Here is Why Your Tile Grout Just Won't Come Clean
Lifestyle

Here is Why Your Tile Grout Just Won’t Come Clean

Nice and beautiful looking tiles make a space look great and beautiful, but one downside that comes with tiles is the grout. Yes, it binds tiles together; however, it can be light coloured and porous and is prone to damage from water and stains. 

New and fresh grout looks pretty, but it can become mildewed, grimy, and dull without adequate cleaning. It can also start cracking, allowing water to seep behind the wall and cause considerable damage. 

This means that regular grout maintenance and care are vital if you want to keep the grout clean and avoid grout replacement. That said, not everyone knows how to clean grout. There are some common mistakes that people make and here are a few of them:

Using too much water

Water is one way to clean grout, right? This belief isn’t entirely true. The point is, grout is porous, and a lot of water coming into contact with it can easily affect its structural integrity.  

Excess water soaking into the grout will sooner or later cause it to fragment. Also, the chances of water settling behind the tile and making its way to the adhesive holding the tiles in place is then very high. 

A loose adhesive then means that the tiles may crack and separate from the grout. Similarly, more water on the floor or wall may lead to mildew and mould problems under the tile, which can be dangerous to both your and your family’s health. 

Using the Same Mop Water to Clean the Entire Floor

It is useless to clean your window panes with dirty water, right? The same principle applies to mops. After wiping a dirty area, all that dirt goes into the mop water. So, if you rinse the mop again and again in the same water, you will be spreading the dirt evenly from one side to the other. Meaning all your cleaning efforts would be futile. 

For the best results, you must change the water constantly. This approach will ensure that you completely remove the dirt from tiles and grout, guaranteeing better and deeper cleanliness.

Here is Why Your Tile Grout Just Won't Come Clean

Scrubbing hard

Because grout is a relatively tough material, and some stains can be hard to remove, it might seem innovative to use a rough scouring pad or steel wool to scrub the grout. However this is a bad idea. Of course, they are good at cleaning away stains, but that is because they are also scraping away a few layers of the grout. 

Instead, it would be great to use a nylon bristle brush or a stone-safe sponge tile cleaner to scrub out any dirt thoroughly without being corrosive enough to disfigure the grout or the stone around it.

Using Coloured Chemicals

Most stain removers have very strong colours that can stain or bleach your grout. As mentioned earlier, grout is porous, and it can absorb these colours and, in turn, lose its own colour. This is particularly important for people who have got a grout colour that matches recently using pigmented solvent sealers. 

The coloured stain removers will completely discolour all those lines. The right approach is to go for a grout and tile cleaner with no tough colour. The product should be tough on mould and stains but gentle on the grout. 

Using Harsh Chemicals

Avoid using bleach, muriatic acid, and other harsh and strong chemicals for regular cleaning and care of your grout and tile surfaces. 

Harsh chemicals are not only dangerous to your health but also the condition of the grout. Any misuse or mishandling of such chemicals can cause severe respiratory problems or burns.  

Additionally, spills and splashes can disfigure appliances, plumbing fixtures, and other items in the surrounding areas. Actually, in some cases, even the vaporous fumes from the products can cause damage without necessarily splashing.  

And that’s not all; strong cleaners can cause deterioration of grout, particularly if the chemical is acidic and the grout is alkaline.

Dirty and dull grout is usually the main thing standing between a floor or surface that really pops or a dingy-looking one. Knowing how to clean the grout and what to avoid is essential for maintaining floors, walls, and counters that look sparkly clean. 

Keep these tips in mind the next time you clean your grout, and you will extend the life of your grout and keep it looking its best. 

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