[BJinTX]

Hello, as we wait to move to TV. We have a home in Texas that has tile floor through out. Other than using a mop and bucket, is there a machine we could use to clean the flooring? I tried a steam mop with a pad on the bottom but it would nhave taken me all day to do the house. I'm looking for something heavy duty. Thanks, BJ

[trichard]

vinegar and water.

[katezbox]

Originally Posted by BJinTX

Hello, as we wait to move to TV. We have a home in Texas that has tile floor through out. Other than using a mop and bucket, is there a machine we could use to clean the flooring? I tried a steam mop with a pad on the bottom but it would nhave taken me all day to do the house. I'm looking for something heavy duty. Thanks, BJ

Hi BJ,

We bought a more heavy-duty steamer than the Shark that many use and love. The main reason was capacity. We have tile throughout the house. The brand we have is called Reliable - and it doesn't need to cool down before you add more water. It is a "canister" model. I bought it online - Allergy Buyers.com I think is the website.

It uses water - I think we use distilled. (I am guilty here becasue my hubs does the floors).

Lucky Kate

[BJinTX]

Thanks for the info. I will look up the Shark. We have been doing the floors with a mop but it takes so long and you start to hate the floors half way thru. We are trying SO HARD to get to the villages but I need health insurance. Thanks to everyone for their answers! Have a good week. BJ

[Kellygirl]

1 part vinegar 2 parts water. If there is a spot in the grout (my husband spills his coffee at least once per week) I spray it with Clorox Cleanup and use a tooth brush to scrub if needed, then wipe away.

[KathieI]

Originally Posted by Kellygirl

1 part vinegar 2 parts water. If there is a spot in the grout (my husband spills his coffee at least once per week) I spray it with Clorox Cleanup and use a tooth brush to scrub if needed, then wipe away.

Hey Kelly, are you for hire????

[Kellygirl]

Not for hire yet...just a slave to my husband!

[ssmith]

Has anyone tried a scooba...Not sure of spelling....? It is made by Roomba and is for hard surface floors. I love my roombas and wonder if the scooba was any good.

[Bogie Shooter]

Bought a Shark, used once and took back to WalMart and got my $80 back. They do not clean the grout!

[gego3650]

I have a Shark and I am missing a part. There customer service will **** you off and then you get a busy signal. Avoid the scams.

[silvertoken]

Knee pads + Bucket + Steel wool or croakers cloth + Ajax + hot water = Best heavy duty cleaning ever is someone to do it the old fashion way and able to get into the corners and edges ( razor scraper for paint or hard to get up spots). I myself use a whole roll of paper towels to clean up any residue. Afterwards any other cleaning method works fine until spring or fall clean up. " Oh dear, where is my pain medication?"

[Skybo]

I love my Shark steam mop. I used to have a Bissell hard floor cleaner and it worked very well, but it wasn't any easier/faster to use than the steam mop. I only have a small amount of tile. I think if I had a whole houseful of tile I’d probably stick with the mop/bucket method.

[JoanNem]

Originally Posted by BJinTX

Hello, as we wait to move to TV. We have a home in Texas that has tile floor through out. Other than using a mop and bucket, is there a machine we could use to clean the flooring? I tried a steam mop with a pad on the bottom but it would nhave taken me all day to do the house. I'm looking for something heavy duty. Thanks, BJ

Take the easy way out like I did. We had our carpeting steamed cleaned by a steam cleaning co. They did all the carpeting in the house. When they saw my tile floor in the kitchen, they asked me if I would be interested in them steam cleaning the tile floor. I said "steam clean a tile floor?" He said sure....i can show you how it will turn out. So he did a small corner. The floor was beautiful...It cleaned the grout and the tile. When he got done it looked as good as the day we had it put in. Just a suggestion. We had the floor done, once a year after that.

[rubicon]

The guy who installed our tile told us that the best method for cleaning tile was vinegar/water combination. It works well in the shower to kill the mold/mildew. We also have a SHARK which we use weekly and a heavier machine for grout, etc. After reading memebers comments it seems hiring a contractor to steam clean once a year plus weekly cleanings seems the best and easiest way to maintain these floors. Yea I the one stuck with cleaning the floors because the little lady claims she can't work that complicated SHARK..a Huck Finnism if ever there was one....

[Xavier]

Originally Posted by JoanNem

Take the easy way out like I did. We had our carpeting steamed cleaned by a steam cleaning co. They did all the carpeting in the house. When they saw my tile floor in the kitchen, they asked me if I would be interested in them steam cleaning the tile floor. I said "steam clean a tile floor?" He said sure....i can show you how it will turn out. So he did a small corner. The floor was beautiful...It cleaned the grout and the tile. When he got done it looked as good as the day we had it put in. Just a suggestion. We had the floor done, once a year after that.

Just a suggestion, after the grout is cleaned to your liking, seal it with grout sealer and a small brush. It helps keep it clean. I'd do it every year or two. We had quite a bit of tile in a home we had built in 1988 and the grout looked just as good as it did when it was put in 13 years earlier.

The strap-on knee pads are a great idea. I bought a set at Harbor Freight in Ocala, also available just about anywhere, and when I use them I wear sweats so that they don't pinch my skin and pull out my leg hair.

Xavier