- The extraction machine resembles a very robust upright vacuum cleaner. It is fitted with two tanks. One of these is filled with cleaning solution, and the other receives the used solution and dirt when it is sucked off the floor. A hose with a smaller cleaning tool on the end is used to remove dirt from the grouting between the tiles. Both the main cleaning head and the smaller tool apply cleaning solution to the surface, agitate it by means of a brushroll and then suck it up. The main cleaning head features a squeegee, which ensures as much fluid as possible is removed along with the dirt.
- These machines use water from the domestic supply to produce pressurised steam. Tile grouting is cleaned by scrubbing with a small round brush through which steam is passed at maximum pressure. The floor is then steam mopped, using the main floor cleaning head with a microfiber towel clipped onto it. The pressure is reduced for the steam mopping process, which also removes the residue produced by the cleaning of the grouting.
- This is both a steam cleaner and a vacuum and can be used as one or the other or a combination of both. The grouting is scrubbed with a small round brush through which high pressure steam is passed. In this case the brush is followed almost immediately by the vacuum crevice nozzle, which sucks up all the loosened dirt and moisture. The tiles are then cleaned with steam when it passes through the floor cleaning head. The loosened dirt and moisture is then sucked into the vacuum.
- As always, when cleaning hard floors, vacuum your tiling floors first with a good quality hard floor tool, which should have a brush right round the rim on the underside. The brush loosens dust for the vacuum to more easily suck it up and also protects the tiles from the hard edges of the attachment. Place the crevice nozzle on the end of the extension wand, and run it along the grouting to remove any dust that has become lodged in this porous surface.