeze that unruly process by applying MARBLELIFE GROUT SEALER, provided you are now satisfied with the appearance of your grout. If not, call MARBLELIFE.

 

MARBLELIFE can custom generate a colorized, non-acid sensitive sealer that can restore your grout to its original color, or even change the color.  Imagine re-accenting your bathroom grout lines to match your towels, or even buying new towels, and re-accenting the room.  (How long do you think it would take for your partner to even recognize the change?)  Given the change can be implemented in a few hours, you are literally a call and an afternoon away from a whole new look.  A look that is a second chance with restoring a uniform pristine clean grout line.  The beauty here is that MARBLELIFE COLORSEAL floors are no longer acid-sensitive, so if someone cleans with the wrong sealer this time you are not going to suffer darkening grout lines.

 

Revolutionary.  Beautiful.  Easy to clean… and fun… just how long do you think it’ll take before others realize its not just cleaner, its new again.

Smart Scrubbing – How to get it off fast without risking damage.

Very dirty plate in grease stains in the kitchen.

Life is easy, when we apply science to even the most mundane of problems.  How to get soap scum off of glass shower doors, or burnt on food from oven or microwave surfaces, or bugs off wheel hubs.  You cannot attack these surfaces with a brillo pad, screwdriver or other hard unforgiving surface without damaging the surface we want to clean.  That said, what do we really need?  A material that is harder than the dirt we want to remove, but not as hard as the primary surface.  Such a magical material would be able to cut through the hard to remove dirt, but breakdown when it hits a hard glass or metal surface.

 

This is the breakthrough that makes MARBLELIFE®’s SOAP & SCUM remover so revolutionary.  It cuts through soap and dirt and then fragments once it hits the hard surface below.  You can literally feel the difference as you cut through the dirt and then the smooth feel as you interact with the cleaned surface below it.  Its so easy, its actually fun.  You can see you are getting something done…and fast.

 

An entire shower glass door can be cleared of soap in 10 minutes flat.

 

Now you are back to clear glass.

 

If you have hard water – a little vinegar on glass or metal will dissolve this away in a few minutes.  By

MARBLELIFE Soap Scum Remover

separating crusted food and soap, from hard water one can quickly clean in two short steps, because each step is optimized to address the culprit we face.  No blind guessing.  Defined solutions that work for the problem we face.

 

Once you have your cleaned surface back you can maintain it with MARBLELIFE® MARBLE & TRAVERTINE CLEANER.  Our cleaners are formulated to be safe on delicates such as marble and travertine, but extremely effective on your glass, metal, plastics and counter surfaces.  If you have a wood floor consider our MARBLELIFE® WOOD & LAMINATE Cleaner for best results.

 

We have you covered with optimized solutions for each cleaning environment and surface around you.

The Upkeep of Marble and Travertine

orangeWILL YOUR MARBLE & TRAVERTINE CLEANER MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER, SAFER AND HEALTHIER?

OR WILL IT COST YOU THOUSANDS?

Marble is a gorgeous, natural looking surface characterized by elegant swirling colors and an elegant finish designed to accent a beautiful home.  Travertine is but one form of marble, most often displaying a tan to brown color, with spots of cream.   How you care for your travertine will make the difference between pride and horror.  Choose the wrong cleaner and a $10 investment could cost you thousands; not to mention the shocking realization you did it yourself and the frustration of realizing that no amount of “cleaning” will remove the dullness, swirls, spots and spill marks burned into your floor.  Now you need a restoration.  The restoration service industry’s phone calls typically surge following slick TV ads promoting effective calcium and hard water removing cleaners, or all purpose tile cleaners.  The only difference is how fast they will destroy your finish.  The good news is this mistake can be fixed, but not without a restoration.  All because the wrong cleaner was used.

A quick fact: your marble and travertine floors are made of the same material that is deposited on the surface as “hard water stains” or “calcium deposits,” Calcium Carbonate.  While a knowledgeable restoration expert can remove these deposits without damaging the original stone, the cleaning industry will promote or recommend various acidic concoctions to chemically remove these deposits, and in doing so will also dissolve pits into your finished floor surface.  A beautiful floor can be converted into a white-etched, streaked mess within one application of a hard water remover or gradually over time with the use of vinegar or a to a duller finish with a tile cleaner.  Like a dieter watching calories, it pays to read the label and avoid anything that contains a hint of acid- or does not specifically tout itself to be marble-safe.

IF YOU WANT CLEAN, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE OILS
Water, while safe, fails to remove the other enemy, oil.  Oil collects on floors from a variety of sources. We walk it in: bare feet and pet pads deposit it, we splatter it as we cook, and deposit it with each spill.  What is clear is that dirt by itself will not stick to a floor, it needs an oil base to act as its adhesive.  Remove the oil and the floor can be cleaned with a dry duster.  much easier than pulling out the mop bucket, water just won’t do it.

