It is simple to look after them.
Virginija VERVEČKAITĖ
Tile maintenance and lime removal off their surface for many housewives is a real headache but with use of the appropriate cleaning agents, they will continue to shine as new.
Often, when choosing tiles, primarily people should look at whether they are practical, and this quality depends on the surface. Unfortunately, the tiles which do not accumulate lime and dirt are yet to be invented, however, you can choose the tiles on which these impurities are not visible.
Maintenance in operation
To maintain technical and aesthetic qualities of the ceramic tiles, they, like many other surfaces, are subject to certain rules and guidelines, need to be properly cleaned and maintained.
First: out of many sold detergents is best to choose those recommended by tile manufacturers. Second: in general, both ceramic and stone tiles are easy to maintain because they do not absorb moisture, dirt and are easy to clean. Only, you should follow a few tips: wash the tiles after construction works and clean them periodically.
Optical deception
The more variegated tiles are, the less visible plaque lime is but if the tiles are dark then the dirt is highlighted. Therefore, it is recommended to use light-colored tiles in areas where water is used intensively.
Glazed tile surface reflects more light and gives the room a bright spatial impression. The plane, decorated with opaque or matte tiles will uniformly reflect the light in all directions. Tiles of bright shades, especially if their surface is polished, are very sensitive to stains of given origin, so they need more attention. Slightly mottled earth tones are less keen to display dirt.
Do not hesitate after finishing work
The interviewed experts, when describing tile care, first, emphasized the need to clean the tiles after finishing works are completed. Tile adhesive and putty residues must be removed from the surface. The acid cleaner can be very useful here, which must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
"It is best to perform the test on a small area before the washing. There are strong acidic cleaners on the market but not all of them are equally effective. For example, the Italian manufacturer “Fila” offers particularly strong and effective cleaning agents which are highly concentrated but do not have an unpleasant, pungent odor and are environmentally and user-friendly" - advised Darius Kasaitis, Project Manager of JSC “Mproducts”.
The dirt will not soak up if...
...you will impregnate tiles after washing them. Preservative - it is a special material soaks up into the tiles, reacts with their structure and forms a protective layer that repels water, various impurities but allows the surface to breathe. Impregnated tiles, even if heavily exploited remain clean. Their surface does not get darker; the dirt does not soak up and is easily removed during routine cleaning.
Tiles can be impregnated with colorless or surface saturation enhancing preservative.
To save, you can choose preservative specifically for tile joints filler. This material effectively penetrates into the tile joint compound structure, creates a durable protective coating and seams looks like new for a long time and do not change their color.
Every day - moderately and wisely
Many cleaning agents are suitable for routine tile maintenance. It should only be noted that pH (acidity of the solution) of such cleaners should be as close as possible to 7 points value, as neutral as possible. Such cleaner will not damage tiles and joint compound.
It is sufficient to clean dirty tiles with a damp sponge and wipe them with a dry cloth. It is not recommended to use too much of abrasive cleaners, peeling tools or metal brushes.
They can be and waxed!
There is a special wax, created for the tiled surfaces. It protects tile surface against mechanical scratches. It is recommended to wax the floor, that is. y. polish it with a special liquid wax periodically; the frequency with which to do so depends on traffic. By the way, the wax can be matte, glossy, high-gloss, and even protects against a slip!
Antibacterial and other measures for putty
Highly contaminated surfaces are best swept with alkaline cleaners. They remove household, fat, grease, grime, dirt, shoe left strips and other impurities.
You can also buy special measures for cleaning and updating stone and ceramic tile filler. This is – antibacterial agent, it completely repels bacteria, mold or algae, provides long-lasting protection against repeated contamination of the surface. Such special cleaners will not only eliminate the biological origin of the pollution but will also remove dirt from a variety of surfaces, perfectly overcomes lime deposits. This measure is indispensable in bathroom tile care.
