Will anything clean, to any degree, grout joints in a ceramic tile floor? Floor is about 7 or 8 years old and grout is white. I know we should have kept after it better (only sealed it once) or used a darker grout in the first place. Thanks for any replies.
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Sure. But it takes lots of work. (1) Oxyclean: make it up as a wet paste, smear it on the grout, and scrub. I use an old toothbrush. Advantage: no fumes. Disadvantage: wiping the stuff off after you're done. (2) Peroxide: get the 30% stuff used to bleach hair. Wipe on, scrub, rinse. No fumes, either. (3) Household bleach: Wipe on, scrub, etc. Fumes galore.
Any of these, or similar products, will bleach the stuff, especially if you scrub hard. But it will also bleach anything else it touches, so be careful. (Hmmm, I wonder if it might also take the tint out of a tinted grout?)
And after you clean it, you may want to seal the grout again. I don't know if that completely prevents mold and mildew from getting in, though. From what I've seen, those ferocious little organisms are slowly evolving sentience...
Many years ago I read an article about a school in Norway that trained housekeepers. One of the details that stuck in my mind was that they scrubbed the grout lines in the bathroom tile with a little brush and soap and bleach. Every day.
Find a grout brush for better results if you're gonna do it by hand. White vinegar, ammonia or if necessary, an acid wash. Check with a tile supplier for a recommended acid cleaner and follow directions to the letter. When you get it cleaned and sealed, I would use white vinegar or ammonia and water. Ordinary cleaners will leave a film on the grout joint that'll attract dirt. Best of luck.
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it might be worth a shot with a product called "Zap" (on the late-night infomercials). I have actually used the stuff and it works very well cleaning heavy grime off porcelain tubs. The mfg claims it will restore grout, but I've never tried it in this application. I picked up a little bottle of it at wal-mart. Otherwise, do what calvin said...
When you do get it clean make sure to treat the grout with a premium impregnator (rather than a silicone sealer). The stuff can be quite expensive but after the fun you'll have with this project, I'm sure it will seem like a small price to pay. Look for an impregnator designed for food-service installations- those tend to be the most impervious to staining.
have fun!