Neither will an acidic cleaner like vinegar, or even a solvent cleaner.  They ride on top of the oil and do little but move it around.  A surfactant cleaner however is different, its half water-loving half oil-loving, nature allows it to surround the oil so that it cannot see the water while allowing the oil to be carried away by the water. It also has the benefit of doing the same with acids. So instead of simply diluting and spreading the damage when we wipe up with water, we can effectively surround and neutralize the acid, halting its damaging effects.

MARBLELIFE developed surfactant cleaning technology in response to a recognized gap in the market between water, vinegar, tile cleaners and calcium removers.  Optimized over years as a marble cleaner, it now offers a myriad of additional benefits.  By removing persistent surface oil contamination, it enhances floor safety by measurably improving anti-slip performance.  In fact, in a study of anti-slip treatments, more than 80% of the benefit was captured by simply using the right cleaner- something that could be done without any further treatments.  When it comes to disinfecting do you want to kill the bugs and leave the carcass? Or do you simply remove everything on the surface?  Optimized for ease of use, it will remove oil without streaking, making it suitable for far more than its initial mission as a marble and travertine cleaner.

When it comes to cleaner selection, it’s simple.  Get it right, and you get the benefits of having made an informed decision. Get it wrong, and the costs can reach the thousands; as the only way to remove acid damage is to grind the entire marble tile down to the depth of the deepest damage.

THE WRONG CLEANER WILL REMOVE YOUR SEAL
Acids have another dastardly feature. They reverse the chemistry of your stone sealer, allowing it to be washed away over time and leaving your stone and travertine susceptible to staining.  You don’t need to get anxious when your little visitor is walking across the floor with a blue kool aid- if your floor is properly sealed, that is.  Sealing is like an insurance policy.  You rest easy when you have it and have reason to be concerned when you don’t.  Use of an acidic cleaner can remove the entire seal in one application.  We know this because we utilize acids to remove grout sealers before treating the grout to restore its color, and we can do so in one application.  Therefore…so can you.

SEALING YOUR FLOOR…AND WHY YOU MAY HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.
The second myth we have to manage is the need to seal your floor.  Marble is highly porous.  In its natural state it will absorb water on contact, darkening as it does.  The stone was likely sealed on installation. However, sealers are not permanent.  In fact, acid has the nasty habit of reversing the reaction the sealer went through when applied, allowing it to be washed away.  So applying an acid cleaner will literally wash away the sealer.  Acid spills such as tea, coffee or juice will do the same thing but on a spot basis.  Once destroyed, the surface is open and susceptible to being stained.  Now that blue Kool Aid in that little one’s hands becomes a source of anxiety.  In fact, anything with a dye could create a problem.  Once stained, you cannot guarantee it can be removed.  You are better off applying an ounce of prevention so you can sleep well and unconcerned.  Stone should be sealed every other year.  This is your insurance policy, and like all such policies, you are overjoyed to have it when you need it, but regret not getting it when you really need it.

So a non-acidic surfactant based cleaner and a penetrating sealer are the keys to caring for your marble and travertine.  Select an appropriate offering and your floor will be easier, healthier and more beautiful.  Choose wrongly, and you will have a dull, slip-prone, frustrating surface that is going to cost you a pretty penny to restore.

MARBLELIFE has been formulating, optimizing and developing Marble, Travertine, Granite, Tile and Concrete Cleaners, services and care processes for more than 25 years. Throughout this time, we have become the largest stone restoration company in North America.  For more information visit us at MARBLELIFE Product page or MARBLELIFE website

Vinegar: The Good, Bad and Downright Ugly Truth as a Cleaning Agent

White vinegarIF YOU HAVE MARBLE, TRAVERTINE, POLISHED CONCRETE OR GROUT (AKA TILE) THERE ARE HUGE REASONS NOT TO USE VINGAR.

Urban legend suggests vinegar is a good cleaning agent.  In truth, it has the incidious ability to attack your floors in three distinctly different manners.  In each case, the damage is done overtime.  Kind of like eating sweets.   One isn’t going to hurt you but eating the bag overtime can impact the eater’s weight.

  1. Etching – Vinegar’s ability to dissolve CaCO3 will dull your marble, travertine, concrete and terrazzo surfaces.  It may “clean” the surface but it is also dissolving pits into the finish and effectively dulling it.  Overtime, what appears as wear on your floor may in fact be a broad acid attack resulting in an etched surface.  Wear is characterized by long shallow scratches created when a piece of sand or other debris is trapped under one’s foot and is scraped across the surface. An etch is characterized by pinholes in the surface where the acid has dissolved away the CaCO3 in the stone or grout. The difference can be seen with a magnifying glass.  This will affect marble, travertine, concrete and concrete terrazzo surfaces.
  2. pH Shift – Vinegar’s ability to shift the pH of a surface due to its acid nature creates a condition which reverses the reaction used to seal your grout and stone surfaces- allowing the seal to be floated away while in its unreacted state.  At pH 7 your seal is like glass but at ph 1 it has been reverted back to its liquid raw materials form and can seal nothing.
  3. Leeching – Vinegar’s ability to leech out grout dyes will lighten and eventually decolor grout over time.

