Cleaning discoloured grout

[headey]

I have tiling around our bath which came with the house 20 years ago. They are the bog-standard 15cm white square tiles with probably bog-standard grout. I've tried cleaning them over the years and also used a grout sealer, but nothing lasts very long. Much of the discolouration is probably soap rather than mould.

As you can see in the picture, I brushed it (dry) with a stiff narrow brush which has discouloured the bristles, but had little impact on the colour of the grout itself.

What are my options? Remove the top layer of grout and re-grout with something better? (Recommendations?) Clean it? If so, what is my best method and with what? Then, what grout sealer would you recommend (if at all)?

[dewaltdisney]

I would try HG Mould spray first https://hg.eu/uk/products/hg-mould-spray I have used this a number of times, you spray it on leave it for twenty minutes and then use a nail brush to scrub it before washing down. I am sure that it will make a vast improvement. Only a fiver in Tesco.

DWD

[Someone-Else]

I don't think it's soap, wrong colour. My money is on iron in the water.
Any "sealer" will be a waste of time/money since you will only seal in what is already there, you could try the stuff dewaltdisney suggests, but I would suggest this stuff Click me just because it is grout cleaner. Do read the instructions first.

[headey]

Interesting. Both of you recommended HG products. I did like the look of the foaming mould cleaner, simply because it will stick better to a wall, but a grout cleaner does sound more relevant to my situation.

Looking on the Tesco site, the reviews seem to be fairly widely spread, with quite a few 1-star reviews claiming it does no good at all while others say it's the best thing they've ever used. For a fiver, probably worth a punt. Thanks for the recommendation.

[dewaltdisney]

I guess the bad reviews are from chumps who do not read the instructions. I did a shower for a friend who bought a house that was very dirty. The shower looked like it had black grout. I sprayed HG and left it for half an hour, it was like a black torrent as I washed it down with the shower spray. I then did it again and gave the grout a good scrub with a stiff brush plus the alloy frame and sealant. The transformation was amazing. Yes, give it a shot first, your grout is pristine compared to the shower mentioned above.

DWD

[headey]

Thanks dewaltdisney. I will definitely try it. Do you seal it afterwards? Some sort of impervious coating would seem appropriate, though I don't know if such a thing even exists that would survive very long.

[dewaltdisney]

No, grout is grout and although it might need regular cleaning it stays good. I use a squeegee and wipe over with a sponge thing after a shower, finally drying with an old towel kept for this purpose. This removes water and residual soap and prevents any limescale or dampness that promotes mould growth and every so often I give it a clean with Jif which all seems to keep it nice.

DWD

[headey]

Your aprez-shower routine is more thorough than mine. I always wipe it with a squeegee and dry cloth to remove the bulk of the water, but I omit the intermediate sponge. Maybe that would remove any residual skin/grime/soap etc.

[dewaltdisney]

Yes, I am a bit over the top, but I have always done it. Once you have a routine, it's easy.

DWD

[dewaltdisney]

I was in Tesco and noticed HG Grout cleaner is on Clubcard offer for £3.75.

DWD

[wine~o]

I just use bleach diluted 50/50 with water and an old toothbrush. eye and skin protection are a must.

[dewaltdisney]

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p ... /302348340

DWD

[headey]

This is after using HG Grout cleaner, not the mould cleaner foam. Maybe not quite 'Hollywood teeth' white, but a definite improvement on what went before.

Thanks for the pointer to this product.

[dewaltdisney]

A big improvement, it will get progressively better each time you use it. Meantime have a go with Cif leave five minutes and brush the grout lines.

DWD