Cleaning!

Any of you guys got any expertise in cleaning?

When we renovated our house we made the stupid decision of getting a really good looking kitchen floor, without thinking about the practical side. It is quite a large kitchen 8m x 6m which only adds to the pain. We went for sparkly black granite floor tiles, complete with nice white grout, even writing it i'm wondering what the hell we were thinking, but here we are, we are stuck with it now. We have two kids and a dog. Stuff gets messy.

The floor has two main problems, the black tiles don't stay black because of the water residue that is left on top after cleaning.

The grout does not stay white because dirty water collects in it and it is then a nightmare to clean.

So far we use a steamer mop to clean the surface and then every few weeks get on our hands and knees and scrub the grout. It's not viable to continue like this!


I have the following at my disposal, I just don't know how best to use them!:

A steamer mop with various attachments
A pressure washer
A commercial cleaner/ buffer machine (picture those massive machines they use to clean school halls with) - although this may need a better "pad" that is more appropriate for what I'm trying to do, we currently have a scrubber which will scratch the tiles and a soft cloth buffer for polishing.


Any ideas as we are going crazy! I'm that desperate I'm asking a boxing forum! :confused:

A pressure washer indoor? It would make a mess everywhere.

Do not be too precious about it, it is a floor and will get dirty and worn out. Clean with detergent and mop and live your life.

Otherwise lino or laminate over it if you are going to be a big sissy about it.

I'm a man, I generally don't see mess, but the Mrs has ocd and this just breaks her. I just want an easy life! If she's happy, my life is better and I get sex more often. Winning.

It's granite, it won't wear out! It's just a bitch to keep clean.

Lino 50m2 of kitchen, I dread to think the cost, or the damage if the dog digs it or girls in heels.

I think I'll just buy her some flowers or something

If your wife made the decision with you then she is partly to blame so you are half of the hook unlike me who got porcelain tiles and created a wet room but is a bitch for my wife to clean and she had no say and I get no sex.

Get a commercial cleaner as you described and do it yourself every other week.

I would tell her it looks nice.

So you have Galaxy black on the floor? I'll find out for you mate my friends sell granite everything including tiles,its Sunday here Ill ring him tomorrow he is the granite man out here and Im the marble man. I would consider re grouting it in black first up, maybe a dye painted into the joints and wiped off the granite each time. Something that wont soak into the granite (you should be able to do that with the right product) and test on the edge of a spare tile.

I know all about cleaning. Let me run it down...
I don't clean. I am a man and I don't do it. So I always try to have a girl around to do it. I pay for everything, she cleans.
No, not quite. I always liked those high heel, sexy ass crazy girls. They don't clean either. I always ended up paying somebody to clean while my crazy, sexy girl stood there in her underwear and called me a motherfucker.
Now, I live alone. Throw stuff on the floor and my dog eats it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andre

So you have Galaxy black on the floor? I'll find out for you mate my friends sell granite everything including tiles,its Sunday here Ill ring him tomorrow he is the granite man out here and Im the marble man. I would consider re grouting it in black first up, maybe a dye painted into the joints and wiped off the granite each time. Something that wont soak into the granite (you should be able to do that with the right product) and test on the edge of a spare tile.

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It's is exactly that, galaxy black granite tiles. The only time they look great is when they come out the box or have just been washed and are still wet.

I think the reality is i'm going to need to re-grout, thinking grey or black, anything but white! (What sort of idiot puts white grout in a busy room?!) The grout is also a little too sunken, which only adds to the water collection, so more grout should help with that.

I think I need to clean it in sections, so mop/ steam it, using some kind of window or mirror cleaner. Then get the big commercial cleaner machine out and use the buffer with some kind of towel attachment to dry it and then use the fluffy buffer bit to shine it. Do the whole room in 1/4 sections and do the whole process on each before moving on.

That's my idea from a weekend of research, but your granite man will probably know exactly what to do, it's durable as hell, but just never looks like it should. Wish I'd gone for a brown marble now!

Cheers @Andre, it's appreciated.

Yeah mate black galaxy looks amazing on benchtops. Alan will know the easy way. definatley regrout and put an additive into it to bond it to the old stuff. What ever cleaners you use never use any acid or lemon based,always try out in a corner first cause we get to see some damage to some polish and once that happens you cant get it back 100% on granite without thousands being spent.

MArble scratches easier its a prick on floors unless its honed and sealed, next time go for tiles with computer pics of granite or marble on they are much better and as of this year you cant tell the difference and each tile is different about 20 vein patterns per batch so easy to mix up and make them look real.;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greynotsoold

I know all about cleaning. Let me run it down...
I don't clean. I am a man and I don't do it. So I always try to have a girl around to do it. I pay for everything, she cleans.
No, not quite. I always liked those high heel, sexy ass crazy girls. They don't clean either. I always ended up paying somebody to clean while my crazy, sexy girl stood there in her underwear and called me a motherfucker.
Now, I live alone. Throw stuff on the floor and my dog eats it.

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A wonderful life ;D. You know, aside from the missing mad bitch giving you a good polish.

The only thing I know about cleaning is that I am a cunt