Washing after laying is a fundamentally important stage for any subsequent treatment and for maintenance. Acid washing after laying removes post installation residues and normal building site dirt, such as grout, glue, paint and other kinds of building site dirt. It is a good thing to know that over 90% of site complaints are due to poor, or even inexistent, washing with acid detergent after laying. For this operation, you can use any acid-based descaling detergent that does not emit harmful fumes and does not harm the grouting. This procedure removes building site dirt, grout, plaster, different kinds of encrusted dirt.

The site must be cleaned on completion after the concrete grouting is completely dry (at least 36-48 hours) closely following the instructions given below:

• Mix the detergent (We recommend Fila Deterdek or similar) with water in the recommended dilution ratio.
• Brush the floor thoroughly, then evenly apply the solution of diluted detergent using a normal flat brush, floor mop or a rough household floor cloth or rubbing with a single-brush machine, fitted with discs with green buffer for large surfaces.
• Leave for a few minutes, depending on how dirty the surface is.
• Rub hard with a green abrasive sponge or flat brush with nylon bristles or for large areas use a single-brush machine fitted with green disc and liquid vacuum cleaner.*
• Remove residues with cloths or a liquid vacuum cleaner.

If you have used epoxy grout, you can use a different detergent (We recommend Fila CR10) to remove epoxy residues. Before cleaning with the solution wait until the grouting product applied is ready for use, closely following the instructions given below:

• Apply directly to the surface to be cleaned using a large flat paintbrush, perfectly covering all residues of plaster.
• Leave for about 30 minutes.
• Rub with an abrasive sponge or even a spatula to remove larger residues. A single brush machine fitted with the most appropriate disc can be used for floors.*
• Rinse thoroughly
• For more stubborn residues, repeat the same procedure by leaving the product to work for longer.

* This method is not be followed on Glazed polished tiles, as the abrasive material will easily scratch the surface.

Protection solutions provide the benefit of easy maintenance, makes the surface more water and stain resistant. We recommend using dedicated products depending on the typology of the surface.

Protection for polished surface
We recommend using FILA MP/90 or similar for protecting polished surfaces. Follow the instructions below on how to use the solvent from Fila.

Application

• On a clean dry floor and at least 4 hours after washing, apply undiluted with a flat paintbrush, roller or cloth. Make sure to spread evenly over the entire surface, including the grouting.
• When dry (after about 4-8 hours), remove any dried excess from the surface with a clean dry cotton cloth, machine polisher or single-brush machine with beige disc.

Advantages

• Waterproofs the surface, making it stain proof
• Waterproofs grouting, making it stain proof
• Makes ordinary maintenance easier

Coverage: 1 litre/30 m² approx.

Protection for lapatto surface
We recommend using Fila PD15 or similar for protecting lapatto surfaces. Follow the instructions below on how to use the solvent from Fila.

Application

• On a perfectly clean dry floor and at least 4-8 hours after washing, apply undiluted solution with a flat paintbrush or cloth. Make sure to spread evenly over the entire surface, including the grouting.
• Rub thoroughly when applying to make the product penetrate well and completely remove product residues from the surface.
• 10 minutes after applying, you must remove any excess residues of FILA PD15 from the surface with a clean dry cotton cloth or simple kitchen roll.

Advantages

• Waterproofs the surface, making it dirt proof
• Restores surface sheen
• Makes ordinary maintenance easier

Coverage: 1 litre/70 m² approx.

Protection for natural-textured surfaces

Dirt gets stuck in uneven surface of rough-finish floors, making maintenance difficult.
In this case, we recommend using FILA STOP DIRT or similar for indoor and outdoor floors and paving that protects the surface from dirt and makes every day cleaning easier.

Application

• On a perfectly clean dry floor and at least 4-8 hours after washing, apply undiluted solution with a flat paintbrush or cloth. Make sure to spread evenly over the entire surface, including the grouting.
• Rub thoroughly when applying to make the product penetrate well and completely remove product residues from the surface.
• 10 minutes after applying, you must remove any excess residues of FILA STOP DIRT from the surface with a clean dry cotton cloth or simple kitchen roll.

Thoroughly wipe up any spills using plain warm water. While they are not likely to stain your ceramic tiles, spills may stain the grouting between the tiles and if they are left to sit for too long. Plain water is the ideal cleaner because it leaves no residue if you dry the surface of the tiles thoroughly after cleaning. If you leave it wet, there may be some mineral residue after the water dries but this can be easily removed by spot cleaning.

If stains resist cleaning with water alone, you can use a mild acidic solution such as white vinegar or we recommend a neutral detergent like FilaCleaner.

Dilute the acidic solution depending on the dirt. When highly diluted it does not need rinsing.

For stains that are more stubborn, you can use an aftermarket degreasing detergent or stain remover. We recommend Fila PS/87 or similar for deep cleaning.

Use the right dilution to give the desired effect.

Undiluted, left to work for around 20-40 minutes to remove stains and residues of epoxy grouting.