Most households have tiles fixed at least at some part of their house if not the major portion of their floors. So almost everyone knows the kind of difficulties faced in maintaining a clean tiled floor or bathroom and kitchen tiled walls. It may even be easy to clean the tile surface but the toughest part to be cleaned is the grout lining in between tiles. These places are the favorite thriving place for grime and dirt. They contain microscopic pores making it easier for all the dirt to settle down there and ruin the appearance of the edges of the tiles.
Whether you have ceramic, porcelain, ceramic, marble, granite, terrazzo or any other existing type of tiles avoiding grout formation is not possible. The longevity of your tiles depends on how well you maintain and clean them. It is tough to remove this type of dirt by regular sweeping or mopping. Hiring a contractor to handle the grout cleaning is the best way to go about keeping your tiles shining clean and brand new. They usually posses the right cleaning solutions and tools to ensure a foolproof cleaning experience.
In places like the bathroom and the kitchen where moisture persists the grout may experience mold formation. This can be both toxic and extremely slimy and dirty to look at. It is worse in the kitchen because apart from the stains discussed above we have additional stains that have their sources from different forms of food which could be sticky and release bad odor. You may want to hire professional cleaners for these problems as well or may also try cleaning it yourself by educating yourself well on the kind of cleaners and scrubbers to be used.
For certain stains some commonly found household items like vinegar or baking soda can be used. Dilute vinegar with water or make a paste of baking soda for the cleaning of the grout. Spray or dab small amounts of the same and use a stiff scrubber to remove the grime off the grout. Scrubbing should be done in a circular motion rather than to and fro motion. This ensures the removal of maximum dirt from these sleek crevices. Follow this procedure by thorough rinsing with water and subsequent dabbing with a dry paper towel or a sponge.
Alternatively, you could use grout cleaning solutions or powders instead of vinegar and baking soda and follow the same procedure as mentioned above. These products are generally available under the home cleaning section in almost every local supermarket or retail stores. You can also use steam cleaners that helps loosen the sticky dirt and stains and thus facilitate easy removal of the same. Try and find a cleanser that is pH balanced and not too acidic as it might cause some unwanted discoloration or damage to the tiles. It would also avoid unwanted erosion of the tile surface. To get best results spray or apply the cleanser solution and let it on for a few minutes before you start scrubbing. For heavy stains you may opt for stronger chemicals like oxygen bleach powder, hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach. However, do not forget to dilute these products before use. Use protective gloves and eyewear. Never mix cleansers together because this might bring about chemical reactions or toxic fumes formation. Post the cleaning you may apply a grout sealer. |
