by Loralie Lynn

Created on: December 28, 2009

Ceramic tile floors are a beautiful addition to any room in the house.  They give a rustic, yet modern look to places such as the bathroom, kitchen, foyer, or even living area and dining room.  However, ceramic tile floors can become dirty and dingy, especially where the grout meets the tiles themselves.  Here are some tips for cleaning and brightening grout in ceramic tile floors and enhancing the look of this beautiful addition.

Spray the grout with a half Clorox half water mixture.  Let the brightening mixture sit for about 30-45 minutes.  Run an old toothbrush under hot water and scrub the dingy grout as vigorously as possible.  Keep doing this until all the Clorox sprayed grout has been cleaned.  No need to rinse the excess Clorox, unless you have colored grout (be careful using Colox on colored grout...dilute the solution with more water in this case).  Leaving the remains will brighten more of the grout over time.  This cleansing routine takes a lot of effort, but the results are amazing. Plus, by spraying the grout with Clorox, you are guaranteed to brighten your ceramic floor and keep it clean longer without having to do this cleaning method again anytime soon. It lasts a few months.

Create a cleaning paste with peroxide and baking soda.  Rub brightening paste mixture onto grout with an old washcloth in a circular motion. Let the cleaning mixture sit on ceramic tile grout for about an hour.  Take an old toothbrush and scrub hard in a circular motion until all the dingy areas of the grout are cleaned.  Wipe thoroughly with a clean wet washcloth to be sure all the peroxide and baking soda mixture is gone.  If you leave a lot of the pasty mixture on the ceramic tile grout, it will harden and create a bit of a mess that could be dragged around the house by busy feet.

Use color sealer to prevent further staining and mildew infestation on ceramic tile grout.  One of the best ways to prevent dingy, dirty grout is to apply a color sealer to the grout immediately upon installation or after your first cleaning.  You can either have the company that installed your ceramic tile apply a color sealer when he is finished or you can do it yourself by purchasing a color sealer at any local hardware store or even online.  A color sealer is a sealant that works to penetrate grout deep in to prevent the buildup of mildew, mold, and other debris that normally gets caught in the porous areas of grout.  See resource list below on more information for color sealers and application.

Links:

http://www.aqua-mix.com/Aqua-Mix-Grout-Colorant?s_kw cid=TC-1331-22776632521-S-2378929021

http://www.grout-sealer.com/

http://www.groutshields.com/index.htm

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/kitchen-and-bath/kitc hen-and-bathroom-surfaces/how-to-clean-grout/#HowtoC leanGrout

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