During the repair process, apartment owners receive a fresh, updated interior, but there is a problem of pollution. The remains of plaster, paint and tile glue often settle on previously laid tiles in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen. For each type of pollution should apply its own cleaning methods.
We will figure out how to wash the tiles after repair, depending on the source of the spots.
How to wash tiles from grout after repair
No matter how carefully you grout the seams, still part of the material falls on the surface of the tile and it must subsequently be washed off. It is easier to wash still wet grout - the surface can be easily cleaned with a normal rag, but when the grout has hardened, you will have to use other means.
So, how to wipe the dried grout from the tile? First you need to clean large fragments mechanically. Water is sprayed onto the contaminated areas, after which they begin to remove the grout residues with a scraper or clerical knife. The remaining spots are wiped with a sponge dipped in acetone.
The hardest thing to deal with the remnants of epoxy grout. How to wash the epoxy grout in the bath? First you have to stock up on some tool. First of all, you need a steam generator, or at least an iron with a steaming function. Steam is applied to the plaque, after which stains are wiped off with an ordinary dry cloth. From especially contaminated areas, epoxy grout, after softening with steam, can be removed with a spatula.
When using ready-made products with acid content, you must first check the reaction of the enamel covering the tile to the drug used, for which use the pieces left after the repair. All work in the bathroom should be carried out in a respirator and protective gloves.
From glue
Removing glue from a tiled surface is not easy. There are three main ways to get rid of glue residue from tiles:
- Still wet glue can be removed with a damp cloth and a scraper. Care must be taken not to damage the surface of the tile.
- Old glue will have to be softened first. An aqueous solution with liquid ammonia is prepared in a ratio of 1 to 1, after which a rag is moistened and applied to a contaminated place. After 15-20 minutes, you can remove the softened adhesive residue with a spatula. Putty and cement can also be cleaned in the same way.
- Another softening method using acetone. They are also impregnated with tissue and applied to dried fragments. Clean the contamination with a spatula after 20 minutes.
If the surface was stained with sealant, gasoline will help. Silicone spots are cut with a spatula, and then cleaned with a cloth soaked in gasoline.
From paint
It is difficult to clean the paint from the tile with your own hands, but it is possible. Water resistant compounds are removed in the following ways:
- small smudges of paint can be scraped off with thin sharp tools. A sharp knife or an old razor blade will do. When working with cutting objects, it is necessary to maintain a small angle of inclination to the wall surface. Thus, it will be easier to maintain the integrity of the glaze;
- mosaic tiles are best cleaned with acetone. Wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in acetone. It is more convenient to work in small areas, wiping stains from cleaned tiles with a dry cloth;
- depending on the type of paint, you can choose the right solvent. Large fragments of paint should first be softened by applying napkins moistened with solvent for 15-20 minutes. After that, you can wipe the surface dry.
When working with acetone and solvent, gloves should be used to protect hands.
From primer
In some cases, the technology of work involves painting the surfaces after laying the tiles. Before painting, the ceiling and walls must be primed, and therefore it is not uncommon when the tile is in smudges and drops of the primer.
To get rid of primer stains, use the following methods:
- the tile is washed with a sponge with hot water. To better wipe off the primer, it is recommended to add 100 g of granulated sugar per 5 liters to the water;
- primer stains can be removed with a building solvent. A napkin or dense cloth is moistened with a solvent and the tile is wiped;
- liquid products containing alkali will also help to wipe off smudges of the primer from smooth and embossed tiles. From the action of alkali, the gloss on the tile may fade and turn yellow, therefore, after cleaning, it is advisable to wipe the tile with table vinegar.
Dust free
In the process of repair, a lot of dust is necessarily generated, which settles on vertical and horizontal surfaces. You can get rid of dust at home as follows.
To begin with, you should brush or rag to collect large particles of dirt and debris from the floor. Vacuum cleaner removes smaller particles and dust settled on the surface. Detected residues of glue, foam or plaster are removed with a razor blade or a construction knife. Finish the fight against dust with wet cleaning.
