Cleaning floor tile grout

Heighway61

The floor tile grout in my open plan kitchen/dining/living and bathroom isn't just bit dark/dirty it's black! I tried a kitchen spray bleach around one square and with a lot of scrubbing with a nail brush it seemed to do a half-decent job.

So, sprayed the entire bathroom floor with the same stuff and tried a wire wool pot scrubber but that did no good at all. I think I might have waited too long before I started scrubbing as it was nearly dry by time I got back to it.

Is there anything out there that works? I see a milliion magic potions on Amazon but can't really trust their claims and don't really want to through them trial and error.

With the kitchen/living/dining/bathroom/hall all tiled I've a lot to do.

cheif kaiser

I just use Harpic White & Shine Citrus Toilet Bleach.

Just squirt it along each grout line and leave overnight. If really black I would probably scrub it the following day with a deck scrub.

Heighway61

Tried neat Domestos on the grout lines overnight but made no difference. Will get some Harpic.

You won't get grout to clean.

Scrape a layer off it and restore with a grouting pen.

Heighway61

salonfire wrote: »

You won't get grout to clean.

Scrape a layer off it and restore with a grouting pen.

Will give them a scrub and get a pen.

cheif kaiser

How dirty is it really?

Most floor grouts are dark grey to begin with or did you get white or coloured grout?

I've never seen bleach fail on a job like this as it basically erodes the top layer of grout. If bleach is not working for you, it may be a case of regrouting?

Heighway61

This is the bathroom floor, after the Domestos treatment:





This is the bathroom wall. The floor was like this once, with lovely white grout:



(The darker area on the wall is lighting or an artifact or something. It's not like that in reality)

munstergirl

Astonish mold & mildew remover is great, it's in a blue bottle, you'll find it in dealz or eurostore, just spray it on and leave it a while and rinse off, it's the best stuff, no scrubbing.

cheif kaiser

IMHO, they used the wrong grout and the dirt/mold has just permeated right down through it.

I think it's a case of removing the grout and regrouting with a stain/water resistant grout such as an epoxy grout - http://midletontiles.ie/professional-epoxy-grout.html

It's not a huge job really, just annoying

Heighway61

cheif kaiser wrote: »

IMHO, they used the wrong grout and the dirt/mold has just permeated right down through it.

I think it's a case of removing the grout and regrouting with a stain/water resistant grout such as an epoxy grout - http://midletontiles.ie/professional-epoxy-grout.html

It's not a huge job really, just annoying

:eek:

Heighway61

cheif kaiser wrote: »

IMHO, they used the wrong grout and the dirt/mold has just permeated right down through it.

I think it's a case of removing the grout and regrouting with a stain/water resistant grout such as an epoxy grout - http://midletontiles.ie/professional-epoxy-grout.html

It's not a huge job really, just annoying

Could I give it a clean and put a seal of epoxy on top of the existing grey grout? Rather than scraping out the old and completely re-doing it?

Dr_Colossus

Heighway61 wrote: »

Could I give it a clean and put a seal of epoxy on top of the existing grey grout? Rather than scraping out the old and completely re-doing it?

Would need the new layer of epoxy to be at least 2mm deep to give it some hold and strength. The deeper you can scrap out the old the better but you wouldn't need to go all the way to the backerboard/subfloor.

Careful with epoxy and don't let it set too long before beginning washing as once it sets it's impossible to shift, frightening but great stuff and should be used more often here especially on floors.
Cementitious grout by it's nature is porous and thus can be difficult to keep clean. You can apply a sealer once set which helps.

That said, from a distance your grout looks a consistent grey colour and suits the tiles so I'd be inclined to leave as is. A lot of modern grouts now are grey rather than white, especially on floors, as dirt/grim doesn't show as easily.

cheif kaiser

Heighway61 wrote: »

Could I give it a clean and put a seal of epoxy on top of the existing grey grout? Rather than scraping out the old and completely re-doing it?

If you want the white/cream it would be best to remove as much as possible.

There are loads of grout removing tools out there but even so, I can't deny it's going to be a bit tedious. Just take your time and do a few tiles at a time.

cheif kaiser

cheif kaiser wrote: »

If you want the white/cream it would be best to remove as much as possible.

There are loads of grout removing tools out there but even so, I can't deny it's going to be a bit tedious. Just take your time and do a few tiles at a time.

It'll get just as dirty again in a few years. You'll need to repeat the tedious job and remove it all again.

Learn to live with it or else try a grout restorer after cleaning as much as you can.

cheif kaiser

salonfire wrote: »

It'll get just as dirty again in a few years. You'll need to repeat the tedious job and remove it all again.

Learn to live with it or else try a grout restorer after cleaning as much as you can.

Epoxy Grout will not get dirty like ordinary cement based grout because it is not porous.

The OP may well decide to "just live with it" but at least they have the information on how to fix it properly, should they decide that's the route they want to take.

salamiii

50-50 mix of vinegar and water into a spray bottle. Spray on the grout, let stand for five minutes and then scrub with a soft brush. Use a toothbrush or other small scrub brush to scrub the grout. For extra scrubbing power, use an electric toothbrush.

lucalux

Porous white/light coloured grout on floor tiles is such a silly thing, it's impossible to keep clean.

Epoxy grout is the right way to go I agree