1.5 yr old grout cleaned with swiffer

[BradFenstermaker]

Fairly new install with very lite colored beige grout. Maintained by homeowner with Swiffer. Very clean home except the traffic lanes on the new kitchen grout are grey dingy.

I cleaned with Flex boosted with SP and had plenty of dwell time. Rinsed with 850 psi. Cobbs sealed. All grout went dark after mopping.

Today homeowner thinks it improved but still looks dull to her. I haven't seen it yet.

Any suggestions?

 

[Mikey P]

most likely it was never sealed, so even a few months of use and Swifering could have stained it.


If you want to go back and try again go acid this time assuming the tile is not a calcium based stone.

Mask off all stainless steel appliances, MOP down, DO NOT spray down, the acid and gently scrub the grout with a poll brush. DO NOT let the acid splash ON ANY THING.

Then turbo or wand it off after ten or twenty minutes.

If it still looks dingy or blotchy you can offer color sealing ..

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

can't comment on Flex, never used it. Test spot with your cleaner? You can hit any spot with a hair dryer and you'll see instantly what you're cleaners are doing. Keep a jar of Oxyblaster on hand from Magic Wand, a deck brush and a swivel grout brush. You will find Oxyblaster something you can count on. Tests spots will save your bacon so your not sealing over soil you haven't popped off. There's many dedicated tile cleaners, CTI makes a liquid that will last you a long time as well.

 

[Willy P]

Whooops

 

[Willy P]

Sorry about the above. Wrong pic. 30 year old mosaic in a swimming pool situation. Blackened grout,mopped daily. I hit it with this and the customer was ecstatic. More pics to follow I have 3 newer scrubbers but you can't beat my 20 year old faithful, Ol' Rusty Mastercraft. He's made me a lot of money, never broke down- hell I haven't even replaced the plug. They just don't make em like that any more.
http://greencleaningproducts.ca/products/tile-grout-cleaner/

 

[BradFenstermaker]

I offered reclean to traffic area's. She said no so far. Gonna see if I can get in there again.

 

[Scott S.]

i always dry the floor completely and make the customer approve the cleaning before i put sealer down.

 

[Mikey P]

i always dry the floor completely and make the customer approve the cleaning before i put sealer down.

Most Grout won't show its true colors for 24 Hours or more after steam cleaning, no matter how many fans you put down

 

[Scott S.]

Most Grout won't show its true colors for 24 Hours or more after steam cleaning, no matter how many fans you put down

yeah, but an hour with dripods give your a pretty good idea whats still stained and whats not.

 

[Mikey P]

dont count on it.


Unsealed grout takes a LONG time to dry.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

most likely it was never sealed, so even a few months of use and Swifering could have stained it.


If you want to go back and try again go acid this time assuming the tile is not a calcium based stone.

Mask off all stainless steel appliances, MOP down, DO NOT spray down, the acid and gently scrub the grout with a poll brush. DO NOT let the acid splash ON ANY THING.

Then turbo or wand it off after ten or twenty minutes.

If it still looks dingy or blotchy you can offer color sealing ..

dont you have to go over it again with viper venom or another high Ph cleaner to neutralize the acid before sealing?

 

[Mikey P]

Heck no...just rinse with water.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

So I have been wasting time and money doing this?! Grrrrrrrrr.......

 

[Mikey P]

Sorry dear..

Chemical salesmen can be scourge

 

[SamIam]

The reason for the acid clean it will take off the sealer and etch some of the top grout off hopefully leaving the customer happy, Like Mike said chances are color sealing if the grout was discolored by the swiffer.

How would the swiffer discolor would it just cause build up or leave a residue???

 

[Ken692]

He said pop off

 

[todg]

I run into those people all the time...I've seen people doing the swifter mop for many years...I tell them what it does (film build up)...they say they''ll stop...a year later there doing the same thing again...LOL I still see many people using a product called "Rejuvenate" and Mop n Glo...The bottles say "safe for ceramic and porcelain tile...Talk about restoration...What a nightmare...

 

[Mikey P]

This granite I looked at today had gobs of topical "clean and shine" type product on it...goop central..

 

[Old Coastie]

That looks like a mess.