Hiring a Tile & Grout Cleaner

We get calls on a daily basis for tile & grout cleaning. Once the grout has become impacted with dirt, oils, bacteria, and yuck it can be almost impossible to clean and sanitize without the help of a professional. But the question is "just who is a professional?" Many of our competitors are not competitors at all but simply carpet cleaners or janitorial services that happen to clean tile and grout on the side. Many of our so called "competitors" do not even own their own cleaning equipment, but must rent the equipment from a local cleaning supply company.

So how do you go about finding a quality tile and grout cleaner? First, a quality tile and grout cleaner will have some sort of qualified training. Here at Liberty Floor Solutions we are factory trained and factory certified by The Master's Touch. The inventors of tile and grout cleaning. Their training consists of approximately 60 hours of class room instruction coupled with on the job training. Once you have completed your training at the factory you are required to work a minimum of (15) hours, approximately five jobs, solo before your training is considered - complete.

Secondly, a quality tile and grout cleaning will NEVER quote prices to you over the phone. They will provide you with a FREE in home inspection that should include measuring the cleaning area, properly identify the cleaning surface and grout, and test the floor to determine if they can meet your conditions of satisfaction. After all you are the one that will be living with the floor after the cleaning company has gone. They should also discuss with you potential grout repairs, sealers, and protective coatings.  I can not tell you the number of calls we have received from people who hired the wrong cleaning company and now they want us to fix the problem.

Thirdly, they should be properly insured. Because most of our competitors are carpet cleaners who clean tile and grout as a side job often times their insurance, as well as their business license, does not include tile and grout cleaning (also known as hard surface cleaning).

Finally, they should always be willing to offer you references. There is nothing better in my opinion than speaking with someone who previously had their floors cleaned and sealed by the company you are considering. Price should never be the deciding factor when making these types of decisions. If you have questions about this email you can reach me at paddle@frontiernet.net.

Until Next Time,

Michael Hull

Removing Ring Stains From Travertine:

If you have this beautiful natural stone in your home or office you may have noticed ring stains on the floor, counter tops, or vanities. These rings are typically dull in nature and are obvious when sun light is present. Many of the ring stains that customers say they have on their surface are in fact etches from acidic liquids. Acids are in many cleaners, citrus, carbonated beverages, wine, beer, coffee, vinegar, even milk just to name a few. Acids react with the calcite based stone on a molecular level causing etching, the acid is literally eating the stone which gives the appearance of ring stains. Because it is shaped like a ring is from the glass or coffee cup.

If you have ring stains all the cleaning solutions in the world is NOT going to solve your problem. In order to pull out the ring stains you will need to consult a professional. The travertine will have to be re-polished using highly specialized equipment and solutions. This is not a place for amateurs. After the ring stain has been removed the entire surface should be stripped of any old sealers, cleaned and re-sealed. Keep in mind that sealers are NOT fail proof. You must take care of the stone in between professional visits. If you are not sure what to do please contact us for step by step instructions.

I hope this article was helpful to you... Until next time.

Michael Hull

Carpet Cleaning in the Fall:

We have all heard the phrase "Spring Cleaning", but have you ever considered "Fall Cleaning". With the holidays just around the corner should you be thinking about carpet cleaning? The answer is an emphatic YES! According to carpet manufactures Mohawk and Shaw, two of the largest manufactures of carpets in the world, the recommend that you clean you professionally clean your carpets once a year using hot water extraction, more commonly known as steam cleaning.

With the holidays only a few weeks a way and cold weather on its way here in Sacramento, California this is great time to clean your carpets before the flu and cold season arrive. According to the latest research your carpets have more bacteria particulate per square inch than your toilet seat. Can you say YUK!

Steam cleaning sanitizes your carpets because bacteria and other pathogens can not survive temperatures above 140 degrees fahrenheit. Here at Liberty Floor Solutions our water temperatures are typically 210 degrees and we mix sodium borate into our cleaning solution. Sodium Borate is a very powerful all natural disinfectant that kills bacteria on contact before the cleaning process ever begins. In addition to sodium borate we always treat the carpet with a very powerful deodorizer that kills odor causing bacteria on contact.

So, for a cleaner and healthier Holiday Season get those carpets cleaned before the family arrives. I hope this information has been helpful to you. Until next time,

Michael Hull