My grouting is DISGUSTING

[lucysnowe]

Our kitchen floor was tiled only a year ago but the grouting is already foul. This is partly my fault I guess because I only mop about once a week but mostly I like to blame DH for putting the tiles too far apart and giving it a lumpy finish.

I know I can go at it with a brush and clean it but it will look gross again in about 10 min.

Can I get someone to put new, darker grout on top or replace it completely? or will it have to be retiled?

Asking mumsnet before I ask a tiler to do this horrible job!

What colour is it? Bleach and bicarbonate is amazing at making white grouting come back to life.

Try boiling water and bio washing detergent and an old fashioned mop.

And get a Vileda spray mop - £15 well spent, so easy to have a quick mop round at the end of the day.

Mix bleach and bicarb together into a v thick paste. Paint it on the grout and leave for a few hours. Then wipe off.

It won't solve the problem long term, but for now it's a pretty miraculous, quick, cheap fix.

You could get a grout removing tool (Aldo had them in last week I think), then redo with a darker grout.

I think the main thing you need to do (if you clean existing grout, or replace) is to seal the grout afterwards.

Good luck!

Aldi

I mix a paste of bicarb and white wine vinegar, brush it on with an old toothbrush, leave for an hour and then rinse with shower hose.
White wine vinegar is great for glass too.

Seriously OP, whatever flooring you have put down in a high traffic area like a kitchen it's going to look dirty if you only clean it once a week.

Replace the white grouting with something more forgiving for a start. White has to be the worst colour grout for a floor.

If you put new grout on top of the old it will rapidly start to come away as there will be nothing for the new grout to 'grip' to.
So yes, you need the old grout removing and replacing with a darker one. I always use Maxigrout which is fast setting for joints of 2mm - 20mm widths, and is suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. I always use black which looks good and is practical for heavy traffic.

Thanks all and ouch Dame :-)

Could I ask a tiler to remove and replace the grout or is it a nasty job that they will only do under strict duress? I guess I want to avoid doing it myself if at all possible.

Appreciate the cleaning suggestions, I suppose I should probably at least give it a go...

Try looking on ebay for transparent grout sealant. Clean your grout for once and use the sealant with a small brush. It works like a varnish and so the grout underneath will stay clean.

I need to do this for my bathroom.

You can get pens that change the colour of your grout. I've never used one but I know they exist.

www.amazon.co.uk/Grout-Pen-Dark-Grey-Restores/dp/B0077LMF9Y

Vote here for dark grout, white grout is madness!! Flash with bleach is ace and sainsburys sell a shaped scrubbing tool esp for grouting.

Oh wow that pen looks great! and the transparent sealant too! Do you think it would be possible to use the pen and put sealant over the top?

Sorry,I didn't mean that harshly I just know my floor would be minging if I left it a week!

The pens are like Tippex, awful! I'm going to get some clear sealant and do my bathroom!

Hmm you wouldn't recommend the pens? I am tempted tho. :)

No worries I probably do need nagging but we had laminate floor before which was fairly low maintenance and I'm finding tiles and white grouting a bit too much!

I would go through the pain of removing the grouting and replacing it - either with dark grey or terracotta to match the tiles. By the time you have cleaned the existing grouting and messed about, you could have done much of the work.

If you have a VERY steady hand, and the gap between the tiles isn't too narrow, you could use a drill such as a Dremmel to take out the old grout. I have done this myself, but not on a floor. It is quicker, but concentration is key.

I have to say I hate white grout with a vengeance.As PP's have said, it's impossible to keep clean, and for me, drains colour from the tiles. With respect to Wowfudge, I wouldn't use terracotta coloured grout either, as there would be no contrast between it and the tiles, and would look very odd.

Also, when you do regrout, make sure the mix isn't too sloppy. For as it dries out, the water evaporates from the grout and causes the grout itself to sink, creating deep channels which trap dirt.

Make the grout mix firm, and level it off to the level of the tiles. If you want the surface of the grout to be super smooth, once you've got it to the level you want, lightly run a finger - that you've just dipped in water and shaken off - along the grout line.Then leave to dry.

Don't worry if the tiles look cloudy, you can wash them thoroughly once the grout is fully hardened. If you try to wash the tiles before the grout has hardened off, you will keep lifting the still wet grout from the grout spaces and spreading it over the tiles.

I love my grey grout, very resistant.

I have an oak floor and only mop once a week - the wood seems to hide a multiple of sins

*multitude

ArtyBat that sounds like good advice. Do you want to come round and do it for me :)

Thanks all. Well I am going to consider regrouting, as there are other issues (tiling not quite finished at the edges)...