WHAT’S IN VINEGAR?   Vinegar consists of acetic acid, a natural and inexpensive acid.  Its low cost is why it has become so popular as a cleaning product ingredient. In fact, we have been using it since Roman times, however this was not one of their great gifts to mankind.  They just happened to be the first to be tricked by this trickster “cleaner.”

GOT MARBLE OR TRAVERTINE?
As an acid, vinegar will react with CaCO3.  This is what hard water consists of.  Unfortunately, what many people do not realize is that their marble and travertine solutions are also made of CaCO3.  Whether using vinegar specifically to remove hard water deposits, or cleaning your entire floor, the acid reacts with your marble and creates a small pit disrupting the mirror like smooth surface that was capable of reflecting light for a glossy sharp appearance.  Overtime you can literally vinegar-wash the finish off your floor, or more accurately acid pit your floor.  The solution requires the floor to be ground and polished by a professional marble restoration craftsman.  The good news it can be restored to its original shine and luster.

Once restored, you will want to use a non-acidic cleaner such as MARBLELIFE’S MARBLE & TRAVERTINE CLEANER.  As you will find, this cleaner also does a remarkable job cleaning up oily, greasy situations.  Your kitchen will thank you.

Marble and some metals will show the damage immediately if pure vinegar is used. Lemon juice and most fruit juices contain sufficient acid that one can visibly etch a surface in a few minutes of contact. The resulting white spot, ring or lemon wedge may look like a smudge or dirt, but is actually missing stone. This type of damage requires the stone to be honed and polished in order to repair it.

So how do you get rid of hard water stains?  Try a razor blade… that may be all you need, otherwise call MARBLELIFE.  A professional stone restoration craftsman can remove surface build-up and restore your surface to a clean, glossy appearance.

GOT POLISHED CONCRETE?
Polished concrete is credited to being one of the least-expensive-to-maintain floor.  It can be colored and polished in a variety of finishes.  In fact, you will see this type of floor in big box stores around the country who also appreciate the fact that once densified it prevents salts from seeping up through the concrete which would then dry on the surface and become the largest source of dust in the building.  The shift to a densified, polished concrete occurred largely due to the time savings associated with not having to deal with dust, and the better perceived turnaround associated with products that “have not been on the shelf so long they are not covered with dust.”  So what is the biggest problem and repair?  A customer dropping a pickle jar in the grocery store.  The vinegar spill will literally etch its splatter pattern into the floor leaving a white ghost impression.  Fixing it requires the floor to be reground and polished by a professional.  If this can occur with a single spill of a product using a lot of vinegar, consider what is happening when you are cleaning consistently with a diluted solution of vinegar.  Exactly the same thing, just over a longer time and a larger area.  Better to clean your floor with a MARBLELIFE cleaner.  If you do this, your floor can maintain its appearance for years to come.

GOT CERAMIC TILE?:
Ceramic tile surfaces are impervious to acid. BUT, for the accompanying grout, it is NOT. In fact, this may be THE major reason why your grout has discolored and unable to return to a like-new appearance.  Don’t worry, once you understand what is happening, there are solutions that cannot just restore a fresh clean appearance, but will allow you to greatly simplify your cleaning going forward.  Think COLORSEAL and TILELOK.  Your grout has been protected with a penetrating sealer designed to fill in the pores in what is otherwise a concrete-like matrix- unsealed, and it would absorb liquids just like rain on a concrete sidewalk.  Acids and vinegars have the nasty affect of changing the pH condition of the grout in such a manner that it unzips the penetrating sealer’s chemistry returning it to its raw materials state.  The act of washing literally floats these materials out of your grout.  Over time your grout becomes unsealed and is now free to absorb dirt. Particularly dirt from your mop water as you clean the floor.  Once inside the grout, it gives a stained appearance and is extremely difficult to remove, particularly if it is an oil to grease based dirt, which of course will not mix well with the water in your mop bucket (unless you are using a MARBLELIFE Cleaner – but that is a subject for another article).

