Services
Tile and Grout Cleaning Sydney
High-pressure rotary cleaning, not a mop and hope
Grout that has stopped responding to mopping
Tiles are easy to clean. Grout is not. Grout sits below the surface of the tile, it is porous, and it is exactly where a mop pushes dirty water.
Every mop over a tiled floor moves soil off the tile and into the grout line, where it stays. That is why a floor can look clean while the grout keeps getting darker, and why scrubbing on your hands and knees produces a result that lasts a fortnight.
Why grout goes dark and stays dark
Grout is cement based and full of tiny pores. Soil, grease and detergent residue work their way into those pores and bond there.
Household cleaners sit on the surface and lift the top layer, which is why the improvement is real but shallow, and why the colour returns quickly. Getting grout properly clean means applying the right chemistry, giving it time to work, and then physically flushing the soil out of the pore structure under pressure.
How we clean tile and grout
We inspect the floor first and identify the tile and the grout, because the two do not always want the same treatment. The floor is swept or vacuumed, then a professional pre-spray is applied and given proper dwell time to break down the soil and grease. Grout lines and edges are agitated by hand where they need it.
The floor is then cleaned with a rotary tool that combines high-pressure hot water with immediate vacuum recovery. The pressure lifts the soil out of the grout and the vacuum takes it away in the same pass. That is the part a mop cannot do. A mop has nowhere to put the dirty water except back on the floor.
The floor is left damp rather than wet, and is usually walkable within an hour.
Where the spinner cannot reach
A rotary tool is a circular head, so it cleans open floor efficiently and cannot get into corners, edges or the last few centimetres against a skirting board. Those areas are cleaned by hand with a detail tool.
It is worth knowing this in advance, because a floor cleaned only with the spinner and no hand work will have a visible border of untouched grout around the edge of the room.
Bathrooms and shower recesses
Bathrooms are the most requested tile job and the least predictable. Floor tiles usually respond well. Shower walls and recesses are a different problem, because what looks like dirty grout is often soap residue, mineral deposit from hard water, or mould growing in and behind the silicone.
Cleaning removes soap and soil. It does not remove staining that has gone through into the grout, and it does not fix failed silicone. Where silicone has mould growing underneath it, the honest answer is that it needs replacing rather than cleaning. We will tell you that rather than scrub it and take your money.
Outdoor tiles, patios and pool surrounds
Outdoor tile collects a different kind of soil: dirt, leaf tannin, algae and general weathering. These areas often clean up dramatically, because the problem is usually on the surface rather than driven into the grout by years of mopping.
Drainage matters outdoors. We check where the waste water is going before we start, and we work with the fall of the area rather than against it.
Natural stone is assessed before anything is applied
Travertine, sandstone, limestone and slate are not ceramic tile. Some are acid sensitive, some are soft enough to mark, and some have been sealed or coated at some point in their life with something nobody remembers.
We identify the stone and test in an inconspicuous area before treating the floor. If a stone floor needs specialist restoration such as honing or polishing, that is a different trade and we will say so.
What tile and grout cleaning will not do
Cleaning removes soil. It does not change the colour of grout. Grout that has been permanently stained, or that has eroded and lost its surface, will come up cleaner but will not come up new.
Cracked, missing or crumbling grout is a repair job, not a cleaning job. Cleaning a damaged grout line can make the damage more obvious rather than less. If your grout was never sealed and has spent ten years absorbing everything that landed on it, expect a clear improvement rather than a reset.
We would rather tell you that when we look at the floor than after you have paid for it.
Care around your home
Tile work involves pressure and water, so containment matters. We protect adjacent surfaces, skirtings and cabinetry, and we recover the waste water rather than letting it run where it likes.
Furniture and floor items are moved where it is practical and safe to do so, and put back afterwards.
Tile and grout cleaning FAQs
How much does tile and grout cleaning cost?
Tile is usually quoted on floor area rather than by the room, because a large open kitchen and a small bathroom with the same tile are very different amounts of work. Grout line width matters too. Small tiles mean far more grout per square metre than large format tiles.
Tell us the rooms and roughly the area, and send a photo if you can. We will give you a price rather than a range that changes on the day.
Will my grout look new again?
It will look considerably cleaner. Whether it looks new depends on what is actually wrong with it. Soil and grease come out. Permanent staining, colour loss and erosion do not. We will tell you which of those we are dealing with when we look at the floor.
Can you clean the grout in my shower?
Usually, yes, though showers have limits that floors do not. Soap residue and general soil clean up well. Mould that has grown underneath silicone cannot be cleaned out, because the problem is behind the seal rather than on it. In that case the silicone needs replacing, which is a job for a bathroom trade rather than a cleaner.
How long does it take to dry?
Tile dries much faster than carpet because the surface is not absorbent. The floor is normally walkable within about an hour, and grout lines finish drying over a few hours after that.
Do you clean natural stone?
We clean sealed and unsealed stone once we have identified it and tested an inconspicuous area. Some stone is acid sensitive and some is soft enough to mark, so the products and the pressure change accordingly. Honing, polishing and stone restoration are a separate trade and we will refer you rather than attempt them.
Can you clean tiles in an apartment?
Yes. Tile work uses the same access planning as our apartment carpet cleaning, including lift bookings and loading dock times where the building requires them. Tell us the floor level and the parking situation when you enquire and we will plan around it.
Do I need to do anything before you arrive?
Clear small items off the floor and out of the way, and let us know about any cracked or loose tiles or damaged grout. You do not need to clean beforehand. Mopping first makes no difference to the result.
Can you clean tile and carpet on the same visit?
Yes, and it is usually the most efficient way to do it since we are already there with the equipment set up. Mention both when you enquire so we can allow the right amount of time.
Get a quote for your tiles
Tell us the rooms, roughly the floor area and how old the grout is, and we will come back with a price and a realistic view of what cleaning can achieve.