Declare Independence this 4th of July from Common Villains like Mold, Mildew, Stains and Etching | Secret Tips Decoded

Floors, counters, showers and glass doors keep getting dirty, stained and etched. When a special occasion like 4th of July approaches, you obviously want these areas to look spic and span before your guests arrive. To help you with your cleaning and maintenance requirements, here we have explained some excellent tips and procedures performed by service providers. So, get productive with these DIY maintenance tips and ensure that your commercial and residential complexes are restored just like new.

Common Villains that attack your residential or commercial complexes are stains such as food and beverage spills, dirt, sticky grime, dust, rust stains and other debris, mold and mildew, soap scum and etch marks caused due to acidic spills or acidic cleaners. Here we will discuss each kind of stain, mold or etch, the area it generally attacks and the solutions.

Once you know how to get rid of these problems, you can restore your flooring, counters, showers and glass doors. Apart from these issues, tile and grout also crack, which you need to repair and seal. After dealing with these areas, you need to clean and maintain your sofas, carpets, curtains and lastly furniture, to ensure complete cleanliness and maintenance before 4th of July.

Gain Independence from Common Villains that Attack Floors, Glass Doors, Counters and Showers:

• Break free from Mold and Mildew:

What are mold and mildew:

Mold and mildew are two common problems that can be seen in damp conditions. Whether it is your home or office shower, kitchen counters, glass doors, patios, areas next to the pool or any other wall, tile or grout that is located next to humid conditions. Mold and mildew are a type of fungus that leave a greenish black residue and thrive on moisture. Their favorite breeding places are inside the pores of natural stone tile and grout.

Problem:

When left ignored, these start spreading quickly over your tile, grout and glass eventually spread on the entire surface. They start reeking of a bad smell. Mold and mildew also cause health hazards. These not only ruin the look of your interiors, but cause respiratory problems and eye infections.

Areas these attack:

Mold and mildew are commonly seen on kitchen countertops, backsplashes, glass doors and shelves, showers, floorings and any other area that has exposure to dampness or humidity.

How to get rid of Mold and Mildew:

Mold and mildew cleaning can be done with a deep-penetrating cleaner. A high-quality robust-action cleaner will not only remove the traces of mold and mildew from the top of the tile, grout, or glass, but it will also soak deep into the surface to eliminate all the mold and mildew from the root. It is important to use a cleaner with a deep-penetrative action, else the damages present deep within will not be eliminated, and this will develop again and quickly spread to the top of the surface.

This 4th of July, invest in a good-quality mold and mildew cleaner and first wash off and scrub your counters, floors, walls, glass, and showers to remove all traces of mold and mildew. A good cleaner will help you get thorough surface sanitizing and cleaning to put a good impression on your guests.

• Banish Stains Thoroughly:

What are stains:

Stains are remnants that are left over by food and beverage spills, dust and dirt from the air that settle on the hard surfaces, sticky grime which is caused by dust mixing with oily deposits, rust stains, hard water stains caused by calcium deposits and any other kind of filth that gets accumulated on surfaces like floors, counters, walls, glass or showers.

Problem:

Stains make your surfaces look dirty and unkempt. Sticky stains attract flies and mosquitoes. They are unhygienic and can easily transfer to your hands and into your mouth, making you sick. Stains like hard water deposits or any other food and beverage spills, when left ignored, deteriorate the beauty of your tile, glass, and grout and make the surfaces look rough.

Areas these attack:

Hard water stains are commonly seen in showers, on counters, and on floors. These stains also result in soap scum in showers, which is nothing but a mixture of soap remnants and calcium deposits. Hard water stains are also seen next to the pool, in case of hard water coming from the taps. Food and beverage stains are seen mostly on kitchen counters and kitchen floors. Dirt and dust stains are seen on living room floors and outdoor patios and floorings. Similarly, rust stains are seen on outdoor tile and grout or in the kitchen areas, where heavy metal objects are kept.

How to get rid of Stains:

You need to use a heavy-duty and deep-soaking stain remover or cleaner that can eliminate all kinds of stains from the root. When investing in a stain-remover for hard dirt removing, ensure that you do not buy acidic cleaners, as these may cause etching. Invest in alkaline cleaners that are gentle on the surface and yet tough on the stains.

This 4th of July, grab a good-quality stain remover for your floor maintenance, glass cleaning and shower maintenance. Indulge in a DIY cleaning job before your guests arrive.

• Beautify your Surfaces by Correcting Etch Marks:

What are etch marks:

Etch marks are rough patches developed on tile or glass surfaces due to acidic cleaners or due to calcium and mineral deposits from hard water. These give a rough appearance of the tile and glass surfaces.

Problem:

Etch marks ruin the beauty of your costly tile and glass. These areas also make more dust and deposits accumulate in them because of their roughness, eventually turning deep yellow or dirty over a period of time.