GOT GROUT?
If you have a tile floor you sure do.  In addition to breaking down the seal as noted above, vinegar has the ability to leech out the grout’s color and any dyes.  The fact that a floor looks lighter and whiter after its use is a major reason people have gravitated to it. However, the real reason this occurs is not cleaning but rather more closely associated with bleaching.  The grout is being robbed of its color.  Overtime your grout will trend towards a light cement grey color.  The good news is that the color CAN be restored to your grout using a process and technique called COLORSEALING.  This requires a colorized seal to be re-applied to the grout, where it will be absorbed.  The treatment is reapplied until a uniform color is obtained. Once completed, a color-sealed grout line will have greater uniformity in color than the original grout.  Hard to believe, but factually true!  This has to do with the grout’s loss of water over time during the short period the installer is installing it (another article).

Grout suffers a second issue in that many dyes used to color the grout can be leeched out of the grout using an acid, like vinegar. As such, the lightening that is perceived to be the acid cleaning is actually the removal of the dye and the grout’s color. Overtime continuous use can turn a colored grout back to its cementitous gray root color.

THE GOOD NEWS – EACH ISSUE CAN BE RESOLVED

SERVICE
The good news is that MARBLELIFE has developed service solutions that can repair the damage caused by an acid attack. Call 888-218-4616 for an estimate and guidance. Enter your zip code and you will be connected to the local MARBLELIFE service office in your area who can provide you with a FREE ASSESSMENT of your surface, info and education on what caused the problem, how to restore it, and then how to properly maintain it.

PRODUCT
Maintaining the investment made in your floor and counter finishes requires little education and cleaning products designed to safely clean and maintain your surfaces. This has been MARBLELIFE’s passion for more than 25 years. We are the only company that manufactures care products and provides restoration services. Our commitment has enabled us to consistently provide quality results. Our clients have rewarded us with their business and sufficient referrals to enable us to become the largest service provider in North America, with more than 45 locations.

Visit us at MARBLELIFEPRODUCTS.com to find a local hardware store in your area, or to place an order online.

CONTACT US – For more information about your particular situation. Do not hesitate to contact us at 888-218-4616

Healthy Bathrooms Healthy Families

Have you heard people saying the bathroom is the busiest room in your house? They could be right. Some popular medical websites state the average bathroom contains thousands of germs and viruses.

Hang on though! Don’t go and lock your family out of the bathroom just yet. There are a few simple steps you can do to prevent the spread of germs and viruses.

Healthy Smiles

First off, keep your toothbrushes dry and clean. Be sure to keep it up on a countertop, away from any splashing water where it can get contaminated. Also, keep each toothbrush separated from the others to prevent cross contamination. If the toothbrushes touch, that can increase the odds of germs spreading from brush to brush. Be sure to regularly replace your toothbrush for a new one as well.

Raising The Bar

Switch out your bar soap with liquid soap.   Experts say bar soap can hold residue from soap dishes and bacteria from the person who used it last. Liquid soaps come in self-contained pumps so each person gets a fresh dose of soap with every pump.

Cleaning The Bathroom

You should clean your bathroom on a consistent basis.   You will need to clean more frequently if you have a large family and a large amount of traffic through the bathroom.

There are a lot of cleaning products out there, but you want to make sure you are choosing the right cleaners for the right surface. Using the wrong cleaning product on certain types of stone will damage them.

You will first need to determine the type of countertop you have. If you have a stone countertop, you will want to use a stone safe cleaner like Marblelife’s Marble and Travertine Cleaner. There is also a stone safe granite cleaner and tile cleaner available. Using the right countertop cleaner will ensure you don’t damage your stone while trying to keep your family healthy.

Another area people tend to overlook is the tub and shower area. Mold, mildew and bacteria love to grow in this environment. To control the growth of these unhealthy elements, clean your tub and shower with a professional grade mold and mildew remover like Marblelife’s Mold & Mildew Remover. This is the same product used by the largest stone care company in the North America.

Now that you have clean countertops and a clean bath and shower, it’s time to move onto the bathroom floor. To keep your floor looking its best, use Marblelife’s Tile & Grout cleaner. This will help keep germs and viruses off your floor and spreading when people walk in and out of your bathroom.

You may want to consider having your bathroom floor sealed with a professional sealer too. Your local Marblelife office can clean and seal this area of you home or even your commercial location to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses. This service has been used by some of the top medical facilities in the country. If it is good enough for them, it is worth doing for your own family. They offer both a penetrating sealer and an advanced sealer that is colored to match your grout. The advantages are that when their ColorSeal Technology is applied you can visually see areas that are sealed or need further attention. This makes this process unique in being able to signal the floor has indeed been properly sealed. Doesn’t hurt that you can also change colors to match you new tiles, so safe, clean and accents well.

These are just a few simple tips to helping you keep your family happy and healthy throughout the cold and flu season.

 

 

FLOOR CLEANER FRUSTRATION?
PERHAPS IT’S DAMAGED, NOT DIRTY
SEE IMAGES HERE
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