Grout is the gritty substance used to fill the joints between tiles and assist in holding the chips together. It also protects the tiles from water seepage. You must clean the grout immediately after installation and as needed thereafter. Grout may become molded or dirty over time. It is important to keep the grout clean to maintain the clean appearance of the entire tile surface.
Instructions
Cleaning the grout immediately after installation
1 Remove excess grout from joints by holding a rubber trowel at an angle of 45 degrees and scraping diagonally through the tile. This should be done as soon as a small section of the grout has been installed.
2 fill a bucket with running water. Moisten a sponge in the water and wring well.
3 Wash the grout with the sponge, working again in a diagonal direction through the joints. Rinse and drain the sponge frequently.
4 Wait 10 minutes for grout to settle more thoroughly. Go over the area again with a damp sponge.
5 re-wash the entire surface once all grout is installed and settled. Grout drying times may vary depending on the temperature and type of grout. The time is very important to clean the newly installed grout; If the grout is too moist to clean you can wash grout from joints. If it is too dry, it will have hardened on the surface of the tile. Clean the grout when it is just beginning to harden.
Cleaning Grout
6 Mix an oxygen-and water-bleach solution in a bucket. The water-related bleach will vary depending on the brand of the oxygen bleach you are using. Oxygen bleach is as effective as chlorine bleach to clean grout, but will not change the color of grout or tile.
7 Fill an empty aerosol bottle with the oxygen-bleach solution. It may be easier to pour from the bucket to the spray bottle using a measuring cup with a lip.
8 Spray grout with cleaning solution. Start at the back of the room where you are cleaning and work your way to the door to avoid walking in bleaching.
9 allow the bleach to sit in the grout for about 5 minutes. The small bubbles or foam will begin to form in the grout. This is the working oxygen whitener to remove dirt and stains from grout. For very dirty or stained grout, allow the bleach to stand for 15 minutes.
10 Use a toothbrush or grout to scrub grout. Use a rag to clean the cleaning solution and dirty residue from the grout being worked on. This will prevent dirt from being deposited back into the grout. Rinse the rag in water frequently to avoid re-applying the soil to the grout.
11 Wash the entire surface with a rag (or towel) and clean water once the entire area has been erased. This rinse off residual dirt. Allow grout to air dry.