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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 10:55:47 GMT
I need to do a spring clean on my bathroom tile grouting and I'm pretty sure it's been discussed here before  Is it baking soda and dish washing detergent? Mixed to a paste? Any other suggestions gratefully accepted  |
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Post by ScrapsontheRocks on Feb 6, 2016 11:30:43 GMT
I think you are correct in your recipe- the US peas swear by a magic washing up liquid called "Dawn". Over here, that is body lotion  so all I will add is : for your breaks, you need wine. For after it is all over, you need a medal. FTR, when we revamped our master bathroom, we chose mottled, dark rock-effect tiles and tinted grout to match. I also have a full-time domestic worker, so I bow down  |
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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 11:49:35 GMT
You're a genius - dark grouting must be the way to go Bit early for wine yet but I can certainly feel a cuppa coming on!!  |
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Post by ScrapsontheRocks on Feb 6, 2016 11:57:05 GMT
You're a genius - dark grouting must be the way to go Bit early for wine yet but I can certainly feel a cuppa coming on!! Time zone advantage |
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Post by hockeymom4 on Feb 6, 2016 12:19:14 GMT
Started cleaning kitchen grout in prep for house sale..... Decided that as we are going to get big bucks (fingers crossed) I could pay someone to do that and the window tracks..... Gives me more to to do other things...... Like enjoy wine
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Post by maryland on Feb 6, 2016 12:42:26 GMT
I read on pinterest last year a tip to clean light tile grout with Clorox bleach toilet cleaner (blue bottle). I tried one small part of the grout and it really looked good. I have tried other grout cleaners and nothing ever made any improvement. I never sealed it and never got around to cleaning more. So now, it's dirty again. I will say this though. I have tried tips from pinterest and they appear good in some ways, but end up making things worse. So "my" experience with many pinterest tips make things worse! I don't get the wonderful "fix" that most others get!  Question. When you "clean" grout, do you need to seal it afterwards? |
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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 12:52:16 GMT
I'm not sure if we have clorox here. I will have a look but I really wanted to try something less chemical. Thanks though |
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Post by miominmio on Feb 6, 2016 12:59:25 GMT
You're a genius - dark grouting must be the way to go Bit early for wine yet but I can certainly feel a cuppa coming on!! Time zone advantage There's always time for wine somewhere ;-) |
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Post by trixiecat on Feb 6, 2016 13:30:23 GMT
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do the trick. You will go through a lot of them, but very easy to use.
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Post by anxiousmom on Feb 6, 2016 14:10:48 GMT
Grout is the invention of Satan. My bathroom will be sparkling clean-but because that stupid grout it looks like a dirty bus stop bathroom floor.  I can't get it clean to save my life. My latest attempt was a scrub brush and something made by goo gone specifically for grout. My mom had good luck with hers, it didn't work as well for me-I have light tile, light grout. Frankly, I think the only thing that will work is tearing it out and starting over with something else. |
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Post by deltakaren on Feb 6, 2016 15:37:56 GMT
I found the mixture of 1 part dawn dishwashing liquid and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide works. I squirt it on and then scrub with a brush. You can also add some baking soda to make a paste.
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,969 
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Post by Nanner on Feb 6, 2016 15:46:25 GMT
Damned bloody grout. I think they were on to something back in the days of linoleum. It was so easy to keep clean!
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tiffanytwisted
Pearl Clutcher
you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave
Posts: 4,538
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Feb 6, 2016 15:51:59 GMT
I think you are correct in your recipe- the US peas swear by a magic washing up liquid called "Dawn". Over here, that is body lotion so all I will add is : for your breaks, you need wine. For after it is all over, you need a medal. FTR, when we revamped our master bathroom, we chose mottled, dark rock-effect tiles and tinted grout to match. I also have a full-time domestic worker, so I bow down I've been saying that in my fantasy world, when I get to redo my bathroom, I will choose large tile (less grout) and dark grout. My girlfriend pointed out that it won't keep the mold away, you simply won't see it. My response was, "And?"  |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Feb 6, 2016 15:55:46 GMT
My experience has been that you can keep grout clean with just about any product if used regularly. But once the grout is allowed to get dirty, then only bleach will really clean it.
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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 15:57:17 GMT
My experience has been that you can keep grout clean with just about any product if used regularly. But once the grout is allowed to get dirty, then only bleach will really clean it. You're probably right  |
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Post by SallyPA on Feb 6, 2016 15:57:39 GMT
I, too, have tried everything and the only thing I think that actually works really well is bleach. Diluted in a spray bottle, spray it on, sit for a few minutes, and scrub scrub scrub the hell out of it. Wipe it up and move onto the next section. I've tried every other thing mentioned - dawn, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, and various other "recipes" and nothing else comes even close. I did a small barhroom with a magic eraser and it worked well, but I used an entire eraser for that room. I've got a whole house of tile and so that's not very practical for me.
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Post by malibou on Feb 6, 2016 16:13:36 GMT
I recently did the baking soda and vinegar mix on my grout. It did pretty well.
