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A hypothetical flooring question


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So, say that a friend of yours installed lovely ceramic tile in her master bathroom. And say, hypothetically speaking, of course, your friend meant to seal the grout, but kind of . . . didn't.

 

And, if, by some strange quirk, an entire YEAR passed, how would you advise this completely fictional friend (not intended to bear a resemblance to any living friend you might have) to CLEAN the unsealed grout, which hypothetically would be kind of grungy by this point?

 

Pretend that the tile is a grayish white, and the grout is a very very pale gray. Or at least, pretend that the grout is supposed to be a very pale gray, but imagine that instead it is kind of . . . muddy looking. In places.

 

Hypothetically.

 

Oh, and if your friend did get the grout clean, and wanted to seal it afterward, what would you suggest?

 

Hypothetically speaking, of course. Because we all no that NO homeschooling mom would ever . . . forget . . . to seal grout. For a year. So all of this is strictly hypothetical.

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I'm sure that "I" would NEVER have done that before (cough, cough...).

 

BUT, if "I" would ever have done such a horrible thing I would have used Softscrub with Bleach and an OLD toothbrush (fingernail brushes work great too)...and the grout would eventually come clean--and then I 'might' forget to seal it for a few weeks--thus repeating the Softscrub event....

 

They also make an 'acid' cleaner (you can get at Home Depot) for stubborn stains...it is located very close to the GROUT SEALER!

 

If your tiles/grout is very light you may want to seal it every 6 months 'just to be sure'.

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So, say that a friend of yours installed lovely ceramic tile in her master bathroom. And say, hypothetically speaking, of course, your friend meant to seal the grout, but kind of . . . didn't.

 

And, if, by some strange quirk, an entire YEAR passed, how would you advise this completely fictional friend (not intended to bear a resemblance to any living friend you might have) to CLEAN the unsealed grout, which hypothetically would be kind of grungy by this point?

 

Pretend that the tile is a grayish white, and the grout is a very very pale gray. Or at least, pretend that the grout is supposed to be a very pale gray, but imagine that instead it is kind of . . . muddy looking. In places.

 

Hypothetically.

 

Oh, and if your friend did get the grout clean, and wanted to seal it afterward, what would you suggest?

 

Hypothetically speaking, of course. Because we all no that NO homeschooling mom would ever . . . forget . . . to seal grout. For a year. So all of this is strictly hypothetical.

 

Fortunately, he says he didn't marry her for her planning skills. :p

 

So what *she* would recommend is using either ammonia or vinegar and an old toothbrush or nail brush, on hands and knees (think penance *chuckle*) to scour it VERY THOROUGHLY. Blot dry. Air dry. Get a drink. Forbid anyone from entering said bathroom for the next 12 hours. Laugh about it. THEN go back and seal it. Very. Very Well.

 

Yup, that's what my husband's wacky wife would recommend. I think it'll work for your friend, too. ;)

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What if my friend was wondering how bad it would be to just never bother sealing the grout? It's a matter of aesthetics, right, not really a matter of structural need???

 

Also, what if my friend DID seal grout in one room and has been terribly saddened by the result? The grout of this hypothetical friend got just as filthy and cannot come clean without a toothbrush. Uhh, hypothetically.

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I'm sure that "I" would NEVER have done that before (cough, cough...).

 

BUT, if "I" would ever have done such a horrible thing I would have used Softscrub with Bleach and an OLD toothbrush (fingernail brushes work great too)...and the grout would eventually come clean--and then I 'might' forget to seal it for a few weeks--thus repeating the Softscrub event....

 

They also make an 'acid' cleaner (you can get at Home Depot) for stubborn stains...it is located very close to the GROUT SEALER!

 

If your tiles/grout is very light you may want to seal it every 6 months 'just to be sure'.

 

Ummmm ... not that I would know about such things, but this sounds reasonable. :o

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What if my friend was wondering how bad it would be to just never bother sealing the grout? It's a matter of aesthetics, right, not really a matter of structural need???

 

Also, what if my friend DID seal grout in one room and has been terribly saddened by the result? The grout of this hypothetical friend got just as filthy and cannot come clean without a toothbrush. Uhh, hypothetically.

 

Did your friend, perhaps, like a close personal friend of mine use white (gasp) or light colored grout? My close personal friend did this with her tiled kitchen counters - you should hear her curse and mutter over that sad mistake.

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Well, let's say the friend just moved into a house where the previous owner had done this... Said friend *might* use softscrub, and a toothbrush, and a Clorox bleach pen, and still with the toothbrush, and every other cleaner available...

 

And if that didn't work, the friend might give up and very carefully put another very thin layer of fresh grout over the old grout. Voila! Pretty grout...

 

And the friend would know better this time and seal the grout within a couple of days... ;)

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And if that didn't work, the friend might give up and very carefully put another very thin layer of fresh grout over the old grout. Voila! Pretty grout...

 

And she might, just hypothetically, be in good company. Not that I would know... Or bear any grudge against the aforementioned previous owners and their ridiculous choice of unglazed white tile and 1/2" grout lines in the bathroom. :mad:

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I once knew someone who moved into a house with wide, white grout between the white, glossy tile in her previously owned house (common in So. Cal). The tile *had* been sealed, but it was the kind of sealer that coats (doesn't penetrate) the grout. Over time, this grout sealer had turned black, and had rubbed off the area around the sink. It looked disgusting (though I never would have said so to my friend).

 

Well, I was validated in my thinking when my friend decided that she must do something about the disgusting grout. I wasn't there (of course) but my friend told me that she used a Shark steamer and Oxycleen. She said it was loud, and messy, and steamy, but I'll tell you the result was fabulous! Oxyclean works well with hot water. It works amazingly well with steam.

 

So, if nothing else works, get yourself a Shark steamer (they cost about $50), and some Oxyclean. Sprinkle the grout with Oxyclean. Use the brush tool on the steamer wand, and go at it.

 

Oh, and make sure you get a *penetrating* sealer. I like the kind at Home Depot that has a brush applicator on the tip of the bottle. You just paint it on, all in one step. Then, a few minutes later, you wipe the excess off the tile. Easy.

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They have a grout stain that you can get at Home Depot that comes in different shades. I believe it is supposed to seal it at the same time as coloring it. So, my friend cleaned the floor well, without getting on hands and knees and really scrubbing at the grout. Then she applied this stain according to the directions. It looked great when she was done with it and she almost contemplated doing it to her family room and kitchen until she realized how long it would take to do it to such a big area. But hey, the bathroom looks great and didn't take that long.

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Did your friend, perhaps, like a close personal friend of mine use white (gasp) or light colored grout? My close personal friend did this with her tiled kitchen counters - you should hear her curse and mutter over that sad mistake.

 

The fictitious grout in question happened to be a very light gray in a highly-trafficked and highly-spill-prone room (the kitchen).

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we chose a dark colored grout. Dh and I knew a)how hard grout is to clean, b)that light colored grout doesn't stay so clean looking even after sealing, and c)that we would put off sealing for a ridiculous amount of time. It will be three years in August. None of the tile or grout in the house has been sealed. My husband does construction for a living. At least we know our shortcomings. For your lighter grout, I can't suggest anything other than elbow grease. But hey! Think of all the exercise you'll be getting. Multi-tasking, baby!:)

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