Tips for Tackling Embarrassing Bathroom Tile and Grout
Believe it or not, dirty bathrooms sway people’s opinions of restaurants just as much as the food does. And that begs an important question: what does your bathroom tell visitors about your home?
Emptying the trash and cleaning the toilet bowl is easy enough. But many homeowners struggle with things that build up over time: soap scum, mildew, dirty grout lines, and old caulk. Even when your bathroom is germ-free, these unsightly issues can send the wrong message to guests attending your next Packers-Bears rivalry party.
But taking a few cheap and easy steps will ensure that you don’t have cringe when a guest asks to use the restroom.
Pay Special Attention to Cleaning, Maintaining Your Caulk
After a while, you’ll notice that bathroom caulk picks up soap scum and mold stains that won’t come out, no matter how hard you try. Even worse, old caulk can crack or peel, allowing moisture to seep into joints and leading to expensive water damage.
The key is clean and replace caulk on a regular schedule. Cheap caulk has to be replaced every 18 months. And, if stubborn mold appears on the caulk regularly, you might want to call a professional to cut out the old caulk, address the underlying mold issues, and recaulk and seal it. The caulk we use at Grout Experts lasts for several years.
These tips will help keep caulk looking new between replacements:
- Mix a solution of bleach and water and use a toothbrush to scrub the caulk clean.
- Run a bleach pen along the caulk, allow it to sit for 10 minutes, then wipe away with warm water.
- Apply over-the counter mildew and mold spray on a regular basis to stay ahead of build-up.
Caulk often goes overlooked, but it’s nearly impossible for a bathroom with stained or moldy caulk to pass the “eyeball test” that we all use to determine if a room is clean.
Has the Color of Your Grout Has Changed Over Time?
Grout is porous, so it’s not uncommon for dirt to get embedded deep down inside over time — especially in high-traffic areas. The result is grout that looks darker and lighter in some areas. And if those darker areas appear to be mold or mildew, it’s probably time to call a grout expert to tackle the problem.
There are a number of options to tackle dirty bathroom grout lines. A combination of regular home maintenance and professional tile and grout cleaning is probably the best strategy. Here are a few tips for home cleaning:
- Mix equal parts white vinegar and water, and spray it onto the grout and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, mix water and baking soda in a bowl and follow up by scrubbing the grout with a toothbrush.
- Spray your shower down with the vinegar-water mixture on a regular basis to prevent build-up.
Despite our best efforts to keep grout looking new, there comes a time when it’s time to call the Grout Experts. Re-grouting can be a great way to breathe new life into a bathroom. Or, Grout Experts can deep clean existing grout and use a permanent, penetrating stain to give it a fresh look. Then, a new lawyer of sealant will help keep it — and your bathroom — looking new.
Does Your Tub Look Dirty, Even When It’s Clean?
With scratches and dings, rust and lime stains, and normal wear-and-tear, tubs take a real beating over time. And all that wear can make the surface of a tub look dirty, even after it was just cleaned. But there’s good news: your tub can look new without a replacement or tub liner.
Tub reglazing (also called tub resurfacing) can restore an existing tub’s surface to like-new condition. The process involves surface preparation, priming and applying a topcoat. Tubs can be left in place, and it’s a cheap and easy way to get tubs looking like new.
Simple maintenance along with regular visits from a professional is a great strategy to help keep your home looking clean and fresh. The long-term benefits will be to maintain the value of your home and reduce the likelihood of costly repairs in the future.