J
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Post by Flowergirl on Feb 6, 2016 16:15:11 GMT
I saw a tip on Pinterest to use Resolve carpet cleaner. I tried it and it worked great on my light-colored bathroom floor grout. It was a foam spray which I sprayed on the grout lines, let sit and then scrubbed with a stiff grout brush, rinsed and mopped as usual. Disclosure--my grout was dirty (downstairs high-traffic powder room) but not tremendously discoilored. But it worked great for me. I'm not sure if it's something specific to the Resolve or if any spray carpet cleaner will do the trick.
Once you get it clean again, you may want to consider sealing or resealing your grout. If you put water on the grout and it absorbs in, it's time to reseal it. It should bead up instead of absorbing. It makes it much easier to keep clean when sealed.
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julieb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,845
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Post by julieb on Feb 6, 2016 17:08:20 GMT
I was just discussing this with a friend. She used toilet bowl cleaner, with bleach. Squirted it on and left for 15-20 minutes, scrubbed lightly and she said it looks brand new. She cautioned to wear old clothes, as the knees on her pants got bleached.
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Post by JoP on Feb 6, 2016 17:09:07 GMT
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Post by sparkyduchess on Feb 6, 2016 17:33:56 GMT
Ooh, you need squirty stuff from Lakeland- HG mould spray, Amazon sell it on their behalf. Open window, squirt liberally,go for a cup of tea, and return 20 minutes later to rinse off. The lazy woman's way to nice white grout |
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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 17:40:21 GMT
Thanks ladies - will have a look for those |
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Post by JoP on Feb 6, 2016 17:42:09 GMT
Ooh, you need squirty stuff from Lakeland- HG mould spray, Amazon sell it on their behalf. Open window, squirt liberally,go for a cup of tea, and return 20 minutes later to rinse off. The lazy woman's way to nice white grout Thanks for the tip sparkyduchess - I think you and I are on the same page  when it comes to cleaning grout |
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Post by gar on Feb 6, 2016 17:51:23 GMT
Ooh, you need squirty stuff from Lakeland- HG mould spray, Amazon sell it on their behalf. Open window, squirt liberally,go for a cup of tea, and return 20 minutes later to rinse off. The lazy woman's way to nice white grout Thanks for the tip sparkyduchess - I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to cleaning grout I think I might be too  |
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Post by JoP on Feb 6, 2016 18:05:05 GMT
Thanks for the tip sparkyduchess - I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to cleaning grout I think I might be too Lol gar - save your energy for making a nice cuppa and eating some cake or chocolate . |
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Post by cmpeter on Feb 6, 2016 19:34:55 GMT
We had Stanley Steamer clean ours. They were here doing our carpets. It was $40 for our bathroom. The grout looked brand new after and no chemicals or scrubbing on my part.
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Post by anonrefugee on Feb 6, 2016 19:42:24 GMT
I found the mixture of 1 part dawn dishwashing liquid and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide works. I squirt it on and then scrub with a brush. You can also add some baking soda to make a paste. That's what I do, with the baking soda and a toothbrush. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 6, 2016 19:43:01 GMT
I saw a tip on Pinterest to use Resolve carpet cleaner. I tried it and it worked great on my light-colored bathroom floor grout. It was a foam spray which I sprayed on the grout lines, let sit and then scrubbed with a stiff grout brush, rinsed and mopped as usual. Disclosure--my grout was dirty (downstairs high-traffic powder room) but not tremendously discoilored. But it worked great for me. I'm not sure if it's something specific to the Resolve or if any spray carpet cleaner will do the trick. Once you get it clean again, you may want to consider sealing or resealing your grout. If you put water on the grout and it absorbs in, it's time to reseal it. It should bead up instead of absorbing. It makes it much easier to keep clean when sealed. 100 times this! I read that tip online and thought, "Hey, I have some of that!" I had the liquid kind with OxyClean in it in a spray bottle. So I tried it in a small spot on the tiled floor in my laundry room. Sprayed it on, waited about ten minutes and I didn't even scrub. Wiped it off and that grout underneath was SPARKLING clean! I really need to do my whole kitchen and our first floor bath, but decided I'm not going to tackle it until I'm also prepared to seal the grout afterward. With my family and pets tracking in dirt constantly, I'm not going to go to even a minimal amount of effort with that until it can be sealed. |
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Post by ScrapsontheRocks on Feb 6, 2016 19:54:47 GMT
I think you are correct in your recipe- the US peas swear by a magic washing up liquid called "Dawn". Over here, that is body lotion so all I will add is : for your breaks, you need wine. For after it is all over, you need a medal. FTR, when we revamped our master bathroom, we chose mottled, dark rock-effect tiles and tinted grout to match. I also have a full-time domestic worker, so I bow down I've been saying that in my fantasy world, when I get to redo my bathroom, I will choose large tile (less grout) and dark grout. My girlfriend pointed out that it won't keep the mold away, you simply won't see it. My response was, "And?" That's it! good response. Forgot to say earlier- the new tiles are HUGE and "rectified" so small gaps between them are possible leaving vary little amounts of dark, sealed grout. |
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Post by just PEAchy on Feb 6, 2016 20:28:14 GMT
I use Oxiclean powder. I would sprinkle some on the grout, spray with water and wait about 15 minutes. Then I'd scrub with a brush and wipe clean. It was hard work, but it cleaned it very well. I had light colored grout in our old house. In the new house, I chose darker grout and I got it sealed.
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so all I will add is : for your breaks, you need wine. For after it is all over, you need a medal.
