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Backsplash tile grout - keeping it clean?

16 years ago

We're remodeling the kitchen and we like the look of the tile backsplash going from the granite countertop to the bottom of the wall cabinets. But our major concern is all that grout and how to keep it clean. We'll have a slide in range with nothing in the back and I can foresee tomato sauce splashing onto the tiled backsplash.

Seems like most people have the tile all the way to the countertop nowadays -- can anyone tell us how they keep it clean?

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Comments (10)

rgillman
16 years ago
I wash out my screens with dyes and paints in the kitchen and if we do tile (which I won't know till everything is in and I see how it looks) I will do dark tile and dark grout.
Gina_W
16 years ago
Have the tiler seal the grout twice. I have white tile to the countertop in back of my drop-in stovetop and I cook almost every day - no spots so far - everything just wipes off.
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I come from the bathrooms forum :) and I think the general consensus is the white grout can be tricky to maintain especially in a moist bathroom environment. However, in a kitchen, you mainly have to watch out for grease and spatters, make sure anything is wiped up when it happens instead of letting it fester. My own experience is we did white tile with white grout in our basement (poor ventillation) bath, and got busy with new kids and life for 7 years. I cleaned it but probably not all that often. It actually still looks okay, it's not really dingy, but it has kind of yellowed. So based on that, I think your grout will be fine for quite awhile, just take care of it. Using a high-quality sealer will help. Is it epoxy?
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brutuses
16 years ago
Clean with Oxi Clean if they get dirty, but after sealing you shouldn't have a problem.
bill_vincent
16 years ago
What brutuses said. :-) On BOTH counts.
ronald2
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everyone! Is there a brand or type of sealant that we should ask the installer to use? Does it have to be reapplied periodically to maintain its effectiveness?
bill_vincent
16 years ago
Miracle's 511 Impregnator, Aquamix's Sealers Choice Gold, or Stone Tech's Impregnator Pro-- any one of those three will work great for you. Usually every few years is sufficient protection.
glad
16 years ago
quick question - do you need to seal the caulk between counter and backsplash or just the grout. this is my afternoon project!
gdoke
16 years ago
I attended a tiling seminar recently, and the presenter was raving about a stain resistant grout called Tec XT that supposedly does not need to be sealed. He said that at his store they put red wine, spaghetti sauce and salad dressing on the unsealed grout, let it sit for 4 hours, and it wiped clean with a sponge. I would still seal it for peace of mind.
bill_vincent
16 years ago
That's got to be a new product. This is the first I've heard of it. The ones I've heard of so far (stain resistant) are Quartzlock, Spectralock, and Prism, the only one of which I've worked with is the Spectralock. I've heard good things about Prism, though. As for Quartzlock, I haven't heard much, good or bad.

glad-- no, caulking doesn't need to be sealed.

raynag-- I wish I'd seen your post earlier. If you're going to be washing out paint and dyes, I would highly recommend AGAINST a tile backsplash. You'll permanently ruin it in no time, unless you're meticulously careful. Think stainless steel!
mrstaylor
12 years ago
Okay, for my backsplash, I've got white subway tile and dove gray grout. I have fried chicken a couple of times, as well as made a few things with ground round. Monday night I fried some bacon and suddenly I have grease spots on the grout. If I clean it with the OxyClean, and then re-seal it twice, will this solve my problem?

I've never had tile anywhere before and I am not going to be a happy camper if this happens very often.

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