[tucson]

Does anyone out there have any referrals?? Thank you!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by tucson

Does anyone out there have any referrals?? Thank you!

We use a "Shark" steam cleaner and do it ourselves.

One negative about this place and I hear all of Florida. Dirt and dust seems to fly through the air and land on my house. This home gets dirtier faster than any place I have EVER lived.

[tucson]

I've been told by tile installers that the steam machines do NOT , but rather make the tile and grout dirtier by "moving around and redepositing the black dirt that's on those pads. makes alot of sense to me. btw; I used to use the steam machines and always wondered WHY my tile didn't look clean. I got my answer.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by tucson

I've been told by tile installers that the steam machines do NOT , but rather make the tile and grout dirtier by "moving around and redepositing the black dirt that's on those pads. makes alot of sense to me. btw; I used to use the steam machines and always wondered WHY my tile didn't look clean. I got my answer.

We have a bunch of pads and change them frequently during the process. Plus, before we do the cleaning, we sweep with a broom and dust pan, then dust with one of those large rectangular dusters and then use the vacuum. Then we use the Shark.

[starflyte1]

It does take a lot of work with a steam cleaner to get the floors clean. The steam lifts the dirt, but you must pick up the dirt once it is steamed. Then, once over lightly, again with the steamer, and the floors are really clean.

[tucson]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We have a bunch of pads and change them frequently during the process. Plus, before we do the cleaning, we sweep with a broom and dust pan, then dust with one of those large rectangular dusters and then use the vacuum. Then we use the Shark.

I know, I've done all those things too.

[Dayzee]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We use a "Shark" steam cleaner and do it ourselves.
One negative about this place and I hear all of Florida. Dirt and dust seems to fly through the air and land on my house. This home gets dirtier faster than any place I have EVER lived.

Seems like I need to dust furniture every day here. Have you considered a portable air cleaner/filter? I have one in MI that I plan to bring down with me next year. It really seams to help freshen the air as well as remove dust particles. Cleaning the tiles is one of my least favorite chores - will look into a steam cleaner - sounds like a time saver (no more hands-n-knees!!)

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We have a bunch of pads and change them frequently during the process. Plus, before we do the cleaning, we sweep with a broom and dust pan, then dust with one of those large rectangular dusters and then use the vacuum. Then we use the Shark.

I second the steam cleaner. We have the Shark too. But you have to start out with it. If you clean your tile floor with anything else first and don't change the water constantly, you're going to get the grout dirty, and then you're sunk. The cleaner you use, if not thoroughly rinsed off (impossible) will simply attract and hold dirt.

Up north, after 10 years of "someone" not cleaning the tiled first floor properly, we called in Stanley Steamer. They do tile work as well as carpeting. They made the floor look brand-new. We had forgotten what it looked like. And the grout was pristine. Then they sealed the grout. It was pricey, but now we have a clean slate, so to speak, to work with.

So down here we bought a steamer immediately and have never used a cleaner on the tile, or a bucket of water that just gets dirtier and dirtier as you rinse out a mop.

[campy]

Did you seal your grout? Does the steamer remove the sealer?

[CFrance]

We have not sealed the grout here in TV because someone told us sealing the grout would void the warranty, and we just moved in 2/1/12.

Up north Stanley Steemer sealed the grout, and they offer to come back to steam-clean the same tile whose grout they sealed, so I assume steaming does not remove the seal.

In any event, the Shark home machine is not heavy, industrialized equipment as Stanley Steemer's, and I can't imagine it taking the seal off of the grout.

We are having our TV great room tiled in the fall. After the one-year warranty is up on the house in 2/13, I plan to have SS come in and clean all the tile and seal the grout. What they did in our house up north has held up so well, and our kitchen up there gets a direct hit from us walking through the snowy, slushy garage (at least up until this last year)