Everyone dreams of beautiful aesthetics in the tiled rooms of their homes. However, many don’t think about grout playing a big part in those pleasing looks. Grout is a critical element in keeping the tiles together. It is notoriously light colored and porous which makes it prone to staining and water damage. Why are all of the crucial elements within our homes easily dirtied and stained? The world may never know. However, most grout we see in homes out there is neglected. Especially shower and bathroom grout. It is not impossible to turn the situation around. Care for your grout in a proper manner to give your bathroom or kitchen tiles that brand new look!
1. Clean Lightly Every Day and Deeply Weekly
This isn’t the most flattering tip. People do not enjoy cleaning that frequently, but consistency is the key to keeping your grout visually appealing. On the bright side, daily cleaning is pretty simple. It isn’t much more difficult than how you keep your kitchen counters clean after cooking a meal. Most of the work lies in a quick wipe down of your shower/bath after you use it. After showering, lightly spray your tiles with a cleaning spray or a vinegar solution.
Now, for the dreaded deep clean, you’ll need to dig in there and scrub the grout itself with a brush. Often many people will use an old tooth brush for this. Targeting the grout will help bring out the dirt and debris that is clinging to the grout. Implementing daily cleaning will reduce the difficulty of the cleaning in the long run. Maintaining cleanliness is significantly easier than getting back to cleanliness.
2. Tile and Grout Care – You Don’t Need Harsh Cleaning Agents
If you have stone or marble tile harsh cleaners may damage them. Contrary to what you might believe, you do not need to use harsh cleaners to scrub your grout. Bleach and other harsh cleaners have their uses. However, you can get your tile and grout clean with less abrasive means. There are mixtures you can create with items already in your home to effectively clean your tile and grout.
One recipe for effectively cleaning your grout is one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts of a powder detergent or baking soda. Mix these to create a paste. You can also create a baking soda paste to scrub your grout as well. As for tiles, a simple solution of white vinegar and water kills germs and leaves them sparkling clean. It is really effective on marble and other porous surfaces in your home. These natural solutions keep your tiles fresh and vibrant.
3. Treat Lightly Stained Grout
After a certain amount of time you leave your grout neglected, it can become stained by the dirt it has acquired over the years that the above solutions just won’t affectively combat. Although bleach is not advised for over all cleaning during your weekly and daily scrubs, bleach can work wonders when specifically targeted at the grout
to specifically remove the stains. You can utilize a Bleach Pen when targeting grout stains or a bleach spray. The spray can be a bit harsher and bathrooms tend to have less ventilation so be careful about inhaling fumes. Most importantly, test these products on a small part of your grout first to make sure it doesn’t damage the surrounding tile or produce an unexpected and undesired result.
4. Tile and Grout Care – Treat Permanent Stains
Some stains are stubborn and have decided that they are going to stick around no matter what cleaning solution you throw their way. However, there is one more trick to the trade before you need to take the plunge and change out your grout all together. There are products that add a layer of protection and color to your grout, or even change the grout color entirely to something darker and more manageable and even. Grout Renewal can be purchased online or at any hardware store. Changing your already stained grout to a darker color with some grout renewal can give your home that remodeled look with out remodeling as well and can even give your home some vintage vibes.
5. Decide to Change it Out
When all else fails, you now in your gut that you just might need to take the leap and redo your tile and grout. This is not as tumultuous of a process as most are led to believe. In fact, it is possible to change your grout by your self, but if you don’t really know what you’re doing, hiring a professional is always your best bet. Especially if you utilize professionals such as all of us here at Flooring Masters. You can spring to just change out your grout, but why not change your tile while you’re at it? Get a fresh look in that once dingy bathroom! However, once that tile and grout is all shiny and new, you should follow all of the above cleaning and maintenance steps to make sure you won’t have to replace it again any time soon!
Need to replaced stained or damaged tile? Call or email Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers today for a free consultation. We know you only want the best in flooring and remodeling. That’s why it’s important to hire the best in the business, and at Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers, we can guarantee you that’s us.
Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers have been flooring and remodeling Kentuckiana for over 30 years. Our certified installers have the ingenuity and know-how to assist you in choosing the perfect floors for your home. Don’t take matters into your own hands—let us guide your next project.
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