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Anyone good at chemistry?
Technically I'm supposed to know these things -- I have a science degree -- but chemistry was never my strong suit, so...
Backstory: Our new (to us) house came with tile countertops in the kitchen, and they haven't been well-maintained. DH and I hate them. There are places where the grout, which is supposed to be white, is nearly black. And since the tiles are white, it really stands out. I've tried cleaning them with everything I can think of, including pure bleach, all to no avail. So we just accepted that our counters would be nast until we can afford to change them out.
I happened to read online today that a good way to clean grout is to sprinkle it with baking soda, spray on some vinegar (elementary science fair fun -- woo hoo!!!), then scrub with a dryer sheet. We don't use dryer sheets so I tried with a paper towel and the results weren't too exciting. But I got some dryer sheets at the supermarket this afternoon and gave it one more go and holy cow! We have white grout! Yay!
So here's my chemistry question, 'cause the not knowing is killing me:
What just happened in my kitchen? What does baking soda + vinegar + dryer sheets make that's better than bleach?
Re: Anyone good at chemistry?
Didn't work for me.
I got a nice white clean grout until I rinsed it with water. Then it was only marginally cleaner than before. For me the "clean" was just the baking soda/dryer sheet residue. Maybe I have bad dryer sheets - they are old and generic brand.
That's a big bummer! I hope I'm not the only one who gets exciting results. Maybe our grout was so very bad (I wasn't exaggerating at all when I said it was black in places) that the result for me just looked more dramatic.
Did you try actual grout cleaner? We used this on our floors with a little brush and it worked wonders. You do have to re seal the grout afterwards though, but it was worth it
We did, but it wasn't that brand. I wrote down the name so I know what to use next time (although hopefully it'll never ever be that dirty again...). Thanks!
BTW, now that things are getting clean, I'm sure we will want to reseal the grout. Who knows how long it's been since that happened, or if it was ever even done in the first place! What did you use to seal yours, and were you pleased with the results?
We used the grout sealer in the bottle at Home Depot (not online). It's a bottle shaped like Elmer's glue, but taller. I would also recommend two applications and then be sure to re-seal annually after cleaning. We've used both the blue and yellow brands and haven't noticed a difference.
Another excellent cleaning method is the little steam machine w/ vinegar. They work miracles!
I've wondered about those! I keep seeing ads for them late at night when I'm up feeding W. Good to know they actually work. They look like they're fun to use, too!
Honestly, the cleaning method I most look forward to trying is the one involving a sledgehammer and some crowbars, when we clean that countertop out of our house for good. But in the meantime, I love that I'm building up an arsenal against grimy grout! Thanks, ladies!