Why Do I Need to Seal the Grout on My Tile Floor?

Sealing the grout that is helping hold tile together and in place is often an afterthought for many homeowners. And when they do think about it they tend to balk at spending any money having it done, after all, when it gets a bit dirty you can always spend a little time cleaning it with a toothbrush or something similar, and all that will cost you is a bit of your time.

There are more good reasons to opt for grout sealing, especially for tile flooring, than just keeping it cleaner though. The simple fact is that unsealed grout is prone to allowing all of the following problems to develop:

Moisture works into the grout, loosening its seal on the tile, leading to loose tiles.
Moisture works into the grout and mold and mildew begin to grow within it.
Imposture works into the grout and mold and mildew begin to grow underneath the tiles.
The grout becomes so grimy that a week with a toothbrush couldn't get it clean.

Ready to get a little more serious about the idea of grout sealing now? We thought so.

Grout 101 

Most of the grout used in the average home is what is usually referred to as sanded grout. That is a slightly grammatically incorrect way to indicate that it is a substance that contains a lot of sand. Sand is obviously very porous, which means that the grout holding your tiles together will absorb a lot of the moisture in the air around it, as well as dirt, dust and debris and so even with regular mopping the grout lines in your ceramic flooring can be very dirty very quickly.

The Downsides of Daily Mopping 

The way you take care of a tile floor can add to a grimy grout problem. If, like many, you damp mop your floor the all too often you will not be removing dirt from floor but simply spreading it around. And if the sealant on your grout is old and worn, or does not exist at all you will be forcing grime deeper into it with every pass of the mop.

What's The Best Solution? 

Fortunately fairly simple tweaks to the way you care for your ceramic tile floor can help keep both the tile itself and the grout helping to hold it together cleaner, longer. Begin by calling in a company offering tile cleaning in Rhode Island. They will deep clean the floor, removing all of that dirt you have been 'moving around' for months and then add a protective sealant to the grout lines. This will leave you with a truly clean floor, and newly rejuvenated grout, a great way to start anew with your tile flooring.

After that, make a tweak to the way you mop the floor. Make sure that you rinse away all traces of any detergent solution you use and perhaps most importantly dry the floor after you mop (which can be achieved with a clean, dry mop)  rather than leaving it to air dry. All of this takes extra effort of course but we promise you'll be very pleasantly surprised by the difference in the overall appearance of your tile flooring as a whole, including that grimy grout.

Watch Tile Cleaning Middletown RI