Tile flooring is quite a preferred option for both, residences and commercial premises, all the more so for the kitchen and washroom areas. Apart from their availability in many attractive and purposeful colors and designs, they are easier to maintain, making them an ideal choice, especially in the already mentioned areas that are subjected to spillages.

As the tiles begin to look dirty, you can just wash them with water and mop and these begin to look new, as in the case of windows. Yet, one often finds that even professionally installed tiling begins to look dull, uneven and starts giving a somewhat unpleasant look over time, though the tiles are in good condition because of regular cleaning.

That’s because of the grout, the material used for sealing joints and voids that can’t be avoided with floor tiles. The constituents of grout are cement and sand that are mixed in water and applied to floors. It’s not a smooth compound really, and being porous in nature allows liquids to seep thru and thus lead to staining.

On having a closer look at the tiles, you will notice that the grout used for filling the gaps between tiles is slightly at a lower level than the surface of the tiles. As a result, any spillage gets attracted to this region of tiles. This coupled with its porous nature, causes grout to develop stains.

Moreover, unlike the smooth surface of tiles, grout is uneven too. So, it just can’t be wiped clean like tiles. Spillages from wine or coffee can cause stains to appear quite fast. As you quickly wipe of spillage from the tiles, a part of it is already absorbed by grout due its porous nature. Over a period of time, stains and bacteria get built up, making the stains more prominent. These stains can’t be easily removed using traditional methods of cleaning. Another thing that you would notice is that stains are more often to appear around the area surrounding sink, wash basin and the tables used for serving drinks. For getting rid of these stains, you need the services of a professional so that the floor is restored to its near original status.

Even after the tiles and grout have been cleaned, you continue facing the problem of regular maintenance. One of the most practical options is to use some kind of a sealer for the floor and particularly for the grout. You may consider using common or color grout sealer that protects the grout and adds some element of impermeability that facilitates future maintenance efforts. It will be worthwhile getting in touch with a floor cleaning specialist who can best advise you on the subject of maintaining your floors.