Using Oxiclean on Travertine:

Lately I have received a lot of inquiries on wether or not you can use OxiClean laundry detergent on travertine tile floors. By looking at a box of OxiClean you will notice they recommend it for many uses including tile and grout. If you have kept up with my other blogs you will notice that we speak highly of Oxiclean from OrangeGlo. But is it something that should be used on a travertine floor? Before we answer that let's take a look at what is in OxiClean.

OxiClean is composed of the following materials:

1). Around 80% of the box is Sodium Carbonate (a precursor to Sodium Bicarbonate or BAKING SODA)

2). Ethoxylated Alcohols, C10-16

3). Sodium Silicate

4). Around 10% is Sodium Percarbonate. This is the bleaching agent that removes stains.

5). Less than 1% is Subtilsim. This is a protein, a digestive enzyme, commonly found in contact lens cleaner.

OxiClean is a high alkaline 'STAIN FIGHTER' with a pH level of between 10-11.5. It gets its alkalinity from the Sodium Carbonate, Ethoxylated Alcohols, and Sodium Silicate. Even though OxiClean is non-acidic I can not recommend it for cleaning natural stone floors and this would include Travertine. The pH level is high enough to eventually break down the sealer and any other protectant you may have on the floor. Once the sealer is gone from your travertine you could permanently etch/damage your beautiful travertine floor. If you do not thoroughly rinse your travertine you will leave the floor in a high alkaline state and it will attract even more dirt making your problem even worse. The dirt and yuk will accumulate even faster. There is nothing on the box to indicate that OxiClean cuts grease and grime only stains. Most of the yuk on your travertine floor comes from grease, oils and dirt. On more than one occasion we have recieved calls from people who have attempted to clean their tile and grout floors with OxiClean only to give up after a few hours of back breaking work.

Special care should be taken when cleaning and protecting a natural stone floor like travertine. These floors are one of a kind masterpieces that should be cleaned and protected by a competent professional to ensure their longevity and beauty. If you have a travertine floor that needs to be professionally cleaned then give us call at (916) 525-2456 for a FREE no obligation in home estimate. I hope this blog was helpful to you... I can be reached at paddle@frontiernet.net.

Until Next Time,

Michael Hull

Grout Sensation WARNING!

This blog is a warning to everyone and anyone who is frustrated with their yucky tile and grout lines and may be willing to try anything to get them clean. Recently I received an unsolicited email from the U.S.A. Chemical Corporation attempting to sell me their new wonder product "Grout Sensation". Because cleaning tile and grout is my life I often review products and ideas on behalf of my clients. I want to protect them and their floors.

The email sent me to a video demonstration where the pitchman poured Grout Sensation on some very dirty tile and grout. Within seconds you see and hear fizzing and the announcer is telling you this is a sign that the product is working its miracle. After the solution had been down for about (30) seconds the announcer wiped clear the yuck off the grout. It had to be a miracle, right?

According to the Material Data Safety Sheets "Grout Sensation" is a combination of two acids Phosphoric Acid (3-6%) and Hydrochloric Acid (less than 2%), the remaining 92% of the bottle is good old water. However, the pH level of this brew is less than (1) which makes it highly acidic. So, how does it clean?

The simple answer is that is DOES NOT CLEAN AT ALL. Acid will "etch" or "eat" a layer of grout and that is how it looked so clean. When you apply Grout Sensation on the grout lines you are literally eating a layer of grout, in essence thinning the grout. This type of "cleaning" can ruin your grout lines not to mention the potential health hazard of having acid remnant on your floors. Folks I would strongly encourage you to thoroughly investigate this product before using it on your tile and grout floors. I hope you found this helpful, if you need to reach me please do so at paddle@frontiernet.net.

Until Next Time,

Michael Hull

Travertine Cleaning and Kaboom Shower Tile and Grout Cleaner:

If you are becoming frustrated with the dirt and yuk build up on your once beautiful travertine floors you may be willing to try almost anything including Kaboom Shower, Tub & Tile Cleaner, made by Orange Glo. When you watch the commercials you can see the scum just melt away in seconds, but is this product safe to us on a natural stone like travertine?

Orange Glo Manufacturer has been around for quite sometime and sell such cleaning products as Orange Glo Furniture Polish, Oxi Clean Stain Fighter and of course Kaboom. I have to admit that I have used all three of these products with good success. I like the smell of Orange Glo when I polish my hard wood furniture and I routinely use Oxi Clean in my laundry.

A bottle of Kaboom Shower, Tub & Tile Cleaner is a composed of water and organic acid salts with grapefruit fragrance. The pH level of Kaboom is between .5 to 1.5 which makes it a strong acid. In fact if you read the label and their website they DO NOT recommend this product for natural stones of any kind. Organic Acid Salt is commonly used to break down water deposits and soap scum found in porcelain tile showers and bath tubs. If you were to use this product on a natural stone such as travertine you could permanently etch and damage the stone. NO ACID SHOULD EVER BE USED TO CLEAN NATURAL STONE!

If you have questions about this blog or questions in general you can contact me at paddle@frontiernet.net.

Until Next Time,

Michael Hull