Tiled floors can make our homes look shiny and new, but they can also be a pain in the butt and a source of health and cleanliness issues. Dirt, mud and other detritus can turn your grout and tile floor into a hazard and a nightmare to keep clean. Using a steam cleaner for grout and tile floor cleaning helps you keep your home looking its best. Have you ever wondered how to use a steam cleaner for grout and tile floor cleaning in your home?
When you know how to use a steam cleaner to properly clean floors, you can ensure that your home and family are safe. Our guide will help you get the information you need on how to use a tile and grout steam cleaner to clean your floors with ease.
We give you a step-by-step procedure to clean grout lines and floor whenever you want to get your floor and grout around floor tiles looking like new. With our assistance and a high-pressure cleaner, you’ll be ready to take on the worst grout with pressurized steam and walk away from your floors a winner.
Using a Steam Cleaner for Grout Cleaning
When you want to steam clean tiles, you need to make sure that you have everything ready to go before you start. Begin by assembling the materials you will need to properly clean your floor and tiles. Steam mops and steam cleaners are large, heavy-duty pieces of equipment and you don’t want to have to drop it to work on something you overlooked. It is important to have a game plan to get your floor tile and other surfaces ready for their big moment. Following all instructions and steps will ensure your steam cleaner gets your floor surfaces looking sparkly clean. You can steam clean floors while cleaning the grout at the same time and you will see all your grout and tile surfaces gleam.
Preparing to Use a Tile and Grout Steam Cleaner
This section will cover how to get your surfaces ready before you use your floor and tile steam cleaner. Keep reading to find out how you can steam clean your floors and tiles and bring them back to perfect condition.
This article will show you how to work on your dirty floor so that the steam cleaner is effective and cuts through that dirt, greasy, gime and other contaminants without a problem. When it comes to steam cleaning, a little advance work can make a huge difference.
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Get Your Floor and Tiles Clean Before You Steam Them
Just because you are using a steam mop or cleaner on your floor surface doesn’t mean you can skip a pre-steam clean job. The truth is that all steam cleaners are effective but need a well-cleaned surface on which to operate.
Using the proper floor cleaner for your surface before you clean your tiles and grout will help you remove any obstacles a steamer might encounter as it cleans your floors. You need to choose a productive product for pre-cleaning in order to ensure the best steam cleaning results possible for all your effort. Steam cleaner recipes abound online so don’t hesitate to look for ones that work for you. There are plenty of ways to keep your floor surfaces shiny new for an extended period. You can also find grout cleaning solutions online that are naturally and chemical free.
Cleaning Tiles and Grout
You will need to following supplies to properly clean your floor surfaces before steam cleaning.
- Broom
- Sponge
- White vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Baking soda
- An old toothbrush or nylon scrubber
- Gloves
Put on the gloves. You will want to begin by sweeping the floors and picking up and dirt or detritus on hard surfaces with a broom and dustpan. Next, sprinkle baking soda all over any grout lines and all grout joints if your floor has grout tiles. Take the spray bottle and fill it with vinegar. Then spray down the floor and any grout.
Using the toothbrush or nylon scrubber or any electric spin scrubber, scrub the grout and any dirt or persistent stains on the floor and don’t be afraid to use some elbow grease. This solution is an ideal grease and grime cleaner that can easily be made by mixing:
- ¾ cup of hydrogen peroxide
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 5 drops of lemon essential oil
Use this solution and be sure to pay extra attention to the corners of your floor surfaces and any out of the way spots to eliminate all grime and dirt. Remember to wipe the floor and any grout completely with a clean sponge and water, and give any floor corner a good cleaning, too.
If you are using a steamer, there is no need to dry the surface before moving on to steam cleaning. You can make an easy DIY concrete cleaner with just vinegar by using Borax, vinegar, baking soda and hot water.
