How to clean darkened grout lines between tiles?

In the kitchen, bathroom and toilets, the seams between the tiled elements on the walls and floors darken over time under the influence of increased moisture and various aggressive substances (detergents and cleaners, grease, splashes of broth). To restore the original appearance of the finish, you need to know how to clean the seams between the tiles.

The reason for the change in color of tile joints

Special building compounds are used to fill the gaps between tiles. These are fairly stable mixtures, but they can also darken under the influence of moisture, as well as as a result of splashes during cooking. This usually happens because bacteria, mold and mildew grow in the seams, which gradually destroy the grout. They not only spoil the appearance of the room, but can also cause harm to people’s health. Therefore, when darkening appears, it is necessary to clean the seams between the tiles from dirt and treat them against mold and mildew.

How to clean the seams between tiles?

To clean darkened grout between wall and floor tiles, you can use products offered at hardware stores. They are selected depending on the degree of contamination of the seams.

• If the grout has lost its color, become contaminated with grease or detergent residues, you can try to wash it with any standard cleaning agent that removes grease and limescale. Fairy, CIF, AOS, Silit and others are suitable.
• If mold or mildew begins to appear on the seams, then you need to use chlorine-containing preparations, such as Belizna or Domestos. After application, leave them for about five minutes and then wash off.
• It is best, of course, to use special tile and grout cleaning products, such as Ultra-Stripper or BOZO. And if you then treat the grout with Atlas Dolphin joint protection liquid, the walls and floor will remain clean for a long time.
• Small areas where dirt could not be washed off can be painted over with a special felt-tip pen.
• After treatment against fungus and mold, you can remove any remaining dirt using fine-grit sandpaper. It removes the thin top layer, revealing clean grout, which after this procedure will become even more even and smooth.
• A modern steam generator will help both clean the seams between the tiles and disinfect the surface, removing mold and mildew. With this treatment, the structure of the grout material is not disturbed, and streaks and smudges do not occur. Contaminated areas are treated with thick hot steam, after which the dirt is easily removed with a cloth soaked in warm water.

How to clean the seams between tiles using improvised means?

If during a major cleaning you don’t have industrial products on hand, then you can clean the tiles well with what you almost always have at home.

• You can thoroughly wash the tiles on the walls and floor with a solution of ordinary vinegar and water, mixing them in equal proportions. The resulting mixture should be sprayed over the entire surface and cleaned with a stiff brush.
• It is possible to clean the grout well with a paste mixture made from baking soda and bleach.But this mixture can only be used for white putty - the bleach will remove the color. After applying the composition, you need to wait until the product dries, then rinse off with a brush.
• You can restore the original shine to the finish with a solution of ammonia (1 tablespoon per 2 liters of water). The solution is sprayed over the entire surface and left for 10 minutes, then washed off with a damp sponge.
• A solution of hydrogen peroxide (1:2) cleans grout quite well. They are used to process seams. No need to rinse off.

If the old grout cannot be washed off and it crumbles during processing, then the only way out is to cut the seams and replace the grout.

Advice

You should not use soap to clean tiles. The substances included in its composition contribute to the spread of mold.

Some features

When planning to clean the grout, you should consider the type of tiles laid. The choice of product for treating seams depends on this.

• Tiles with a glazed surface do not withstand acids. Using acid-based products will dull the surface.
• After cleaning the joints, unglazed matte tiles must be thoroughly washed and covered with protective mastic.
• Glass tiles and mosaics are very stable, but they cannot be cleaned using compounds with high concentrations of acids and alkalis.
• It is not advisable to use products containing abrasive materials to wash any coating.
• To grout joints on the floor, you can use epoxy-based mixtures, which are less dirty and are not susceptible to fungus and mold.

Cleaning the seams is unlikely to be quick and easy, so it is better not to allow serious dirt to accumulate in them. Proper care of tiles and grout will help keep your kitchen and bathroom walls looking clean and attractive.