How Pet Owners Can Take Care Of Their Tile and Grout Floors

Helpful Tips For Keeping Your Tile and Grout Floors Clean and Odor Free When You Own Pets.

Pets are a part of the family, and let’s face it. If you have a pet, you know that even the most well-trained will have an accident. That’s why we call them accidents. But, pet accidents can make a mess of your home. Pets can cause more than just fur cluttering the corners of your rooms. Whenever your little furball forgets that they have a litter box or gets tired of waiting to be taken outside, they have no choice but to do their business on your floor. Your pets’ urine and feces can damage carpeting, tile and grout, upholstery, and sub-flooring over time, even if these surfaces are sealed. The mess also leaves a smell that can persist even after using store-purchased or internet-found concussions.

Here are some tips to keep your tile and grout protected, clean, and odor-free after your pets have an accident

Brand-name cleaning and spotting agents

Many brand-name cleaning agents use chemical mixtures meant for tile and grout cleaning. They are very effective at removing stains and acidic residue. Some cleaning agents also have active enzymes which neutralize both odors and stains. If a foul smell comes from your grout, you may need to use a more thorough method, such as the professional-grade Urine Neutralizer used by carpet and tile cleaning companies throughout the United States. This commercial-grade product was unavailable to consumers until recently and can effectively remove pet urine (and other biological stains), bacteria, and odor while delivering a fresh scent.

Regardless of what you find online as a “remedy” for pet urine odor, avoid ammonia-based cleaning agents for pet urine, as pet urine contains ammonia in it – your pet may mistake it for a bathroom and continue to go there. If you have a non-porous tile, then a simple wipe-and-mop job might be all you need.

Home-mixture cleaning agents

Using everyday ingredients from your pantry or cleaning supplies might not be the most effective method for treating pet urine odor and stains, but they will do until you can seek professional help. Left untreated, pet accidents can cause permanent damage.

Some homemade concoctions can be quick fixes for pet urine stains and odor. Using white vinegar, bleach, baking soda, or lemon juice alone can fix your issue. For accidents on grout lines, Try mixing vinegar, water, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide in varying amounts to get the desired effects. Apply to the accident

Preventative Measures

Clean any spills immediately

It may not seem like it but cleaning up that mess as soon as possible matters more than you think. As soon as an acidic liquid – such as urine – spills onto your grout, it starts to eat away at the grout sealant. If there is no sealant, then it will eat away at the grout itself, damaging it. Acids can also stain your grout and cause a foul odor that home remedies can not reverse.

General Tile and Grout Maintenance

Taking care of tile and grout is an easy chore once the following steps have been taken:

  • Have your tile and grout professionally cleaned and sealed
  • A couple of times a week, run a dust mop over the tile to pick up any particulate that can damage or scratch your tile and grout surfaces
  • Every week, damp mop or steam your tile and grout using a neutral pH cleaner such as Crystal Clean. Crystal Clean does not leave streaks, does not have to be rinsed, and applies a protective coating with each cleaning.
  • That’s it!

Tru-Clean Surface Care is a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the Stone PRO Institute, and a surpHaces Certified PRO Partner. We are A+ Rated by the Better Business Bureau and an eight-year-in-a-row-winner of the coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award.

Annually, the pros at Tru-Clean Surface Care provide carpet, tile, upholstery, and stone cleaning services for thousands of homes throughout SW Florida.  Many of these homes have pets and our services are referred by interior designers, veterinarians, flooring contractors, Oriental rug retailers, and satisfied clients to their friends and family.

For more information about our tile or stone cleaning services, please visit us online at www.TruCleanSurfaceCare.com or call us any time at 239-541-4888 – Cape Coral and Lee County 239-206-1935 – Bonita Springs, Naples, and Estero or 941-621-2198 – Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, Florida.