During construction, dust and construction debris will collect on any floor, creating hazardous, slippery conditions. The best way to combat buildup on the surface of the flooring is to cover the floor with Kraft paper, carpeting, or tarp. Do not use plastic as it may not allow the grout and thin-set to properly cure, and it may also become extremely slippery as construction dust settles. Proper and diligent care must be used to maintain the protective cover during construction. Inspect for tears or other damage that could increase cleanup after the covering has been removed.

After installation - The complete removal of construction dirt and grout haze are the two most important factors in ensuring the ease of daily maintenance of porcelain stoneware. If CONSTRUCTION DIRT has collected on the surface of the tile, it will be necessary to use a heavy-duty cleaner and possibly a scrubber to release the dirt. The use of a wet vacuum can be used to aid in the pickup of the suspended dirt in the cleaning solution. The floor should then be rinsed thoroughly to leave the surface free and clear of any cleaner residue, which if left on the surface can attract dirt or can become slippery when wet. GROUT HAZE or RESIDUE, however, will require special products. There are two situations that can occur with grout residue: a cementations residue, which generally can be seen, or an invisible residue left by the additives often used in grouts. It is important that both residues be attacked to leave your floor thoroughly cleaned. Either residue will increase soiling and create ongoing maintenance problems. Acid washing is not recommended, especially with the use of colored grouts. Use of acids can cause discoloration of the grout joints and in some instances, cause the color pigment to attach itself to the surface of the tile making it more difficult to clean. If tracking and soiling are consistently occurring, it can usually be associated with grout haze or a buildup of cleaners. A cleanup of the grout as directed above or the thorough cleaning and rinsing of the floor to remove cleaner buildup should eliminate excessive soiling and tracking.

1. Sweep, using a soft, natural-bristle broom or vacuum floor of debris.
2. Using a reputable manufacturer of tile cleaner or grout stripper, prepare a cleaning solution as recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions. Dispense a generous amount of solution onto the floor by mop or sponge applicator.
3. Allow the solution to sit on the surface a few minutes. Allowing the cleaning mixture to remain on the floor for a short period of time will increase the suspension of the dirt particles and produce a cleaner surface.
4. Using a nylon-grit brush, scrub slowly in an overlapping figure 8 pattern. If the area is very dirty or has a grout or sealer film, a 175 rpm rotary scrubber must be used to get the proper results. If the area is only lightly soiled, an auto-scrubber can be used, making several passes before picking up the solution.
5. Have several rinse buckets with clean water available before you pick up the scrubbed solution. Use a wet vacuum to pick up the solution and immediately rinse the surface with clean cold water. Pick up the rinse water and repeat until the surface is completely free of solution.
6. Remove excess water from the floor.
 

Maintenance
Many general purpose, neutral cleaners are effective for the regular maintenance and cleaning of Porcelain stoneware. It is important that the cleaner used has a non-oil, non-animal fat, non-soap base. Cleaners with these components may cause problems due to residues left behind in the cleaning process, which may trap dirt. For best results, the following maintenance procedures are recommended for the various finishes of our porcelain collections.

Honed
For moderate soiling:
1. Sweep, using a soft, natural-bristle broom or vacuum floor of debris.
2. Saturate the floor with the recommended amount of general purpose neutral cleaner and agitate the solution. An auto-scrubber may be used.
3. Allow the solution to sit on the surface a minimum of five minutes. Allowing the cleaning mixture to remain on the floor for a short period of time will increase the suspension of the dirt particles and produce a cleaner surface.
4. Remove the dirty cleaning solution from the floor either with a wet-vacuum or mop and rinse with clean water.
5. Remove excess water from the floor. Buff with dry mop or towel.
 

For heavy soiling:
1. Sweep or vacuum floor of debris.
2. If there are deeply soiled or stain-appearing spots on the surface of the tile, one should first attempt to identify them and pre-treat. Different surface contaminants require different cleaning methods and chemicals (see chart).
3. Scrub with cleaning compound and floor machine equipped with abrasive pad or stiff, natural-bristle brush. For residential and small areas, use a scrub brush.
4. Remove the dirty cleaning solution with a wet vacuum and rinse with clean, clear water. In residential or small applications this may be done with a clean mop. To thoroughly remove the cleaning agent from the surface, it may be necessary to rinse the floor more than once.
5. Remove excess water from the floor.
 

Polished
1. Sweep or vacuum the floor of loose dirt. An untreated, dry dust mop may be more effective than a soft bristle broom.
2. Wipe or mop with a diluted solution of neutral cleaner or clean, clear water.
3. If cleaning solution is used, rinse thoroughly with clean water.
4. Dry or buff to increase shine and prevent water spots.
 

Slate and Industrial Finishes
Porcelain stoneware textured surfaces offer an excellent safety feature in reference to their higher degree of slip-resistance. However, they require a slight variation in cleaning procedure. Due to the undulation and texture of the tile surface, it will be necessary to “reach” the soil that rests on the low points of the tile. Standard wet mopping will not be completely effective in cleaning these textured surfaces.
1. Sweep or vacuum floor. If sweeping, use a soft bristle broom. The choice of brush bristles is important because a strong, thorough bristle action is required to remove debris. Sweep in two directions. First, follow the direction of the tile, then sweep diagonal to the tile to ensure complete removal of all foreign material.
2. Saturate the surface with a neutral cleaning solution (use a degreaser in food preparation areas), agitate and allow the mixture to remain on the floor for a few minutes giving the cleaner time to activate. Use a scrub machine or bristle brush to scrub, once again using a cross-action pattern to ensure soil removal.
3. Rinse the floor with clean water and remove with a wet vacuum or dry toweling so as to eliminate dirty water from escaping into the low points of the surface. Note: Frequency of maintenance and type of procedure will depend on several factors including pedestrian traffic, weather conditions, walk-off
mats, color of floor (lighter floors show more soiling) and environment. Please take these conditions under consideration when planning your
maintenance schedule.
 

Stain Chart                                                                                                                                                    A porcelain stoneware floor will maintain its beauty long after it was installed. To keep it as the day it was put in, a regular routine maintenance is usually sufficient. The following chart outlines the most appropriate cleaner for each type of stain. Common household cleaners such as Mr. Clean, Spic'n'Span are generally sufficient if a good cleaning routine is kept. For specific stains, the following products are recommended.

EuroWest Decorative Surfaces stocks FILA products. If you would like to request  more info or would like to place an order, please contact us at sales@eurowest.com