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Cleaning
Bathroom
Gross Grout
Gross Grout Any ideas on how to get my grout clean? Magically Removing Mildew Bathroom tile can be cleaned easily by soaking paper towels in bleach and leave them on the grout for at least one hour. When you remove them the mildew is magically gone. Get Results with Glass Top Stove Cleaner I cleaned my shower recently with my glass-top-stove creme cleaner. I was looking for something that would really scrub, not scratch and not knock me over with fumes! It worked so well! DH, who usually does it with a toothbrush and Tilex Plus, said even he had never been able to get it that clean and we have a pretty bad mildew problem in that one bathroom. I just wet the walls, squirted a little of the creme on and scrubbed with a kitchen brush over the tiles and in both directions of the grout lines. A quick rinse and it was done. It took me about 15 minutes to do the whole entire shower where it used to take DH about 50 minutes with the toothbrush and the Tilex. You can buy the stuff at most grocery stores or at Sears. Good Tools Help The best cleaning tool for grout is a little wire brush that looks like an oversized toothbrush. Dip the brush in the cleaning solution or spray the grout with cleaning solution (bleach helps) and scrub the grout hard with the brush. Let the solution sit for a while to soak in deep. You can brush again for further cleaning. Then wash several times to remove the dirt and cleaner. CLEAN grout! Be sure to seal the grout to keep it clean with Sealers Choice 15 Gold from Home Depot. Buy the little applicator bottle with a brush on the tip to apply. Apply at least 2 coats. Will stay clean and pretty for a long time. Using Technology We have almond tiles with sand colored grout on our kitchen counters. Nothing, including the concentrated Oxy-Clean I love so much, did anything for them. I bought a Hydra Steam Cleaner from HSN (like the Steam Buggy on TV only a better model). I could not believe what a difference it made on that grout! I didn't even remember it being that light of a color. It was pricey, but do your homework. Make sure the model you choose actually works well for real people. Our ancient house has mostly painted hard wood floors and the steam cleaner makes quick work of mopping without a bucket and without fumes. Using Fizz To Clean To clean grout put baking soda directly on the grout, do a small area at a time. Then put vinegar on top of the baking soda. This will fizz. Let it fizz and then proceed to clean with an old toothbrush. Depending on how stained the grout is it may take a second application. In my experience it usually only takes one application. Oxy-Clean is Highly Recommended One way I clean grout is Oxy-clean made into a paste is great! If not, make a paste of baking soda, water, and a couple of drops of lemon juice then scrub using an old toothbrush. You may also want to try some warm, soapy water mixed with a little bleach. Zap the Mildew I had 20-year-old tile with grout that had never been sealed. The grease in the kitchen and dining areas had discolored the beige grout to almost black. I tried everything I could, but nothing helped. Finally, I heard of Zap! Zap! is a concentrate and about $8 a bottle; not cheap, but it works well and is easy to use. Just apply to grout, let it sit about ten minutes, use the scrubber it comes with or a stiff brush, and the original color is restored. Once it is clean, be sure to use Grout Sealer (from a local tile supplier) and seal the grout as soon as possible. I use the Zap! once a month when mopping the floor just to keep it really clean, and vinegar the rest of the time. Wonder Working Product I have tried many of the Stretcher tips for cleaning grout but mine was getting nasty! Kleen Strip Green for mildew is the very best product on the market for this. No scrubbing is involved! Home Depot carries it in the paint section of the store. Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips @stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers! Other Articles to Stretch Your Day and Your Dollar Give Yourself the Green Light Shout® Color Catchers™ Cleaning Grout Winterize for Savings Home Remodeling
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