| Your tile grout becomes dirty and clumsy over | | | | 5. Now take a dry rag and scrub the grout. Now |
| time. Proper cleaning is needed to keep your | | | | let the grout air dry for a while. |
| floors shining and smooth. One way to keep you | | | | 6. Make a mixture of tea tree oil and water. Use |
| tile grout clean for longer period of time is to | | | | 2 cups water with 2 tablespoon oil and put this |
| apply sealer. Sealer will not only provide you | | | | mixture in a spray bottle. |
| better cleaning options but also keep your floor | | | | 7. Use this mixture on the mold and mildew rich |
| intact for longer period of time. | | | | areas with spray bottle. Let the solution penetrate |
| Required Items | | | | into the area for some time. You will see that as |
| - 2 old toothbrushes | | | | the solution evaporates the mold and the mildew |
| - 2 tbsp. tea tree oil | | | | will also be gone. |
| - Water-based grout sealer with flip-top applicator | | | | Apply Sealer |
| - 1/4 cup white vinegar | | | | 1. Sealer comes under variety of brand names. |
| - Water | | | | You need to choose the best one according to |
| - 1/3 cup household ammonia | | | | your grout. Usually water based sealer are |
| - 1/2 cup baking soda | | | | considered the best for old grout. It comes in |
| - Rags | | | | bottle with flip top applicator. |
| - Broom or vacuum cleaner (soft-brush | | | | 2. Before applying sealer to your grout make sure |
| attachment) | | | | that the grout is properly dried. |
| - 2 clean, empty spray bottles | | | | 3. Work in small sections to get better results. |
| Directions | | | | Apply grout sealer in small quantity nearly 1/2 inch |
| Cleaning Old Grout | | | | away from first drop of sealer. |
| 1. Using broom or vacuum cleaner with soft brush | | | | 4. You can use the toothbrush to spread the |
| attachment, clean the floor and the grout lines | | | | sealer evenly on the grout surface. To get the |
| properly. Make sure that no dirt, debris and other | | | | better results, apply sealer in the scraping motion. |
| waste matters left behind. | | | | This will allow sealer to infuse well into the grout. |
| 2. For making a grout cleaner, take 1/3 cup of | | | | 5. Clean the excess amount of sealer from the |
| ammonia, 7 cups of water, 1/2 cup baking and 1 | | | | surrounding area with damp rag. Be careful about |
| 4 cup white vinegar. Make a mixture of all these | | | | the grout joints while cleaning the excess sealer. |
| items. Make sure that everything is properly | | | | 6. Leave the sealer for about 60 minutes. It is |
| mixed. | | | | better to check the time given on the |
| 3. Take a sponge and use it to apply the mixture | | | | manufacturer's manual of the grout sealer. That |
| on to the grout. It is better to work in sections | | | | will give you a better idea about how long the |
| instead of working on entire floor. Thoroughly | | | | sealer will take to set properly on the grout. Later |
| soak the grout with the mixture and leave it for | | | | clean the surface with damp rag, especially the |
| some time. | | | | grout lines. |
| 4. You may find some tough marks, se | | | | 7. You can apply second coat of sealer also. |
| toothbrush to scrape those marks off the grout. | | | | Better to consider the manual's instructions. |
| Take a damp rag and clean the entire grout. | | | | |