How The Pros Clean Grout
We all know you’ve scrubbed and scoured, but the stains remain. The professionals at Goedecke Flooring and Design can help you solve your grout problems.
WHY GROUT GETS STAINED
Grout is naturally porous, absorbing any liquids it encounters. Even epoxy grout (which we highly recommend for its stain repelling qualities) has tiny holes which can hold dirt.
So, we see a mess and mop it up. That’s good, right?
Well, yes and no. Guess what happens to soil and sticky messes when you mop your floors? They are softened, become liquid, and are now the perfect size to fit in those tiny grout crevices. Remember, grout is by nature just a fraction of a bit lower than your tile, so all of the dirt you wash off the flat surfaces flows down into the grout, dries there, and becomes lodged. It isn’t that you aren’t mopping often enough – your mopping is causing the problem!
To be clear, we aren’t saying that you shouldn’t mop. Mopping is absolutely necessary, but more important than mopping is drying. Use a towel to quickly remove that dirty water from your floor before it has time to settle into your grout.
HOW TO CLEAN OLD GROUT
Even with regular mopping and drying, grout will get dirty.
Confession: Those floors up there? They are mine. I wish I could say that I staged the dirty section as a demonstration just for the benefit of the before and after photos, but that isn’t my reality. Everyone’s floors get dirty.
Mops and scrub brushes can’t reach the dirt hidden deep in your grout’s pores. Scrubbing harder, longer, or with harsher chemicals won’t allow you into all those pores either. Those tiny particles are always going to settle in the lowest place.
So, how do the professionals restore old grout to its original color? Steam. Lots of steam.
It isn’t magical. Cleaning with steam is time consuming, but it gets the job done beautifully. Steam is small enough to fit into the tiny pores in your grout. Not only that, steam is water, which softens and releases the stains. Most importantly, steam naturally rises, lifting particles with it. Once the particles have been loosened, steam pressure powers the grime out of the cracks and crevices, lifting them to the surface where you can wipe the grime away.
GROUT CLEANING STEPS
Here’s how we do it:
Vacuum – This will eliminate as much dry soil as possible
Mop – Rinse often and change your water frequently. Use a towel to dry the floor behind you as you go.
Steam clean – Any high-powered steamer with a crevice tool will do. Work in one small area at a time, intentionally altering your angle as you go to make sure that you are cleaning all of the places where dirt is lodged.
Dry – Wiping away all dampness immediately as you go. You do not want to give the particles time to settle back in the crevices. You will go through several towels, so be prepared with a stack nearby.
Warning: Steam is safe and gentle on tile floors, however you need to be aware that it isn’t good for your wood or paint, so be careful near baseboards!
AFTER YOUR GROUT IS CLEAN
Once your tile is clean, consider adding grout sealant as a barrier against future staining. Visit our flooring specialists at Goedecke Flooring and Design to learn more!