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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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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”

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.

Do 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.

WILL 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

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.