Guidelines to Installation, Care & Maintenance of your Encaustic Cement Tiles
- After installation, cement tiles require little maintenance. Light cleaning should be performed routinely with a pH neutral cleaner and warm water.
- For a more thorough clean we recommend STAIN-PROOF Daily Floor Cleaner (formerly known as Rejuvenata Active), an environmentally responsible, natural enzyme cleaner suitable for natural stones, tiles, grout and other hard surfaces. For a deep clean or for major stains then we recommend STAIN-PROOF Alkaline Cleaner, (formerly known as Oxy-Klenza) a powerful triple action heavy duty cleaner.
- Do not use acid-based cleaning products such as vinegar or ammonia or any type of bleach detergent, as they tend to start breaking down the sealer and may ultimately damage the surface of the tiles. Abrasive cleaning cloths such as scouring pads or scrubbers should be avoided.
- Since the pores of the tile remain open, the surface is not entirely immune to staining, therefore harsh spills (i.e. red wine, oil) and acidic spills (i.e. lemon juice) should be wiped up as soon as possible. The penetrating sealer will slow the absorption of the spill, so don’t worry, you have time to clean it up without the worry of staining, but just don’t leave it. Water spotting will be eliminated through an ongoing cleaning routine.
- If the surface of the tile gets scratched, super-fine grit sandpaper can be used to buff out the scratches, which will then need to be re-sealed. The use of walk-off mats at entrances and sweeping of the tiles is important to remove abrasive grit that may cause scratches.
- After a lifetime of wear, you may wish to rejuvenate the surface of your beautiful tiles. If this is the case, then a single disc floor polishing machine with white (light duty) pad may be used.