How to clean the joints between the tiles in the bathroom

What could be better than a beautiful renovated bathroom: freshly laid tile, shiny chrome-plated accessories, new plumbing. Maintaining all this splendor is easy, most importantly, the care must be carried out systematically, otherwise the increased humidity and related factors, such as plaque, fungus and mold, will do their dirty business.

Chemical purification

The first thing that suffers from moisture - the joints between the tiles, this is the weakest link. During the use of the bathroom, they may become soiled that the luxurious tile will lose its appeal. And to avoid this phenomenon will not work, such is the specifics of using the room. What to do? Is it possible to clean the tile joints in the bathroom at home, or is it obligatory to call in specialists who will eliminate contamination? Nothing is impossible, you just need to choose the most appropriate way for yourself.

Before starting work, everything that can interfere with the process must be removed from the room: remove lockers, shelves and mirrors. If you have to work with an acid cleaner, you must ensure that fresh air is available in the bathroom.

By chemical cleaning is meant the usual washing of the seams with the help of special products sold in household chemicals. A fairly effective way, though not without flaws: chemicals effectively clean the smooth surface, which is a tile, but not porous - the seams between the tiles. Dirt so eats into the seams that chemistry is often powerless to cope with it. You can try, but in this case you need to look for strong products containing acids, but the maximum that you can count on is light clarification, but not one hundred percent cleaning.

When using a chemical agent, follow the instructions clearly. For this purpose, the Pemolux, which has been tested in many positive ways and has proven itself in a positive way, will be perfect. The product should be applied to the seams, leave it for a while, rub with a brush, rinse with warm water, and wipe the surface dry.

It is better not to bring to the state when you have to take drastic measures, care for the seams between the tiles need to be conducted from the very beginning.

Mechanical method

The next method is very long, painstaking and tedious, but effective. It consists in clearing the top layer of grout with a metal brush, sandpaper or scraper. In this case, it does not matter how deep the mud has fallen. Some enterprising owners use a drill for this purpose, but experts do not recommend using this unit, because there is a high probability of damage to the tile enamel. Too hard brushes should also not be used, as they remove the top layer of grout with uneven noticeable strips.

Severe contaminants and fungus are removed in the following way. The seams are cleaned with any sharp tool at hand that is at hand. This may be a knife, scraper or screwdriver. In some particularly neglected cases, you will have to completely remove the grout. Should be cleaned up to the moment until all the dirt disappears.

The next step will be the treatment of joints with acetic acid.Each millimeter is cleaned with vinegar. This will prevent further the appearance of the fungus. After 10 minutes, the surface is wiped with a damp cloth, then dry and, finally, fresh grouting is applied with a rubber spatula, the excess is wiped with a dry cloth.

Folk methods and methods of cleansing seams

Practice shows that folk cleansing the seams between the tiles are much more effective than using chemical means.

Of course, it is necessary to work, but the result is worth it. With the help of prepared homemade reagent, you can not only significantly lighten the seams, but also get rid of the fungus, in case it did not penetrate deeply. This will help in the usual baking soda. It is applied to the seams with a toothbrush, rubbed and washed off. The treated areas must be thoroughly wiped dry.

If the degree of contamination is very high or the fungus has deeply set its roots, you will have to resort to more stringent measures.

Each house has a whiteness, if it is not there, you can use acetic acid. Vinegar is never used in its pure form, it is diluted with water in the following proportions: 1.5 tablespoons per half liter of water.

Apply the product to the seams, leave for 10 minutes, rub the seams with a brush and rinse with water.The final chord is wiping with a dry cloth to avoid moisture. Rubber gloves and a gauze bandage will be quite useful.

However, this is not all. If the hostess wants the tile joints to shine white, like new ones, she can repeat the procedure using soda.

But you can not use soap, it can contribute to the rapid spread of the fungus.

Another effective way is cleaning with a steam cleaner. This method is the safest, most effective and, most importantly, environmentally friendly. Hot thick steam will remove any dirt, while no divorce or leakage is formed.

At the polluted place you need to direct the spout of the steam generator and clean the pollution with steam. After the procedure, rinse the surface and wipe. It is advisable to treat the surface with an antibacterial disinfectant.

If you don’t have this unit at home, you can always use the services of a special company that will clean the seams with steam in a matter of minutes.

Remove completely old grout

Unfortunately, there is a situation when none of the above methods helps, especially when it is not possible to get rid of the mold.The mistress has nothing to do, how to resort to a radical measure - to remove the grout completely.

Cleaned joints are treated with a special primer, after which fresh grouting is applied.

This work is very difficult and time consuming, but the result is worth it, and it is better to remove the old, damaged grout in time rather than completely changing the tile.

By the way, on the white grout between the seams, the dirt immediately becomes noticeable, so experts recommend using it only if the tile is white. Contrast seams visually look no less impressive.

As you can see, it is difficult to clean the joints between the tiles, but it is possible that you just do not have to be lazy to periodically remove pollution, carry out preventive measures against the fungus, and then the bathroom will keep the eye fresh for a long time and clean.

Video: how to clean the joints between tiles