ammonia?

[dohja4433]

what's the mix of ammonia and water to clean grout?can't remember but i saw it on hear before never used it though

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[muskymike]

Hi Will, I have no idea. I'll move you over to the Resto Forum.

[ddmoit]

Here's a link to a recipe from the Web... http://www.mrscleannw.com/tips/grout-cleaning.html

I'm a little surprised that the recipe has vinegar and baking soda. I would expect those two ingredients to cancel each other out.

Don't get bleach anywhere near this mix.

[az]

NO offense, but I thought that we were past the old wives tale of using vinegar on grout. It degrades the grout, albeit slowly, because it is an acid. Add ammonia, which is a bleaching agent, and you could slowly degrade AND discolor the grout. There have been too many jobs that I have been on where people have been using something like that for years, and of course they think it's my fault I can't make it look like it is supposed to. People also try this on natural stone and end up etching the surface of the stone. Overall, not a good idea to be pushing this to Mrs. Baker the homemaker.

There are too many good "over the counter" cleaners out there that are on the alkaline or even neutral side that will not harm your grout, and they will do a good job. For those of you who can afford it, hire a professional and then maintain your floor in-between cleanings with the appropriate cleaner and a machine that is made for tile (such as the Hoover Floor Mate). When done properly this will extend the time in-between professional cleanings significantly. Contact me on the proper technique.

I can't stress enough that we need to do away with misinformation in our industry. Homeowners should use nothing but neutral or slightly alkaline cleaners on thier floor that are made specifically for that purpose.

Hope I didn't offend anyone....

az

[doitright]

Hi Kerry :)

You bring up some very good points, in which I agree with most.

Our job here on the this forum is to help the DIY'er as much as possible, without seeking the assistance of a professional whenever possible.

As far as using vinegar for cleaning grout vs. a professional cleaner, any product that contains acid or acid blends is going to degrade the grout with every use (professional or not), because that's how it works (physically removing the top layer). Where the harm comes is when these products are used on a regular basis, and are not neutralized.

I have also seen much damage while consumers have used these tile & stone specific products. It is not uncommon for us on the JB Forums to recommend the use of a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to TEST equalizing the color of discolored grout. If that doesn't work we will suggest trying vinegar full strength. If that doesn't work we will move them up to sulfamic or phosphoric acid (which are still safe products for the general consumer to handle following the label directions).

No feathers ruffled.

We will ask you to keep your posts on the forum though, rather than asking people to call you. We don't solicit our forum members, unless they specifically ask for a local professional to help them. ;)

[az]

I'm sorry, I am not soliciting on this forum. I don't do that on any forum, and I am moderator on two forums myself. That is not my goal. My goal is to inform the consumer about the proper ways of maintaining thier floors. That way I save many a professional from having to have "the talk" with thier clients about how the client screwed up their floors.

While I said to "contact me", it was concerning the use of a store-bought floor machine. Not hardly anything in it for me in teaching people how to use a machine that makes professional cleanings less frequent, now is there? So your point is moot. BUT, I understand where you are coming from and respect your authority on this forum. Please understand that I have enough business, I don't need to solicit on this forum. I truly like to help others, I have no other intentions other than that.

az

[doitright]

Hi Kerry :)

Understood. Thanks for clearing that up! :tup2:

Have you taken the opportunity to introduce yourself in the Pro Section?

We sincerely do appreciate your opinions and input on our forum. ;)