I put down ceramic tile on the kit. floor but the creme colored grout is terrible to clean. Help!

[MichiganVote]

[trotsky]

1. I always make sure I have a 50% bleach solution in a spray bottle.

As long as a surface won't be bleached, it's a great way to get rid of many stains. Just let it sit for a minute or two if it's a particularly difficult stain.

[MichiganVote]

6. Thanks!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

2. Use a commercial strength

tile grout cleaner . Buy it at a industrial supply,or home depot, where tile and tile supplies are. You will need ventilation when you use commercial strength stuff. It's fast and effective.Talk to a rep. in the tile department.

[MichiganVote]

7. That's a good idea. Can I rent a machine too?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

9. You can,, I would, and you can buy one too.

You can also buy those used. There is also industrial strength floor stripper for tile. Come now dear Michigan person, how do you think professionals clean the tile in those tall buildings! Certainly you don't think they do it on their knees , never happen! I do repair/remodel work, and I get asked every kind of question under the sun. It's this way, there is always the easy way and the hard way,it's just a choice. Now I can look at every product under the sun and experiment with them all, or I can know that janitors are lazy as a rule and find out how they do it and what tools and products they use! The key to the product line is you look for it in a industrial supply, the last place the homeowner will think to look!

Now get down to home depot tile department, and tell the tile rep. you love your tile, and of course you bought it all from them, but the cleaning part, what do tile guys do it with, you know, the powerful stuff. ! You hate scrubbing on yer knees. They will help you ! Good luck!I think black and decker makes a floor power scrubber for tile and sheet flooring. ! Merry Christmas ! By the way, the powerful stuff has some clorx in it along with other powerful stuff.

[MichiganVote]

10. Thanks...er...Wash. Sure wish you lived closer to me. When I get it done in the Spring, I'll let you

know how it works out.

[Kolesar]

3. We used a "new" grout product that would not "stain" when we laid tile in 2005

It has teflon in it or something like that. The only problem with it was that the grout shrinks when it dries: two coats is a given. The label of the package says that in a weasel-wordily way (I thought we were using it incorrectly).

If you don't want to grind the old grout out, I think you can clean the stuff using the aforementioned cleaners and then coat the grout (and maybe the tile) with a sealer.

I recall that people would buy travertine marble for floors and actually have to have it cleaned and sealed twice a year. Unbelievable. That would get "old" real fast. I guess if a homeowner has beaucoups bucks, they can pay someone. Sort of like making payments on your floor. I'd rather buy a bicycle.

[Warpy]

8. They also make some decent sealers for grout

and the tile store will be a big help on finding the right one.

I echo the advice about the bleach solution. Do that before you seal, of course.

Travertine marble in the bath has got to be the silliest thing, ever. The stuff discolors to a sickly yellow in the presence of heat and moisture if it isn't kept heavily sealed at all times. That means it's super high maintenance in a hot, moist area like a bath and even with careful maintenance, it's probably going to look like hell in ten years or so.

Most of those HGTV trophy house designers should be sued and condemned to spend 15 years cleaning the stupid crap they put into yuppie trophy houses.

[mopinko]

4. anything lighter than a 50% gray should be

illegal. or you should just accept the disorder of the universe. say it with me- ooommmmm

[MichiganVote]

5. Tis true she laments. But its so purdy when its all clean. Only takes two weeks on my knees. :(

[NMDemDist2]

11. buy a grout tool for your dremel and get rid of it

replace the grout with an easier color to maintain

:evilgrin:

here's hubby and me taking out all the charcoal black grout so we could redo it to go with the new wall tiles