BOB: First off, we’ve lived in this house for four years, we built it new, and they told us that a good idea is to kind of clean the grout or to treat the grout and seal it. But I guess it got behind me or I got behind it or whatever. Anyway, we’ve been there four years and I want to find a way to clean the grout and then seal it. What would be the best idea to do that?
LESLIE: My favorite grout-cleaning technique, which tends to work pretty well, is to take a bleach-and-water solution – usually it’s 10 percent bleach to 90 percent water; sometimes you can go a little bit heavier on the bleach but not too much – and soak a paper towel in it. And once that paper towel is saturated, put that up on your tile and the grout itself and it will adhere to the tile and to the grout. And let it sit there 15 minutes, 20 minutes, a half hour, and then remove it and really give it a good cleaning. Because the longer you let it sit on there, the more the bleach really activates into the tile and into the grout and will help you clean it.
BOB: So then after you pick up the paper and towel and remove that, then you go through with a brush of some kind or what?
TOM: Yeah, like a nail brush or an old toothbrush and just give it a little abrasion and then rinse it off. And after it dries really, really, really well, then you can put a grout sealer on it.
BOB: Oh, very good.
TOM: Alright, Bob. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.
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