How in the world can you tell if your tile floors are clean?
Well it’s not always easy to tell…
You may have to bend down closer to the floor to actually see what the original colour of the grout is (if there hasn’t been years of neglect).
Any areas darker than the original colour would indicate that there is scum, grit or food stuck in between the tiles.
Dirty grout can make your beautiful tile floors look dingy, if you ask me.
The thing with tiles is that they can look clean on the surface and not really be clean. Some tiles are really colourful, some tiles have textures. The darker tiles seem to show everything on the surface and the lighter coloured ones hide more. BUT at the end of the day, dirt is dirt!
Do you really care if there is dirt in between the tiles? We don’t eat off the floors, right?
Well for some of us, it’s about cleanliness and I certainly like it when the dirt that sticks in between the tiles is removed once in a while.
I am not prepared or willing to brush my grout each time I have to wash my floors. But I need to do it regularly.
It feels as good as a glass of wine, when I look back after cleaning the grout. I just feels so good when it’s clean!!
How about you?
Most people would wash with a mop (cloth or microfiber) but not usually with a brush. It’s definitely a pain to be on your knees to clean the grout. You can buy a grout brush and use it where it gets the most traffic and food spills - like near the kitchen counters or entrances.
BE AWARE: A sponge mop pushes dirty water into the grout and soils it!
One important thing in knowing HOW to clean tile floors is keeping the grout clean. Grout is porous and easily absorbs dirt, grease and other materials.
Would you expect your housekeepers or cleaners to clean the grout each time they clean your tile floors?
Well, when I cleaned my client’s homes on a weekly or bI-weekly basis, I would make a schedule for cleaning the grout.
The reality of it all is that it takes a lot longer to clean the grout!
If you are a professional housecleaner, do you think your clients would want to pay you extra $$ to clean/brush the grout on your knees each time you clean their floors? Most of them would not.
So let’s get real!!
You and your housekeeper or cleaner, should get really clear about your EXPECTATIONS.
Discuss it and figure out a way to feel good about the cleaning you want. Make a plan and create a cleaning schedule. If your housekeeper [or cleaner] knows clearly what you want, and the money you can spend, you’ll both win!
AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANT, DON’T WE? A WIN-WIN for BOTH OF US!
-France, Owner, Domestic Goddess Housekeeping, Ft, McMurray, AB
comments in Filipino:
Ang paglilinis ng ‘ceramic tiles’ ay isa sa pinakamasarap na pakiramdam lalo na kung masyadong madumi ang mga espasyo na nagbabahagi sa mga ito. Mangyayari lamang ito kung tama ang mga panglinis na gagamitin na sabon at materyales. Sa. kabilang dako, kahit marunong ka maglinis nito ngunit hindi tama ang mga materyales na iyong ginamit, magkakaroon ka ng problema. Mag aaksaya ka lamang ng lakas at panahon.
Sa pagkakaalam ko, kailanman ay hindi pa kami naghanap ng maglilinis sa aming ‘ceramic tiles’ sapagkat halos lahat kami ay marunong maglinis nito. Tinuruan kami ng aming lola, na siyang nag alaga samin simula pagkabata—kaming magpipinsan. Katwiran niya ay masaya siyang gawin ito dahil is ana ito sa kanyang mga ehersisyo, ang paglilinis. At ang dahilan niya pa ay is ana din itong paghahanda sa aming pagtanda kung saan ay magkakaroon kami ng sari-sariling mga pamilya.
Kung ikaw naman ay walang oras sa paglilinis ng iyong ‘ceramic tiles’ dahil sa dami ng ginagawa ay dapat lamang na maghanap ng tagalinis nito para maiwasan ang maduming kapaligiran at anumang bakterya. Hindi naman siguro maiiwasan na dumating tayo sa ganitong sitwasyon lalo na kung sandamakmak ang iyong gawain na dapat ayusin. Kailangan lamang na maging mabusisi sa pagkilatis ng iyong mahahanap at tiyakin na ginagawa nila ng maayos ang kanilang trabaho.
Ang paglilinis ng ‘ceramic tiles’ ay hindi dapat maging isa sa iyong mga problema. Matutong gawin ito o kung wala kang ora ay maghanap ka ng taong gagawa nito upang maging maaliwalas.
-Sheara De La Cruz, Ft McMurray, Originally from the Philippines
Comments in French:
Pendant des années, j'ai eu recours à des services d'entretien ménager. Les employés qui venaient chez moi, n'ont jamais nettoyé les joints des tuiles. Ce n'était pas dans le contrat.
Maintenant, j'utilise un kit Swiffer, avec des lingettes humidifiées, qui est assez efficace, quand il n'y a pas une grande surface à nettoyer.
Quelques fois dans l'année, mon mari lave les tuiles avec une brosse. Il ne veut pas que je le fasse, car c'est difficile pour les genoux.
Dépendamment du nombre de personnes qui vivent dans la maison, ce nettoyage peut être fait à chaque saison, pour un couple, ou plus souvent, pour une famille plus nombreuse.
C'est tout à fait normal que le nettoyage des tuiles occasionne un montant supplémentaire.
Il suffit de bien expliquer ce que l'on veut et de s'entendre sur le montant qui est acceptable pour vous.
Tout le monde va être gagnant.
-Denise Lavoie, Quebec City
COMMENTS in spanish:
Querida France,
Te cuento que el moho que puede estar inadvertido entre las baldosas puede ser peligroso para la familia, por que aumenta el riesgo de alergias, rinitis, infecciones cutáneas y empeoran transtornos como el asma y la migraña. Esto se agrava si hay ventilación pobre o si la persona tiene preexistencias. Ahora en tiempos de Covid tenemos que ser cuidadosos con la limpieza.
Dear France,
I tell you that the mold that can be unnoticed between the tiles - which can be dangerous for the family; it increases the risk of allergies, rhinitis, skin infections and worsens disorders such as asthma and migraine. This is aggravated if there is poor ventilation or if the person has medical conditions. Now in times of Covid we have to be careful with cleaning!