Tile, grout & salt deposits

Tile Cleaning

Tiles rarely look bad because the tile is dirty. It is the grout, or a salt deposit coming through from underneath, and pressure washing either one usually makes it worse.

Think Brick accredited
Fully insured
20+ years experience

Think Brick accredited

Fully insured

20+ years experience

Illawarra to the Highlands

Quick answer

Why does grout go dark and how is it cleaned?

Grout is porous cement, so it absorbs dirt, oils and biological growth that the tile itself repels, which is why a floor can look dirty when the tiles are clean. Grout is restored with an alkaline cleaner and mechanical agitation, then optionally sealed. High pressure erodes grout out of the joints, allowing water beneath the tiles and causing lifting or drummy tiles over time.

At a glance

Grout method: Alkaline cleaner + agitation, not blasting
Salt deposits: Mild acid treatment, fully neutralised
Common areas: Pool surrounds, balconies, entries, alfresco
Finish option: Grout sealing, slip-rated coatings

The white haze that keeps coming back

A chalky white film on outdoor tiles, pool copings and balconies is usually efflorescence — soluble salts carried up through the bedding and grout by moisture and left behind when the water evaporates. Scrubbing removes what is on the surface, but as long as moisture keeps moving through, it comes back.

Treating it means removing the deposit with the correct mild acid, neutralising properly, and then addressing the water path — a failed membrane, blocked weep holes, a planter draining under the tiles, or a pool leaking into the bedding.

Where we work

Pool surrounds, copings and wet edges
Balconies, terraces and podium decks
Entries, porches and outdoor alfresco areas
Commercial and retail floors, food premises, amenities
Stair treads and landings, including slip-rated finishes

Slip resistance

A tile that has been cleaned is already less slippery, because most of the slip risk outdoors is biological film rather than the tile itself. Where a surface still fails, an anti-slip treatment can be applied that etches the surface microscopically without changing how it looks.

Coverage

Where we do tile cleaning

Illawarra

Wollongong · Shellharbour · Albion Park · Dapto · Kiama · Shell Cove

Shoalhaven

Nowra · Bomaderry · Vincentia · Huskisson · Berry · Culburra Beach · Ulladulla

Southern Highlands

Bowral · Mittagong · Moss Vale · Bundanoon

Sutherland Shire

Helensburgh · Engadine · Sutherland · Cronulla

Based at Warilla. Everything from Helensburgh to Ulladulla and inland to the Southern Highlands is inside our normal working area.

FAQ

Tile Cleaning — questions we get asked

Can dark grout be brought back to its original colour?

Usually most of the way. Grout that is stained is recoverable; grout that has eroded, cracked or been previously painted may need re-grouting or a colour seal to look uniform again.

Do you seal grout after cleaning?

It is worth doing on outdoor and high-traffic areas. A penetrating sealer keeps dirt and oil out of the pores and makes each subsequent clean far quicker and more effective.

Keep reading

Need tile cleaning quoted?

Call 0448 882 780 or send photos through the quote form. We will tell you what the job needs and what it will cost, including when the honest answer is that you do not need us.

0448 882 780 Free quote