Help please! Fed up with dirty looking grout!

[buffle]

I have had my ceramic floor tile for 7 years now. I really liked the original bright look of the light grey sanded grout. I sealed it with a chemical sealant from Home Depot that didn't seem to work well. So I tried a chemical cleaner which I scrubbed at for a day or two with poorish results. Last year I found this cool sandy eraser thingy which did a great job of cleaning the grout but the seal I used again darkened the grout(as guaranteed not to) Furthermore it is dirty again. Cleaning the floors in the usual way does not clean the grout. I don't seriously have to get down on my hands and knees every year to scrub, erase or scrape and reseal this stuff do I?

To further complicate things the grout in the bathroom and entry way still look great which really makes the kitchen grout look dirty and not just dark.

So what are my options? Is there a non-staining grout I can use in these fairly wide joints? Can I put a thin layer of different coloured grout on top of the current grout? Can I use a colour dye that is lighter than the current dirty grout? Is there some better solution to cleaning and sealing this stuff? If it is going to be a ton of work I am leaning to just tearing it out at this point because it never looks good.

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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[Davestone]

Well, that is the one main weakness of tile installations...the traffic areas, and areas you mop frequently get crappy joints.The epoxy grouts won't stain or get dirt imbedded in them.The grout stain will help to bring the color back to life, after you clean it good.What is probably hapening when you clean with a wet mop is you're making a muddy solution on the floor and the mopping is pushing it into the grout joint where it stays.You need a tile grout cleaner..like we sell above at our TYW store, and you need to agitate the joints with a brush..one that attaches to a broom handle, for easy cleaning.Rinse well, let dry, and use one of the sealers you'll find at TYW,also,a cheaper sealer will have to be reapplied,more often, and after 7 years i would think you're due.When you need to clean the floor just sweep, and if you need to mop be sure to use you ph,neutral cleaner we also have.

[Steven Hauser]

To add to Davestones advice,

Please change the water as sson as its dirty. Check the mop head and scrubbing heads, are they clean and new looking? If not, then replace them. The point I'm trying to make is this, the sealers, and cleaners only work if you are removing dirt from the installation.

[doitright]

Hi Buffle, Welcome! :)

Dave and Steven have brought up excellent points.

You have a couple of issues to overcome.

1. Thoroughly clean the grout with a tile & stone specific. high alkaline cleaner, followed by cleaning with a tile & stone specific acidic cleaner.

This should be performed by allowing the products some dwell time, followed by agitation with a stiff brush. The soiled solution is best removed with a wet vac (along with some extra water to assist in thorough removal).

2. Is this freshly cleaned grout the color you want (after drying)?

If it isn't, a grout colorant can now be used (with superior adhesion and penetration of the clean grout surface), to the clean grout. The colorant not only seals the grout, but it will be less prone to capture soil as it will fill the small voids in the grout.

As mentioned in the above posts, you will still need to properly maintain this surface. It's best to use a stone & tile specific neutral pH cleaner. It will assist in penetrating and loosening the soil. Most important (as Steven noted), is to change the wash water when it becomes cloudy.