FINALLY! Found A Way To Clean Grout!!!
Just wanted to share that EUREKA, I finally found it! A way to get tile grout clean. You have NO idea how much money I've wasted on products that don't work. Wanted to share with others what worked for me. Can't guarantee it will work for everyone, but the grout I had to contend with, well, read on.
Bought a house almost a year ago. House was built in 1968. The grout looked like it hadn't been cleaned since then. Grout is white, though you wouldn't have known it from the look of it.
Bought a box of powdered TSP along with a great stiff grout brush at Walmart that of course, just as I find a brush I like, they discontinue carrying it (light blue non discript brush) and now carry one that I'm not sure is as good (stiff) made by Stanley (yellow and black)
I mixed the powder with water somewhat according to directions, probably making it a bit stronger than it should be and would pour small puddles and scrub the grout. Came out pretty good, some areas a little dingier than others so used a little bleach and scrubbed that as well.
The worst part was around the toilet. Men can't aim, and they sure can't clean up after themselves either. I tackled this area last and with hesitance. I've cleaned this particular bathroom over time, not in just one day, too tedious. This bathroom has 1x1 tiles!
So before I was going to clean this last "segment" I went to pick up some tile for a bathroom remodel and saw a product called GROUT 66. Never heard of it before and it was pretty pricey at $15 for a quart (they do have gallons but wasn't about to pay that much if I didn't know it was going to work). Guy showed me on their grout and I saw it work so I figured I'd give it a try.
I still used the TSP as I wanted to continue doing what I knew worked. The area around the toilet, the TSP didn't work as well as the other areas. I used the Grout 66 and I definitely saw a difference. You can actually hear this stuff work, it sounds like hydrogen peroxide when it makes an effervescent sound. Stinks like sulfur/eggs. What impressed me was there was an area in the corner back of where the toilet was where it looked like old blood, the tsp lightened it up a bit, bleach did nothing. Tried even vinegar on some areas, only the Grout 66 worked. And the tiles around the toilet, some took more than one application of the stuff, but the grout looks wonderful. Not pure white, maybe with a little more effort, but it looks fantastic, I think.
One thing I found that helped, esp. if you have tiny tiles like I do, I found I was wasting it as it says to apply to the grout, well, doing that on 1x1 tiles, easier to do with large tiles. Anyhow, went and bought a hair dye bottle with a very fine tip - lots easier, and less waste.
Anyhow, just wanted to share, and NO I do NOT have any stake in TSP or Grout 99. I just wanted to share this as I know there are others out there that have grout issues like me.
Before (worse around toilet, dirt and urine, this is just dirt)
This is after around the toilet area, grout looks better than what the camera captured.
Comments (14)
lizbeth-gardener
13 years ago
arkansas girl
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
graywings123
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoeldemila
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agolizbeth-gardener
13 years agoeldemila
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoI tried it on the ugly yellow hexagon tiles in the half bath. This is from using ONLY the Grout 66, no TSP, bleach or anything else as I tried with other tiles. Not going to waste it (or my energy) as I'm going to be replacing these tiles soon (or so I hope!)
No too bad I must say!!!
arizonny
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agocat_ky
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoeldemila
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agocaminnc
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheanimala
10 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Alaina Chapman
4 years ago
lindac