Areas these attack:

Etch marks are caused by hard water coming from taps or from acidic cleaners that corrode the top enamel of tile and glass and result in a rough surface. These can occur on any tile or glass surface where hard water or acidic cleaners are subjected to.

How to get rid of etch marks: 

Etch marks on glass and tile can be removed by polishing the surfaces. Glass and tile require different products for removing the etch marks. A good cleaner will be able to remove the etch marks from glass and a good polishing powder will help you remove the etch marks from tile.

• Freedom from Efflorescence:

What is efflorescence:

Efflorescence is a white thick salt-like powdery substance that coats your shower tile and grout. It is not a cement mix, but a residue of calcium and minerals that mixes with water traveling from beneath the tile and grout to the top.

Problem:

Regardless of how hard you try to scrub it off, it refuses to go away. Efflorescence, when left ignored, may crack your tile and grout and even clog your drains. Although it does not grow or have any health hazards, it does give a very unsightly appearance to your shower tile.

Areas it attacks:

It is seen on pool tile and in showers mostly. It appears in areas that have constant exposure to water. This water penetrates deeper into the underlayment of tile and grout, mixes with the calcium, mineral and cement remnants and then travels to the top of the floor tile again.

How to get rid of efflorescence:

Efflorescence can be removed by using a strong efflorescence-removal chemical that can help you get rid of these stains, without making scratches on your flooring.

This 4th of July, if you have efflorescence anywhere next to your pool flooring or on your shower tile, then get rid of it immediately.

• Fix Peeling or Cracking Caulk Forever:

What is caulk:

Caulk seals shower corners, bathtubs, and sinks to the floor in showers. But, caulk is not permanent. It tends to peel or crack within months. It also deteriorates quickly, accumulates stagnant water in its cracks and invites mold breeding.

Problem:

Deteriorated caulk ruins the appearance of your bathrooms, and also does not stop water from penetrating deeper inside at the corners.

Areas caulk is used:

Caulk seals the tile grout at the corners at the showers. This prevents accumulating water at the corners and mold occurrence. Caulk can also seal bathtubs to the floors and sinks to the walls. But, as caulks are temporary, soon, they become breeding ground of mold, mildew and stains.

How to get rid of damaged caulk:

The only way of getting rid of damaged caulk is replacing caulk with a stronger adhesive. You can try using an epoxy/resin flexible solvent based adhesive as a caulk substitute that will never pop off, is water-resistant and will permanently seal your shower corners, bathtubs and sinks.

This 4th of July, substitute your outdated caulk with a better alternative such as an epoxy/resin adhesive and say goodbye to caulking forever.

• Restore the Beauty of your Tile and Grout by Repairing Cracks:

Cracks and Crevices in Tile and Grout:

Cracks in tile and grout appear frequently when the surfaces are not sealed with good-quality sealers. These cracks can be really small or even big ones that further tend to accumulate dirt and stagnant water.

Problem:

Cracks result in a non-uniform looking surface that ruins the look of your floorings, walls, showers or counters. These also have sharp edges that may hurt anyone walking bare feet on them. Cracks and crevices store water and invite mold breeding as well.

Areas these occur on:

Cracks can appear on tile and grout on floorings, walls, showers and counters.

How to get rid of cracks on tile and grout:

If you are thinking of replacing the entire tile or performing regrouting on cracked tile, then you must know that these measures are not necessary. Regrouting, on the other hand, is again temporary. What you can do is to use a good-quality sealant to seal the cracks both on tile and grout and get a uniform-looking seamless repair job. You can even color shade the new age pigmented flexible solvent based epoxy/resin adhesives today.

This 4th of July, repair the cracks on your tile and grout and get a beautiful looking surface before your guests arrive.

These are the basic problems that may attack your residential and commercial complexes. The 4th of July is a special occasion for us Americans. On this Independence Day, we Americans should pledge to gain Independence from these common villains forever.

How to Prevent the Occurrence of Stains, Mold, Mildew or Etch Marks?

Only removing these common villains from your tile, grout or glass surfaces, does not guarantee that these will not occur again. To prevent the recurrence, it is necessary to seal the tile, grout or glass surfaces. It is best to seal tile surfaces with a clear topical resin solvent-based sealer. For sealing grout, it is best to use a titanium-based pigmented solvent epoxy/resin sealer. To seal glass surfaces, you will get the best results by using a high-quality glass sealer. All these sealers will create a water-proof barrier on your tile, grout or glass surfaces. This prevents further moisture absorption and subsequent mold, mildew or stains formation.

You can try using pFOkUS products to restore your residential and commercial complexes as they have tried and tested proven results. If you feel you cannot perform the restoration procedures yourself, you can hire D’Sapone – a leading restoration service provider, to do it for you.