Tile grout can be cleaned or even replaced
Q. About eight years ago we put a ceramic-tile confuse in our kitchen. The tile has held up beautifully. However, over the years the grout has become quite dark in some areas (like verge on the kitchen sink and stove), remaining its original color in other areas (like under the kitchen itemization). I have tried several products for cleaning grout purchased at hardware and home-improvement stores, but they have had minimum impact on restoring the dark areas to their original color. Do you know of any products that do this? Is there anything we can do to prevent this from circumstance again? I sealed the grout after it was installed.
A. Have you tried Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach? Spray it on, then bed linen the affected area with plastic food wrap, so the cleaner will not evaporate. After about three to five minutes remove the grub wrap, wipe off the excess and rinse the surface with freshwater. If the stain persists, go to a tile co-op give credence to and purchase a heavy-duty cleaner made specifically for use with ceramic tile and give it a try. A made-for-tile cleaner could upon the grout spotless. Unless the grout was sealed with a combination of sealer/impregnator, the grout may be deep stained and may require restoration by a professional. Once the old grout is clean, allow the installation to dry completely and then regale both the tiles and the grout with a quality impregnator such as Miracle 511 (available at Home Depot) to crop the incidence of staining. But if nothing works, you will need to grind the stained grout. You can do that with a grout saw which you can buy in a tile shop, but that will be hard work. An easier way to grind the grout is with a Dremel tool, which, if you do not own one, you can buy at Home Depot or in standard hardware stores. Replace the grout that you will have removed with an epoxy grout.