To obtain the maximum effect, special solutions are prepared:
Based on citric acid. Required: citric acid - 120 g., Warm water - 10 liters. The acid crystals are completely dissolved in warm water, after which you can start cleaning.
The rag is abundantly moistened with a solution, squeeze and wipe the floor first, and then all the vertical dusty surfaces. A properly prepared solution will allow not only to remove all dust from the tile, but also to give it additional shine.
Based on acetic acid. Required: table vinegar 9% - 125 ml, warm water - 7 l, citric acid - 50 g. Vinegar is poured into water and thoroughly mixed, after which citric acid is added to the solution and wait until its crystals are completely dissolved. Wet cleaning is done with a rag, periodically wetting it in a solution. After cleaning, the surface of the tile is wiped dry to avoid the appearance of stains.
With washing powder. Required: automatic washing powder - 150 gr., Warm water - 10 l. The powder is poured into a container with water and thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved. The floor and walls are wiped with a cloth dampened with mortar. After cleaning, the surfaces should be treated with a damp, clean cloth and wiped dry.
How to wash seams between tiles
If cosmetic repairs were made in the bathroom or in the kitchen, then after completion of work you can often find dust and dirt clogged in the seams between the tiles. To wash the contaminated seam, you need to prepare a special paste of baking soda and water.
3 parts of soda will need 1 part of water. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed until a thick paste is obtained. This paste is rubbed into the seams between the tiles and left for 10-20 minutes.
While the paste dries on the wall, prepare an aqueous solution of vinegar. Required: vinegar - 1 part, water - 1 part. The resulting solution is sprayed on top of the paste laid in the seams. Bubbles will appear on the surface of the paste, which means that the cleansing reaction is started. After completion of the reaction, the seams are cleaned with a hard bristle brush. Particularly carefully you need to clean the contact points of the wall and flooring.
You can finish the cleaning with plain water, washing the tiles and seams from the remnants of the paste.
Popular cleaning products
To clean the tiles, special tools have been developed that can be bought at the store. I consider the following ready-made compositions to be the most popular:
Cleaning stone "Cinderella." The composition of this tool includes abrasive powder poroplast. It will help to cope with the removal of tile glue, any kind of paint, lime and fungus. It is especially convenient to clean the dirt with Cinderella on rough surfaces.
Cillit Bang. It perfectly cleans lime deposits on the tiles in the bathroom and in the kitchen. It will also help to remove stains of tile glue, grout and dust.
Cleaning recommendations according to surface type
The tiles used for interior decoration are divided into several types according to the type of front surface. For each type of surface, special cleaning methods should be used.
Unpolished tile. To clean the unpolished surface from dust using aqueous solutions and ready-made chemicals. For more resistant stains, acetone or a solvent is suitable.
Semi-polished tile. To wash ordinary dust from such a surface, you can use a solution of water with washing powder. Paint and primer are removed with solvents.
Polished Tiles. Dust is washed off with ordinary warm water. In other cases, you can use scrapers and solvents.
Embossed tile. To clean a tile with a ribbed surface is much more difficult than regular smooth products. In this case, it is better to use an aqueous solution with citric acid for common stains, and for persistent stains - steaming and solvents.
Glazed Tiles. It is perfectly washed from pollution with warm water without the use of chemistry. Paint is better to remove with solvent.
Matte tiles. Typically, such material is laid on the floor, as its rough surface does not allow sliding. For cleaning, make a solution of warm water with washing powder. Persistent stains are removed with acetone or solvent.
Tile Maintenance Tips
To maintain the appearance of the ceramic tiles in perfect condition, the following tips should be considered:
- Only soft sponges are used to wash the tiles. Abrasive sponges can damage the glossy surface, which will lead to the appearance of dull spots;
- as a cleaning agent, you need to use liquid compositions without abrasives;
- when cleaning porcelain, it is permissible to use a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. It not only helps get rid of dirt in the porous surface on the floor, but also kills pathogenic bacteria that multiply actively in a humid environment.