KEEP GROUT
Quick. If you haven’t sealed your kitchen grout yet, there is still time … unless it’s been 15 years. Then you probably should consider getting it thoroughly cleaned first.
Ken Hadley, owner/operator of Precision Tile Cleaning in Las Vegas, will clean any grout no matter how dirty it is.
"I’ve seen some really dirty grout over the years," Hadley said. "Most of the time it’s because the grout was never properly sealed and since grout is porous like a sponge, it just soaks up spilled coffee and orange juice and everything else. So you can imagine what it might look life after 15 years of daily use. There are times I have gone in and turned black grout back to its original color. This usually happens nine out of 10 times."
Grout is basically cement and should last forever. It is a mixture of powdered cement, sand and water with polymer additives to ensure color quality and flexibility. It locks tiles tight, keeps out water, prevents the edges of tile from chipping and cracking, and gives floors and walls a finished look. No one really notices grout except when it becomes seriously stained, cracked or falls out altogether.
According to Peter Torrell, general manger and co-owner of Mean Clean Tile and Grout Cleaning in Las Vegas, the most common grout is sanded grout.
"Unless the grout is seriously chipped, cracked or has never been cleaned, there’s no need to replace it," Torrell said. "Grout should come clean no matter how long it has been sitting. However, there is the option of using a color sealer. For instance, once I get the grout as clean as I can, I seal it with a different color and that makes the area look new and also covers serious stains. A color sealer can also save you a lot of money."
Torrell believes grout in homes should be cleaned at least every two years and in businesses and restaurants about every six months. Right now, business is good.
"Because of the current financial market," explained Torrell, "people don’t have money to replace floors or counters, which they did when they had equity in their homes or when restaurants were doing turn-away business. They realize I can clean floors or countertops for much less than a complete makeover and the results are excellent."
While it is usually some variation of white, some people use black or dark gray grout to hide some of the dirt. But even if grout is kept clean, it still can be unsanitary and harbor bacteria.
When Hadley arrives at a home, it can take him two to four hours to properly clean an area, depending on its size, how dirty it is and the day’s humidity.
"My truck is self-contained and I have an extremely hot water pressure washer and extractor," he explained. "We spray acid cleaner, rinse it, then apply alkaline to counteract the acid and rinse again. The acid removes a microscopic layer of dirt from the grout by etching it off. So while the washer is blasting and etching with hot water at a minimum of 150 degrees (Fahrenheit), it is simultaneously sucking up the residue. I only do a small section at a time whether it’s in the kitchen, shower, bathroom, on walls or on stairs. Once the job is done, it has to completely dry before any new grout or sealer is applied."
Since grout is porous and subject to staining, manufacturers and installers recommend sealing it after the grout has cured for several days and is completely dry. Sealers come in two varieties: membrane-forming and penetrating. Penetrating sealers are preferred as they still breathe after soaking into tile and grout. New homeowners are advised to inquire if the grout throughout their home has been sealed as homebuilders do not always seal grout.
And if you don’t want to worry about grout, consider epoxy grout.
"Epoxy grout is made up of two parts resin and hardener and is impervious to most chemicals and stains," Torrell said. "It’s expensive, about $8 per pound compared with $1 to $2 for cement-based grout. But its stain resistance, hardness and durability make epoxy grout the best choice for kitchen counters, backsplashes, floors and other heavy-traffic areas."
