Easy Maintenance and Long-Lasting Results: How to Clean Grout
If there is one thing that is best not learned through direct experience, it is not to underestimate the state of the floor and wall tile joints.
What happens between one tile and another, in fact, can make the difference between a healthy covering that can remain intact for a long time and an aesthetic and functional disaster made of blackened joints, tiles that are ruined at the edges and that are harmful. moisture infiltration.
La cleaning of joints, often overlooked, is essential to ensure the hygiene of the home and maintain the original aesthetics of coverings and floors.
Grout Cleaning: Why is it Important?
Le joints between the tiles are often considered a necessary evil, a compromise that must be made for most floors: with the exception of marble, parquet and some synthetic coverings, it is difficult to avoid maintaining a certain space between the tiles.
In fact, the joints allow the materials to contract and expand without causing breakages and cracks, and no less importantly, they allow the compensation of the tile imperfections, a crucial feature especially when choosing natural and minimally processed materials.
Another purpose, certainly not secondary, of the joints is to prevent water and dirt from penetrating between the tiles and reaching the underlying layer, avoiding infiltration and the training of dangerous molds.
On the other hand, leaks can become breeding ground for bacteria and microorganisms, especially in very humid and poorly ventilated environments, where condensation can easily form.
Therefore, regardless of the type of mortar, it is important to always keep the joints in order and under control: the regular cleaning It is the first ally of healthy and defect-free escapes.
The frequency of cleaning, obviously, depends on the type of environment and the level of traffic it is subjected to. In any case, in the absence of stains and specific problems, it would be best not to let more than 1-2 months between one cleaning and another.
Cleaning the joints: pay attention to the materials
Nowadays they exist different types of leaks: the choice of this element can contribute significantly to the appearance of the room, and coloured or characteristically wide joints are not uncommon.
The evolution of the escapes obviously also passes through the use of different materials: to the traditional cement mortar joints, today we are adding resin-based interventions, epoxy and non-epoxy, which show greater resistance to stains and humidity.
Le epoxy grout, more expensive than cement-based ones, are very hard, waterproof and capable of resisting chemicals.
However, since this is a particularly delicate and crucial element for the durability of the covering, it is best to opt for a specific product or, alternatively, for a neutral soap including Mistral by New Chemical, also suitable for delicate coverings such as marble, natural stone, wood, terracotta and ceramic.
Its formulation based on surfactants of plant origin ECOCERT and RSPO certified, it is suitable for the treatment of joints and tiles, including those in cement mortar, which remain the most common.
Le concrete joints are also the most porous, which is why they require more frequent maintenance. Choose a product versatile, concentrated and low-foaming how Mistrall allows you to solve the problem of joints in a simple and economical way: you just need to regularly give them the same attention you give to tiles, without the need to use a specific detergent.
How to clean very dirty grout?
Grout, especially in humid environments like bathrooms and kitchens, tends to accumulate dirt and can stain quite easily.
Mold, limescale, rust and grease stains they are quite common, as are the dangerous blackenings that signal infiltrations and the presence of mold.
In these cases, it is necessary to proceed with a more thorough cleaning of the joints, which can make use of specific anti-mold products as well as natural remedies such as lemon, particularly effective on signs of rust.
First of all, you have to prepare the surface carefully removing surface dirt and dust, perhaps using a hard-bristled brush capable of sweeping away even the dirt that has insinuated itself deeper.
After that it is necessary choose the stain remover which will restore the joints to their original appearance: an effective and very practical solution is given by Micromax Extra by New Chemical, a concentrated stain remover that can also be used as a wax remover and degreaser depending on the dilution.
Effective on grease and other types of dirt, Micromax Extra is ideal for treating surfaces in porcelain stoneware, ceramic, natural stone, concrete, terracotta and wood.
Simply dilute it in water to the desired concentration, apply it to the surface to be treated, leave it to act for 5 20-minute and rinse with plenty of water.
