cleaning kitchen grout

[retire-early]

Most of the houses built in the last 20 years have the ceramic tiles in the kitchen.

How do I "re-brighten" kitchen tile grout?

Also, how do I pull out the heavy gas stove and clean around and behind it?

I plan on doing this for my kitchen before I sell my house and also doing this for the kitchen in the house I will be buying.

 

[Souschef]

This was not the answer you want, but we replaced the kitchen tile with granite countertops. No grout!

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

This was not the answer you want, but we replaced the kitchen tile with granite countertops. No grout!

Then my question becomes how to clean the dull calcium water stains around the base of the faucets on granite. I tried a razor blade but was to scared to really go at it in case I damaged and made it worse.

 

[REWahoo]

The best way to clean grout: steam.

We bought a Dupray Neat steam cleaner a couple of months ago and it does a great job. I love the fact I can clean the floor grout while standing up and without killing my back!

 

[Koolau]

Thanks REWahoo - we really need one of these. I had no idea! Aloha

 

[Born2BRetd]

I hate grout and had to deal with it in the kitchen for way too many years. I love my granite countertops!

I tried everything and eventually it gets so bad nothing will bring the grout back.

 

[Gotadimple]

For granite and water 'film' you can also try Granite Gold for removing the lime deposits from granite. I have also used it in a tile shower on natural stone tile to clean up mildew on grout lines. Never thought of using steam, I have to try that!

 

[Morgan22]

Yes, the steamer works quite well. I cleaned my mothers kitchen floor with is as her grout lines in her kitchen were close to black. I got it back to it original color. I wish I took before and after photos.

I didn't have a steamer like the one rewahoo has, I had to sit on the floor the whole time. I also had an big old towel with me to wipe up the water as I worked on the grout. You also have to refill the reservoir/holding tank if its a larger floor. It was worth it.

 

[Winemaker]

About 15 years ago, DW hired an outfit to come in, steam clean the grout, and recolor/stain/paint it another color. After 15 years now, I am in the process of tearing it all out. We are replacing it with Luxury Vinyl Tile, which translated into Chinese means "Another Way To Rip Americans Off".

 

[retire-early]

Big oops from me!

I mean kitchen floor tile grout.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[retire-early]

About 15 years ago, DW hired an outfit to come in, steam clean the grout, and recolor/stain/paint it another color. After 15 years now, I am in the process of tearing it all out. We are replacing it with Luxury Vinyl Tile, which translated into Chinese means "Another Way To Rip Americans Off".

Was the outfit something like Stanley Steemer?

.

 

[retire-early]

Wow.
I don't have a Dupray but I have a McCulloch that I bought at least 20 years ago.
Hardly use it.
I am very surprise they are still in business!
I will give it a try.

 

[Bamaman]

I just use bleach on the grout. Worse comes to worse, the grout can also be.removed and the top regrouted.

 

[Tom57]

I used Grout Pro

Was the outfit something like Stanley Steemer?

.

I used Grout Pro to clean and brighten my floor grout. I have about 1,000 sq ft of floor tile so Grout Pro sent a 4 man team and it took about 5 hours. They actually painted the grout to both seal and brighten the grout. After 4 years the grout still looks great and is easy to keep clean.
Grout Pro is a nationwide company with local franchises, website is groutpro.com and describes the grout painting system. Since that website does not have a franchise locater, Google Grout Pro with your city and state.

 

[MRG]

Was the outfit something like Stanley Steemer?



.

We used them for the grout on the counter tiles and the tile floors. They cleaned and repaired the grout in our tile floors and we hired them to paint the grout. Painting it was a great upgrade. It made the color in the tile pop.

 

[NW-Bound]

Sodium percarbonate.

When sodium percarbonate, which looks like baking soda but with coarse granules, is dissolved in water, it releases hydrogen peroxide which is a safe and powerful cleaning agent. It also disinfects.

I bought some to use as a stain remover on laundry. It brightens up tough stains that bleach fails to remove. It does not cause yellowing of cotton like bleach does. Just wonderful stuff. Sodium percarbonate is an ingredient in Oxiclean.

See YouTube below for fast acting cleaning by sodium percarbonate. Search for the term on YouTube, and you will find more uses for it.

 

[retire-early]

Thanks all.

I will try the steam cleaner since I have it already.
If that doesn't work, the sodium percarbonate.
If that doesn't work, I will hire someone.


.

 

[Koolau]

I used Grout Pro to clean and brighten my floor grout. I have about 1,000 sq ft of floor tile so Grout Pro sent a 4 man team and it took about 5 hours. They actually painted the grout to both seal and brighten the grout. After 4 years the grout still looks great and is easy to keep clean.
Grout Pro is a nationwide company with local franchises, website is groutpro.com and describes the grout painting system. Since that website does not have a franchise locater, Google Grout Pro with your city and state.

Wow, Tom57! 20 man hours (excuse me, person hours)! That must have cost a small fortune.

 

[Koolau]

Sodium percarbonate.

When sodium percarbonate, which looks like baking soda but with coarse granules, is dissolved in water, it releases hydrogen peroxide which is a safe and powerful cleaning agent. It also disinfects.

I bought some to use as a stain remover on laundry. It brightens up tough stains that bleach fails to remove. It does not cause yellowing of cotton like bleach does. Just wonderful stuff. Sodium percarbonate is an ingredient in Oxiclean.

See YouTube below for fast acting cleaning by sodium percarbonate. Search for the term on YouTube, and you will find more uses for it.

Could you just use hydrogen peroxide 3%? 20%?

 

[NW-Bound]

Could you just use hydrogen peroxide 3%? 20%?

I have not used 20% hydrogen peroxide, and do not know where I can get it.

The 3% solution does not work nearly as well as a slurry of sodium percarbonate.

Maybe the slurry has a stronger percentage of hydrogen peroxide, or maybe the sodium carbonate aids in the cleaning.

 

[Winemaker]

Was the outfit something like Stanley Steemer?

.

I think it was Grout Pro.

 

[Koolau]

I have not used 20% hydrogen peroxide, and do not know where I can get it.

The 3% solution does not work nearly as well as a slurry of sodium percarbonate.

Maybe the slurry has a stronger percentage of hydrogen peroxide, or maybe the sodium carbonate aids in the cleaning.

IIRC 20% (often called 20 Volume I think) is "bleaching" strength for hair. I think 20 volume is readily available - at least via the internet. YMMV

 

[Tom57]

Wow, Tom57! 20 man hours (excuse me, person hours)! That must have cost a small fortune.

It cost $2,650. BTD! We think it was worth it.

 

[Gremlin]

I used TEC Grout Colorant to refresh the grout color in our showers. Our well water had stained some of the grout an iron color and no cleaning in the world would get rid of it. For $13, I colored the grout in both showers back to close to the original color and it looks really nice.

 

[Koolau]

It cost $2,650. BTD! We think it was worth it.

I do not doubt that it was worth it to have the clean grout but I think I'd at least try the steam cleaner first. Just personal preference and BTD is becoming a sacrament in some circles here. Who woulda thunk it? From recycling dryer sheets to BTD in one generation of FIRE! YMMV