Commercial Cleaning Equipment for Tile and Grout

What Is Grout?

According to the Tile Council of North America, grout is a mixture of cement, aggregate, and other ingredients (like sand or water) that produces a water-resistant, dense, and uniformly-colored material that is commonly used for filling gaps or reinforcing existing structures.

Boiled down, grout is essentially a material used to fill the cracks, fissures, or voids in natural or man-made materials.

There are two main families of grout: cementitious grout and chemical (epoxy) grout. 

Cementitious grout is grout made with cement, water and sand whereas epoxy grout is made from epoxy resins, aggregates and a hardener. 

Generally cementitious grout is more difficult to maintain because it generally attracts and absorbs dirt due to its porosity. 

Not only does cementitious grout absorb dirt, but it can also absorb cleaning chemicals which over time causes a layering effect of dirt, chemicals, dirt, chemicals etc making grout maintenance a challenge *It is even worse if your grout was sealed anytime during this process thereby trapping all of these elements that cause changes in color of the grout from original installation* 

One method of tile and grout cleaning and restoration, is to introduce a commercial grade steamer with attachments and focus your efforts on steaming the grout back to original color. Steamers can also help remove existing grout sealers that may have trapped ground soils deep in the grout. Best of all, most commercial grade steamers can restore grout without the use of harsh cleaning chemicals. Keep in mind, this is a labor intensive process that must be pre-planned if you have a large project to accomplish. It is also suggested that you consult with your grout installer to ensure your grout material can handle high levels of heat and steam. 

Another method, is to introduce a commercial grade cylindrical auto scrubber that uses cylindrical brushes to scrub and "lift" ground in dirt from your grout. One added benefit of using a commercial cylindrical auto scrubber, is that these machines have extraction/vacuum capabilities so that minimal soil is left behind and is actually removed from the floor during the cleaning process unlike manual processes like mopping which leaves soils behind. 

Commercial cylindrical autoscrubbers come in different shapes and sizes, whether you have a single restroom or a few hundred thousand square feet to maintain, there is an option for you.

Please contact our specialists at info@sweepscrub.com for your free consultation.