Tile and Grout Cleaning and Sealing in Columbia, MO
Dark grout lines in the kitchen, a shower that never looks clean, a travertine entry you’re nervous to scrub. It usually starts with a free in-home estimate and a test clean on your own floor.
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Tile & Grout Cleaning
How does tile and grout cleaning start at MaxCare?
Tile and grout cleaning here usually starts with a free in-home estimate. Marble calls for different steps, products and pricing than ceramic tile with cement grout, so the first job is figuring out what you have. Then comes a test clean: a cleaner goes on, gets scrubbed and wiped, and you see the result on your own floor.
- Ceramic and porcelain floors
- Marble, travertine and limestone
- Granite, slate and terrazzo
- Kitchen floors and entryways
- Showers and shower benches
- Cracked or missing grout
- Concrete floors
- Commercial tile floors
Good to know
Why wait a few hours to judge the test clean?
Because grout soaks up water, and wet grout fools the eye. Most grout is an absorbent material, so right after scrubbing it looks different than it will once dry. Give the test spot about 2 to 3 hours. Then you see its true color, and you can tell whether cleaning alone gets you where you want to be.
Before your tile estimate
- Sweep or vacuum the loose dirt before any mop touches the floor.
- Hold off on vinegar or acid cleaners on marble, travertine or limestone until the stone is identified.
- Look along the baseboards for missing caulk or swollen spots, and show us when we arrive.
- Move rugs, mats and small furniture off the area you want looked at.
- Call (573) 817-2540 or book online for the estimate, then check the test spot again after it dries.
Worth knowing
Can I clean marble or travertine with vinegar?
No. The Natural Stone Institute’s consumer site warns that marble, travertine and limestone react badly to vinegar because it is acidic, and that harsh cleaners can etch or burn the stone’s surface. It steers homeowners toward a cleaner with a neutral pH of 7. That is one reason your stone gets identified before anyone scrubs it.
pH 7Neutral cleaner for natural stone
Read the Natural Stone Institute’s list of common stone cleaning mistakes. Ceramic and porcelain with cement grout are a different story. Rob’s tile sheet explains that most grout comes clean one of two ways. An alkaline cleaner dissolves surface oils and works well on grout that was sealed and kept up. An acid etches the grout, taking off a very thin layer to show the clean grout underneath. When a stain has soaked in deeper than either can reach, there is a further treatment, and Rob will talk it through with you first.
Our process
From the test spot to sealed grout
- IdentifyStone, ceramic or porcelain, plus the kind of grout, gets sorted out first.
- TestA small area is cleaned and left to dry 2 to 3 hours so you can judge it.
- CleanAlkaline for oily, kept-up grout, or acid to etch off a thin dirty layer.
- RepairCracked or missing grout is filled with a color mixed to blend in.
- SealA clear seal or a color seal, finished matte or high gloss.
Pricing
What does tile and grout cleaning cost?
That depends on the material and the job. Marble and other natural stone need different steps and products than ceramic tile, so they’re priced differently. The size of the area, how stained the grout is, and any sealing, color seal or grout repair all matter. The free in-home estimate with a test clean gets you a real quote.
From a customer
What do customers say about the tile and grout work?
Steve Smith’s floors hadn’t been professionally cleaned since they moved in 18 years earlier. He wrote that the crew came out “to try different cleaning solutions on a few test areas to determine the proper one.” Samantha Mitchell said Rob “did a great job educating me on how to clean and care for my tile floors.”
“Our tile floors had not been professionally cleaned since we moved in 18 years ago. After having flooring replaced in several areas of our home, the dirty tile and grout lines really stood out on the old flooring. We contacted MaxCare for a quote and they responded immediately. They came to our home to try different cleaning solutions on a few test areas to determine the proper one. We then set a date for the work to be done. On the date we had the service done, MaxCare did a wonderful job for us. They kept us informed via text and email, and arrived promptly when they said they would. They even took the time to perform additional work on a bathroom floor I had not originally discussed with them. I would definitely use them again in the future.”
FAQ
Tile and Grout Questions We Hear Around Columbia
Our grout is so dark it looks black. Will cleaning bring it back?
In most cases, yes. Grout usually comes clean with either an alkaline cleaner or an acid that etches off a thin, dirty layer. If a stain soaked in deeper than that, there’s another treatment to talk about. And if you’d rather have a whole new color, ask about a color seal. Your test clean shows which way to go.
What is a color seal? Is it the same as regrouting?
No, it’s a coating, not new grout. A color seal is an opaque epoxy that goes over the grout lines and can change their color completely, so a patchy floor turns one even shade. It also gives the grout a waterproof seal. It’s guaranteed for 10 years, and it costs less than tearing out and re-grouting the whole floor or shower.
How often does grout need to be resealed?
Plan on about every 1 ½ to 2 years. MaxCare uses both water-based and solvent-based sealers, and either one keeps grout from soaking things up for about that long. Foot traffic and the grout itself change the number, so a busy kitchen with kids and a dog will likely need it sooner than a guest bath.
What should I mop with after you seal the floor?
Something with a pH of 9.8 or less, since strong alkaline cleaners can strip the sealer off. If the bottle doesn’t say, call the phone number on it and ask how to mix it under that. Sweep first, then rinse well, because most detergents leave a sticky film that grabs dirt. MaxCare also sells #1 Cleaner, which leaves no sticky residue.
Can you clean the grout in our walk-in shower?
Yes, showers are part of the tile work, along with kitchens and entryways. In a shower, a color seal is worth asking about, because it evens out the grout color and seals the lines against water. If some grout is cracked or missing, it can be repaired first with a color mixed to blend in with what’s left.
Service area
Where does MaxCare clean tile and grout?
Tile work happens at your home or business anywhere in MaxCare’s area: Columbia, Jefferson City, Holts Summit, Fulton, Ashland, Boonville, Mexico, Centralia, Hallsville and Moberly, plus Rocheport, Harrisburg, Sturgeon and Hartsburg. Book the in-home estimate online or call (573) 817-2540 to set a time.
Related services
Other floors and furniture we care for
Talk to Rob's team
Want to see your own grout come clean first?
Call (573) 817-2540 or book online for a free in-home estimate. We’ll identify your tile, clean a test spot, and you can judge it once the grout dries.