My floors look FAR BETTER than new! I am amazed at how happy I am with this, and I understand that your concern will be the "long run" appeal. Here is what I have learned, which has been backed up by a couple of friends of mine in the flooring industry: At first I thought that Grout Works' instructions for the floor care were going to be hard to follow, but after talking to a retired tile manufacturer, I am certain that it was I who was doing the floors all wrong all along! Let me explain further:
I had always thought that STRONG powerful cleaners were the only way to go when cleaning. Well, this is the furthest method from any recommended method. I should have been using the "1)vacuum first, 2)gentle soap in hot water, then 3)dry with a clean towel" method all along. I have BLEACHED, AMMONIA'D, VINEGARED, PEROXIDED, ACID CLEANED my floors to DEATH in the past, and now I am looking at this in a totally new way. It is not just Tom and Grout Works that promotes "gentle cleaning". The grease cutting power of a dish liquid is ample enough in a bucket of hot water to really do what it needs to do, based on those who know floors and grout. I researched it thoroughly.
PROBLEMS will only occur after your job is done if you "dig and scrape" at the sealed grout lines. I would keep pets off my flooring for the recommended time (check with Tom) if I were you, AND I would allow the final curing (a few days) to take effect before doing anything aggressive to your flooring....even mopping with the gentle cleanser will not be necessary for a long period.
FINALLY, and the MOST exciting part is that my NEW daily floor cleaning method since this job is so easy: I will dust with a microfiber Big Broom for about 60 seconds in each room. This will mean that I am only vacuuming once a week or so and mopping when needed.
You will love the look!
Allie (San Antonio, TX)