Cleaning, Sealing and Maintaining YOUR Porcelain Tiles with Tile & Floor Care Products

Remember Always
1. If in doubt, call Tile & Floor Care for free advice on 011 450-1774.
2. Porccelain tiles are very low in porosity and will only accept a small amount of sealer. Special care must be taken not to over-apply the sealer.
3. Understand that you have purchased a product that needs to be sealed AND maintained. Proper maintenance prolongs the life span of all types of tiles.

Cleaning after Laying the Tile

ALWAYS APPLY GROUT OFF TO A TEST TILE BEFORE PUTTING IT ON TO THE FLOOR.

During grouting make sure to remove all excess grout from the surface with clean water. Attempting to clean the grout off the surface with dirty water and/or a dirty cloth or sponge does not clean the surface. After the grout has dried use Grout Off, diluted to the correct solution, to remove any residues, since these will impair the finish after sealing and will result in a very expensive repair. Two types of cleaners are needed to prepare the floor for sealing. The first to be used is Grout Off (for removal of grout and cement residues). The second is Easy Clean to remove any grease and oil type stains and to neutralize the surface before sealing. Follow the instructions on the labels. INSPECT the floor after grouting and cleaning and before sealing.

Choosing a Sealer
When sealing a natural stone, there are generally two types of sealers you may use; they are Deep Seal and Invisible Seal. The sealers give different finishes to the tile and protect the tile in a different manner. It is imperative to check the features of the sealers before choosing.

Sealing the Tiles with Deep Seal

1. Allow the floor to dry for 48 hours after cleaning before sealing.
2. Apply one very thin coat of Tile & Floor Care Deep Seal to the floor, using a sheepskin applicator or a lint free cloth.
3. Please Note: Any excess sealer that has not penetrated into the tiles must be buffed off with a machine and Easy Clean 48 hours after sealing.
4. Allow the tiles to dry for at least 4 hours before trafficking.
5. Do not allow water onto the tiles for at least 48 hours after sealing.

GENERAL TIPS (Do’s & Don’ts)

Do not apply sealer in hot sunlight.

Do not pre-seal the tiles before laying.

Do not seal damp tiles, and do not allow water to lie on the surface of the sealed tile for at least 48 hours after sealing with Deep Seal and Invisible Sealer. If water falls on the surface before the Deep Seal has cured properly, wipe it up immediately with a dry cloth otherwise white marks may occur. These marks may sometimes be removed with a little Xylene on a rag, but only if they are less than 6 hours old.

Do clean equipment with Xylene before the sealer has dried.

Do maintain the floor by cleaning DAILY with Tile & Floor Care Quick Clean.

BLOTCHED OR STREAKY EFFECTS

If streakiness appears after sealing, this is usually due to one of the following:

• The tiles were not cleaned properly before sealing. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE TILES ARE CLEAN BEFORE SEALING!
• Too much sealer was applied. The sticky areas will usually matt down after a little foot traffic, but if the application was particularly bad, the streaks may be evened out by buffing the floor with Easy Clean. It is best to spray the Easy Clean onto the floor as it is buffed.