The quality of our tiles can be heavily dampened by uncleaned grout. Tile grout is an important binding factor between the tiles, but it can result in some unwanted filth accumulating in it. There are quite a few reasons we should properly clean tile grouts, but just with the ugly black lines that show up after a while, we should have a decent motivator. While cleaning it can be hard, let’s see what professionals use for this purpose and whether we can engage with grout cleaning ourselves.
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Cleaning the grout
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We want our tiles to be clean and nice looking no matter where we position them. That’s why grout can end up feeling like such an obnoxious problem for our tiled floors. The grout will heavily impact the appeal of these floors by covering them up somewhat. In addition, the consistent pattern of tiles will be interrupted and thus lose part of its charm.
While filth in the grout can be removed, we should know what type of item to use when doing so. Using the wrong cleaner or cleaning method can easily worsen our floors’ state. Potentially even damaging them depending on the treatment we employ.
Health reasons to worry about grout
Aside from dirty tile grout being aesthetically displeasing, it can also be troublesome for our health. While by themselves, most types of grout are safe, it’s the role they end up serving to harmful materials that make them troublesome for us too.
The initial issues may seem minor. Dirt accumulating in grout looks just like a cleaning hassle rather than a health issue. But do not be fooled. Tile grout can become home to thousands of dangerous bacteria quickly. These bacteria can then spread throughout our bathroom and eventually get in contact with our bodies.
The accumulation happens because of the porous nature of tile grout. Despite looking like it’s solid and without any openings for filth to creep into, it is quite easy for this to happen. Not only do regular types of bacteria live inside these pores, but some rather dangerous ones can also make their way into tile grouts. Staphylococcus, salmonella, streptococcus, and coli are the most dangerous bacteria that may end up inhabiting our tile grout.
If you are using cement tile grout, it’s also possible to suffer adverse effects from dust that results from it being worn out. A few problems, mostly related to our respiratory system, can stem from this. Whether you are cleaning or working around tile grout, keep yourself safe from this dust.
Why hire professionals?
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While it is possible to clean up grout on our own and get rid of smaller amounts of it with no issue, there are still going to be situations where it’s simply better to call a professional cleaner. Then, avoiding any damage, we could do to our tiles and engaging in a safe and clean practice that will make our home sparkle.
When hiring a professional cleaner, ensure you know what’s included in the price. There’s no worse experience than finding out that we have extra costs we didn’t expect. However, if you get a reputable cleaner, it is unlikely you’ll suffer any such issues. For this purpose, renuehawaii provides incredibly consistent quotes while also being throughout with their work. Those tiles will look as good as new.
How do professionals clean tile grout?
While professionals are skillful and experienced people who know how to remove the troublesome grout, they are still working with pretty simple tools. No matter whether it’s a worker wrapping up their job by cleaning or a professional cleaner themselves, everybody uses pretty standard items to achieve a proper cleanup.
Most professional grout cleaning uses simple chemical cleaners. This includes most items that are available on the market today. However, this type of cleaning isn’t recommended. The reason is the harmfulness of its byproducts. If the item is used, it’ll most likely leave some fumes behind that can be harmful to inhale.
A much safer option comes in the form of white vinegar and water. It’s possible to mix them together in a 1-to-1 ratio in order to remove stains from grout. This is bound to clean up that dirty grout found between our tiles. That will also prevent any form of mold from forming and causing the area to become even more difficult to clean.
The things to keep in mind while cleaning
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As we’ve mentioned, the tile grout should be professionally cleaned in situations where there is a ton of grout to clean. However, we can use DIY cleaning as a way to handle small problems with grout that do not warrant a whole cleaning engagement. For example, noticing a mild accumulation of debris and dirt or simply spilling something on the tiles are usually cleanup jobs we’ll do ourselves.
Do keep in mind that any sort of item you use for cleaning should be checked. Even if you are using the standard white vinegar and water cleaning method, make sure that it will not damage your tiles. Damaged tiles can be difficult to repair properly without outright replacing them. At the very least, it’s rather easy to wash out the tiles’ color, which can make them stick out.
Conclusion
In the end, the answer to the question is actually quite simple. The standard use cleaning products are also what professionals use, although their cleaning methods make it possible to air out or remove the byproducts of the item’s use. On the other hand, a simple vinegar and water mixture can prove just as effective.
What truly matters is knowing when to engage grout cleaning on our lonesome and when to leave it to the professionals. As you may assume, the difference between what we can do and what experienced individuals with full gear can achieve is quite noticeable. So do not fret from cleaning some spills or slight debris from the grout, but professionals should handle anything more serious. In fact, it may save you money due to increasing the lifespan of the tiles. In addition, professionals will preserve the health and appearance of our home with these bigger cleaning jobs, while we can achieve that on a smaller scale.
