Grout and Tile Cleaning                      

Best methods for cleaning of glazed tile and grout

Everyday cleaning:

Immediately wipe up spills and messes. Use pH balanced cleaners and soap less detergents for daily cleaning. Agitate grout joints with a soft bristled brush to loosen debris. Thoroughly rinse, dry, and polish cleaned areas.

Acidic cleaners will eventually erode the grout in the joint making cleaning and maintenance more and more problematic. This is especially true if using acidic cleaners on sanded grout installations. This is due to the tendency of the acids to eat away the smaller aggregates first leaving the larger stain attracting aggregates in their place.

Heavy duty cleaning:

Again an attempt should be made to solve the cleaning problem with high quality pH balanced cleaners. These can include non-staining household scouring powders, TSP or poultices manufactured for this purpose. Be sure to agitate the cleaners again with a soft bristled brush to loosen stubborn grime. A good practice is to allow the cleaner to rest on the surface for a while to take advantage of the cleaners maximum potential. 

If the results are not acceptable, high alkaline cleaners are the next step. These cleaners are recognized by their names like: "heavy duty"or "deep clean."

If the result are not satisfactory using the PH balanced cleaners, it may be necessary to use a acidic solution to solve a particular problem. Sulfamic and phosphoric acids are the safest and most used acids used in solving tile and grout cleaning problems. These two acids have very specific mixing and application recommendations that must be followed to the letter. Regardless, thoroughly rinse the cleaned area, dry, and polish. On large areas, it is perfectly acceptable to use commercial buffing machines to clean tile and grout. The important consideration is the type of cleaner and the thorough rinse following the deep cleaning.

Grout staining

Today there are several options for changing the color of your existing grout and most are acceptable.

Whether grout color has been compromised due to improper installation, age or the need to redecorate, grout color can be changed or enhanced using a variety of methods. The three main types of products designed to color or enhance grout are: “colorants” that coat the grout surface, “stains” that penetrate the surface and impart pigment and “enhancer's” that penetrate the surface, darkening and enriching the color with out changing it.

Epoxy colorants are considered to be the most resistant to stains and the longest lasting coloring method. Epoxy colorants are also the only coloring product that can be used over epoxy grout joints. An advantage of using stains and enhancer's as compared to colorants is their ease of application. Solvent-based coloring methods are not recommended for use on grout joints around natural stone or porous tile unless the tile or stone is to be colored or enhanced as well.

Coloring products will neither reinforce grout nor repair structural defects present in grout joints. Coloring products are intended to be used over structurally sound and clean grout, free of sealers and contaminants that may cause bonding or shading issues. Proper grout preparation procedures must be followed for successful coloring.

Whatever coloring method is used, proper maintenance is required to obtain the full benefit of the products coloring and sealing properties. General cleaning should be done with neutral pH cleaners and rinse mopping is highly recommended. Products designed for use with tile and grout should be used as compared to household product such as ammonia, bleach and vinegar that can damage or lighten the coloring product. With proper use and care, coloring grout can add to the beauty and longevity of a tile installation.

Grout Stains:

Stains are the least common of the grout-coloring products. They are usually solvent based and penetrate the surface of the grout covering the aggregate with pigment. Stains do not coat the surface of the grout and maintain the grouts granular surface texture unlike colorants, which tend to look painted. Because they do not cover the surface of the grout they are not as effective as colorants for changing grout colors. They work best when changing light colors to darker colors. When changing dark colors to light they will look more like a wash and give an uneven coloring effect. They can be applied over sanded and non-sanded grout but will not work over epoxy grout. Solvent-based stains should not be used with natural stone and porous tile, as they will stain it. Sealing the stone will not prevent this because solvents will break down sealers.

Grout stains are usually also sealers and provide excellent protection against water and water damage but lack the chemical and oil resistance of grout colorants. The sealing and coloring effects of stains will generally last up to five years before needing reapplication. Stains can be used for interior and exterior applications but will fade rapidly when exposed to constant sunlight and exterior weather conditions.

Although not generally recommended, concrete stains, Saltillo stains and acrylic paints are sometimes used to stain grout with varying degrees of success. When using these types of stains, sealing is usually required.

Enhancers:

Enhancers are very similar to grout stains. They are typically solvent-based, penetrating products and do not cover the grouts surface, maintaining the granular aspect of the grout joint. The main difference between stains and enhancer's is that they do not use pigments to change the color of the grout, but instead, darken and enrich the existing color. This affect is generally called “the wet look.”

Enhancers work best on grout that is of uniform color, the main complaint being that the grout has dried too light. If the grout has large variations in color, shading or mottling this effect will usually be enhanced as well. The best test to determine if this is the proper product for a given application is to apply water onto the grout joint and observe whether the grout color darkens evenly and to the desired shade. Although enhancer's can be water based, solvent-based enhancer's work more effectively for darkening and enriching the color.

Enhancers should not be used over gout in natural stone and porous tile installations, unless the stone and tile are to be enhanced as well. Enhancing the grout joint only, may result in a picture framing effect or staining. Epoxy grout cannot be enhanced due to its low porosity and in most cases solvent-based enhancer's may damage the epoxy grout.

Enhancers, much like stains, provide sealing protection but not to the degree afforded by epoxy colorants. Enhancers can be used for interior and exterior applications but will also fade rapidly when exposed to constant sunlight and exterior weather conditions. The life expectancy of most enhancer's is up to three years but in exterior installations may need reapplication as often as every six months.