Stone training - marble polishing

Nathan and Pierre have recently attended a training on marble and stone polishing.

Slate floor cleaning in Ely

Cleaning a slate floor can sometime be a challenge. See below our slate floor cleaning process.  Have a look at our video and if you need help with your floor, don't hesitate to contact us on 01223 863 632 we will be happy to help.

Our slate floor cleaning process:

1- We inspect your floor: This is to identify any limitations like stain removal, loss of loose grout surrounding surfaces sensitive to cleaning solutions and any other areas that needs consideration before the cleaning starts

2- We protect your walls and furniture: This is to limit overspray on to sensitive areas during the cleaning process. Please note no guarantee can be made that materials that is extremely sensitive to moisture might not show some form of exposure to our cleaning solutions.

3- Dry soil removal: we will remove any dry soil and dirt before any water based cleaning takes place Apply cleaning solution to the floor/wall: This can be by means of sprayer or directly from a container with pre-mixed cleaning solution.

4- Agitation: This is done by means of a rotary cleaning machine or by hand depending on the areas to be cleaned.

5- Rinse: Slurry (Dirt from the floor and cleaning solution mixed together) with our pressurised cleaning equipment. This step allows us to clean areas of your wall or floor that is not reachable with any other form of cleaning (scrubbing)

Sometimes we have to repeat the cleaning process as described above to ensure optimum results.

6- Drying: After the cleaning process has been completed, we will clean up and dry any areas. In cases where stone or tile has a high porosity, drying can take up to 12 hours

7- Sealer: Colour Enhancing Impregnator: it will seal your slate floor and also bring out the natural colours in the slate. Application of a top quality impregnator to the floor is crucial as it greatly reduce the porosity of the tile. The impregnator penetrates below the surface of the tile and grout and act as a repellent for any liquid based spills. This allows the tile to breath.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

  

3,000 year old sarcophagus found in house clearance sold for £12,000 at Willingham Auctions

Cash in your attic?

Stephen Drake, Auctioneer at Willingham Auction House, had an "Indiana Jones moment" recently when he was called to value items at a house clearance in Bradwell-on-sea in Essex.  At first it seemed like another normal clearance.  However the previous owner of the house, Captain 'Tiger Sarll, had left behind a great surprise.  Climbing through a hole in the wall to access this far flung room, Stephen found propped against a wall and covers in cobwebs a genuine sarcophagus.  He contacted the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge who confirmed its origins and dated it at over 3,000 years old! There was a media frenzy at Willingham Auctions last sale when the item was sold for £12,000 to a private buyer.  Fitzwilliam Museum spoke with the new owner "advising her on the possibilities of conserving the piece".

Art of Clean aren't so good with ancient artifact restoration, but for restoration and maintenance of  your Carpets, Rugs, Stone Floors, Wood Floors, Upholstery, Leather or Patios contact us on 01223 863632 or www.artofclean.co.uk to find out about our services.

Ceramic or Porcelain Tiles: The Difference Explained

Ceramic and porcelain tiles may look very much the same but the main difference between ceramic and porcelain tiles is that a porcelain tile is much denser than a 'ceramic' tile. This makes it more hard wearing and less porous and suitable for both interior and exterior use. This extra density is a result of the manufacturing process and materials used to produce these tiles.

In comparison to Porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles are recommended for interior walls and floors that are a more common choice for floors that anticipate heavier traffic. Porcelain tiles has a greater resistance to scratching and chipping. The ideal areas to install porcelain tiles include areas such as kitchen floors, entrances and the majority of commercial premises. Due to their low water absorption, porcelain tiles make a great choice for outdoor use.

In general, porcelain tiles has colour that runs right through the entire tile. These are known as 'through-body' porcelain tiles. Therefore, in addition to them being very hard wearing, any wear or chips to the tile will be well hidden in or on the tile.

Just like ceramic tiles, some porcelain tiles on the market are also manufactured with a glaze on the face. In this case, despite the body of the tile being hard wearing, the glaze has the same exposure to chipping as the glaze you will find on a ceramic tile. It is therefore more likely for a glazed porcelain tile to show wear and chips.

How to clean Ceramic or porcelain tiles?

These tile types are generally dirt resistant and if they do get dirty a good scrub up with a good quality cleaner brings them up like new (Use Wax and residue remover http://bit.ly/1kDhold ) followed by a good application of impregnator sealer ( Stainguard SB http://bit.ly/1idSrQq )

The real challenge in cleaning Porcelain or Ceramic floors is the cleaning of the grout line on tiles floors like this)

Regular cleaning with Wax and Residue remover will keep on top of it – Remember to apply the correct sealer like – Stainguard SB 

Granite Cleaning in Cambridge

Granite is the signature rock of planet Earth. The other rocky planets in our solar system are covered with basalt only Earth has this beautiful and interesting rock  in abundance. There are three things which distinguish granite.

First, it’s made of large mineral grains (which is where its name came from) that fit tightly together.  Second, granite always consists of the minerals quartz and feldspar they  generally give granite a light colour, ranging from pinkish to white. That light background color is punctuated by the darker accessory minerals giving it that “salt-and-pepper” look.

Third, almost all granite is igneous (it solidified from a fluid state) and plutonic (it did so in a large, deeply buried body or pluton).
If you or our office have invested in this lovely earth rock as flooring you really should be looking after it.  Art of Clean know you will probably be giving it a daily clean with a dust mop, vacuum or broom, and probably a monthly wash.

But every now and again it is important to give your Granite stone flooring and grout a really good clean. Specialist stone floor cleaners Art of Clean know that if your granite floor is relatively old and looks dingy or dull even after regular maintenance, it may have a build up of old or misapplied product and will need to be stripped, resealed and waxed, Art of Clean can return your granite or stone floor to new.