Start by Selecting a Quality Steam Cleaner
Most people have limited to no experience with using a steam cleaner. It is easy to find yourself confused when trying to decide on the best steam cleaner for you. Nowadays, there are lots of makes and models of deep cleaning heavy-duty steam machines available to choose from so do your research and find the one that is right for you.
Ideally, your goal will be to find a floor surface steam cleaner that will get the job done without breaking the bank. The McCulloch MC1275 is a high-quality choice for a cleaner that is known the be cost effective. It just might be the best steam mop on the market.
Another fantastic option is the Bissell PowerFresh. It has pinpoint steam control and rings in at a cost that is even lower than the MC1275. For that and many other reasons, it has earned a spot on the list as one of the best steam cleaner for the price.
The Canister SteamFast SF-275 is another top-notch floor cleaning machine that won’t put your checkbook into the red if you decide to purchase it. All decent steam mops will come with brush attachments, such as a grout brush and a scrub brush. These tools are exactly what you need when you use a steam cleaner to clean your grout and porcelain and ceramic tiles on a floor.
Using a Steam Cleaner to Clean Grout
After you have cleaned the floor surface and any grout free from grime, grease, and dirt, pick up your favourite pressurized steam cleaner and get ready to get to work. Steam mops are cleaning tool that are known to put out a tremendous heat and pressure. This steam and pressure can damage your file and tile if you do not know what you are doing so ensure you read, understand, and follow all manufacturer instructions. Don’t be afraid to check out a few YouTube videos on how to use the products of your choice.
You need to use the appropriate cleaning method to ensure that your steam cleaning is effective and cleans away dirt, grease, and grime across large areas. You will need to start with a weekly cleaning schedule to keep your floor surfaces clean so you don’t have to steam it again for a long time.
Steam and Scrub Floor Surfaces
Attach the brush head to your steamer to start the cleaning session. The brush focuses the steam spray while making the pressure wash more effective and useful. Once you have turned on the steamer, gently scrub the bristles on the floor surface between the floor tiles and the tiles themselves.
Be sure to refill the water tank regularly and try to avoid running over your power cord as you work as this can damage it. When you have cleaned away all dirt, grease or other stains, remove the brush attachment.
Next, you will want to attach the rectangular floor tool if your cleaner comes with one and use the steam cleaner to gently sweep across the tile floor,cleaning every surface as you go. Be careful not to use too much pressure as you work, as doing so can crack or damage the tile.
Once you have cleaned the grout and tiles, wipe them clean with a clean microfiber mop or cloth/paper towel. It is extremely important to remember that hardwood floors will warp when exposed to steam, so never clean hard floors that are not made of tile with a heavy-duty steam cleaner.
This cleaning process is similar to how you steam clean an oven without using a steam cleaner. Instead, a bowl of vinegar mixed with water and heated in the oven will loosen debris and grease. Don’t forget to wipe it out after the oven cools.
Reseal the Grout
After you steam clean your grout and floor tiles, there is one very important step you must not forget. That step is the resealing stage. It’s essential to reseal your grout once you’ve finished steam cleaning it to prevent recurrences of mould, mildew, dirt and other contaminants.
Your grout and tiles could end up mouldy again quickly if you don’t properly reseal the grout. It doesn’t matter whether your grout had a seal before, either. There is nothing wrong with re-sealing after steam cleaning.
Grout Sealing
- Commercial grout sealer
- Gloves
- Respirator
- Clean cloth
- Goggles or safety glasses
Remember, the first step is to always don your safety gear and read and understand your sealer’s instructions. Apply at least one coat of sealer to your grout and wait for a while before exposing it to water or other potential cleaners. I cannot stress enough that you must always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that the product works correctly.
Steam cleaning your floor surfaces doesn’t have to be difficult or a big job. If you are wondering how to use a steam cleaner for floor cleaning, this article is a great start. Begin by researching the cleaners that are available to find the one that best suits your needs and budget. Follow all instructions and good luck! With a few simple steps, you can have your floor surfaces looking brand new.