You’ve moved into one of the Pacific Lifestyle , and everything is still sparkling and new. However, grout has a way of getting overlooked until you realize it doesn’t look the way it used to. Here are some tips on how to keep your grout the color it’s supposed to be and to keep it protected, as well, so that it does its job for years to come.

The best way to keep grout looking good is to keep up with the maintenance, which means regular cleanings that might require a little bit of elbow grease. Fortunately, some simple household cleaning ingredients can help you out. Most methods involve using common household products like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, white vinegar, and Comet or similar cleaning agent. You’ll also need warm water and a toothbrush. It’s important to keep in mind the color of your original grout and do a test patch first in a small, unobtrusive area to make sure there are no problems.

The following are the various combinations of cleaning products to use for a deep cleaning, just chose the method that you have ingredients for:

• Sprinkle baking soda over the grout and use a spray bottle filled with hydrogen peroxide to spray the baking soda until it is wet and fizzing.
• Mix equal parts baking soda and white vinegar to form a paste and then apply it to the grout.
• Combine a ½ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide, and one teaspoon of dish soap and apply the mixture to the grout.
• Sprinkle Comet or similar powdered cleaning agent over the grout and spray it with an equal mixture of water and white vinegar.

After applying your cleaning mixture of choice, in all cases, let it sit for five to ten minutes and then begin scrubbing with a toothbrush before finally rinsing with warm water. Depending on the state of your grout, you may want to repeat the process.

Once you’re satisfied, make sure grout dries completely, at least overnight, if not longer depending on humidity. Once the grout is dry, unless you have an epoxy grout that doesn’t need sealing, you can reseal the grout to help protect it and keep it cleaner for longer.

Sealants are another issue to consider, depending on where the grout is and how it is used. They’re needed to keep mold and bacteria from getting into the porous grout. Some grout will need to be resealed yearly if it’s in bathrooms or heavy traffic areas, whereas areas that get little use and contact may only need to be resealed every four to five years.

There are three basic types of sealant: coating, color sealing, and penetrating. Coating sealant is a thin layer on the grout surface that prevents water, dirt, and oil from penetrating. It is available in permanent and strippable, though strippable is typically preferred. Color sealants bond with the grout, filling the pores to protect them. They also allow you to maintain or even change the color of your grout, including from dark to light and vice versa. Finally, penetrating sealants coat the minerals below the surface and come in types that protect solely against water or ones that protect against water and oil.

What you choose to use depends mainly on the location and usage of the tile and grout. Consider the amount of traffic, wear and tear, and types of things coming into contact with the grout when making your sealant choices for your Vancouver WA new homes. With regular maintenance, you can keep your grout looking just like new.

Categorized in: Design Studio, Design Tips, New Home Tips

This post was written by Pacific Lifestyle Homes