How to clean the grout lines between tiles in the bathroom at home: effective ways to clean grout lines in the bathroom

After the renovation, the seams between the tiles look perfect. They shine white and fresh. However, after some time, the space between the tiles inevitably becomes dirty. This happens due to insufficient care. To help housewives cope with this problem, let's look at how to quickly and efficiently clean the seams between tiles.

Why wash tile grout?

Many housewives are interested in why so much attention is paid to cleaning the joints between tiles. Actually the answer is quite simple. Firstly, darkened seams can ruin even the cleanest and most comfortable home interior. Secondly, a favorable environment is created between the tiles for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms and fungi. Therefore, if you do not clean the joints in a timely manner, you can catch one of the following fungal diseases:

mycosis;
dermatitis;
asthma;
respiratory tract diseases;
pathologies of the musculoskeletal system;
chronic fatigue.

Expert opinion
Evgeniy Taran

You can clean the seams between the tiles using professional products, folk remedies, and also mechanically. Let's take a closer look at the listed methods.

Preventive measures

Preventing the spread of mold in rooms with high humidity is easier than fighting this problem. The following measures help maintain cleanliness:

Using sealant. After cleaning, the seams must be painted over with a compound that fills the pores of the grout. This prevents fungal spores from entering the cracks. Liquid waterproofing compound can be purchased at a plumbing or building materials store.
Cleaning joints with soda. This product not only whitens the grout, but also suppresses the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. Cleaning with soda is done every 2 weeks.
Airing the room. The joints between the tiles must not be constantly wet. It is necessary to take care of the ventilation of the room. It is recommended to keep the room door open. The tiles should be wiped with a dry towel.
Timely removal of fungal stains. To eliminate dark spots on tiles and grout, use a pencil, which can be purchased at a household chemical store. This product contains bactericidal and antifungal additives.

The bathrooms are cleaned weekly. To eliminate fungal spores, the use of acetic acid or ammonia is sufficient.

Mechanical method

It will take quite a lot of time to clean the tile seams from dirt. In such a case, you should clean the old grout between the tiles using the following proven methods:

First you need to dissolve shavings of laundry soap in warm water. After that, dip an unnecessary toothbrush into the resulting liquid and use it to clean the seams between the tiles.
It is better to clean off old stubborn dirt with sandpaper. The method of application is simple. You just need to rub a small piece of sandpaper over the blackened or yellowed seams on the tiles until they turn white.
If you need to deal with deeper dirt, it is better to use a more serious tool - a scraper or knife to clean the seams between the tiles. When deciding to clean the grout with a knife, you must act as carefully as possible so as not to spoil the tile.

How to update the grout between bathroom tiles

Small debris, dust, etc. will negatively affect the aesthetic appearance of the joints. It is unknown how deeply contaminants penetrate into the grouting composition, since it is quite dense. Typically, ceramic finishes will develop a layer of dirt due to contact with water and dirty foam. Often, to wash away contaminants over a large area, they use folk recipes, as it is easier and faster. But in order to clean up small stains, sometimes it is necessary to use only radical measures and only with an integrated approach. It turns out that in order to return the grout to its original appearance, you should first try the simplest methods for restoration, since the result is often surprising and in a pleasant sense of the word.

Dyeing or whitewashing seams

Rubbing and painting the seams will not take much time and effort, but this method has one significant drawback. The fact is that tiles after such restoration will delight you with excellent results for no more than 6 months. Afterwards, the seams will begin to turn black again and will require sealing. Paint for painting the joint space is available in every construction market. Manufacturers try to please customers, so you can find a large selection of grouts with different shades on sale. Naturally, this method also has advantages - you can restore the freshness of the coating, make the shade even if it was initially applied unevenly.

So, in order to properly whiten the seams between tiles in the bathroom using paint, consider the following recommendations:

Get rid of the enamel layer, as it may interfere with the even application of the paint.
To ensure smooth cleaning, use as much sandpaper as possible.
Using fine-grained sandpaper, go over the top of the tile and remove any resulting dust.
Wipe the area with any solvent.
Prime the joints.
Wait for the primer to dry, and then you can start applying paint.

To give the tiles an original appearance, you can use the decoupage technique.

To do this, you need to do some preparation and find any picture you like.
Next, it should be glued to the tile.
Then fix the decor in two layers with varnish.

As a result, your bathroom will become not only more beautiful, but also unique.

Replacing old grout

A much more effective way to get rid of grout that has already served its purpose would be to remove the old layer and apply a new one.

To do this, the old substance should be removed using a special tool, which is designed to unstitch seams. Finding such a device will not be a problem, since it is available in all construction stores. If you can't buy it, you can use other items.
Work without excessive force and carefully.
Do not break off the edges of the ceramic.

As a rule, removing aged mixture is not difficult.

Acid type cleaner

If a cement composition was previously used to seal the seams, then cleaning will be much more difficult. You can remove it after it gets wet.

Take an acid cleaner.
Dip your brush in this solution.
Finish all seams.
Leave it for a while so that the cleaner penetrates deeply into the composition, and then let it sit for a while.
Remove old grout with ease.

Do not worry that such a cleaning product may have a negative effect on the tiled surface. The fact is that 80% of acidic cleaners offered by modern manufacturers do not pose a danger to ceramic coatings.

How to clean grout using household products

Undoubtedly, specialized household chemicals will help most effectively clean the seams between the tiles on the floor. Let's list a few tools that can easily put the space between tiles in order:

A marker that removes dark spots and yellowing from grout, such as Snowball or Grout Aide & Tile Marker. Allows you to clean the grout between kitchen tiles in minutes. To remove black deposits, you just need to run a marker over the grout. As a result, the space between the tiles will become snow-white. In addition, such treatment protects the cleaned grout from fungus.
Oxygen-based bleaches - Chistin, BOS or To clean the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, you will first need to dilute the active liquid in water in a one-to-one ratio. After which - thoroughly wash the floor. After thirty to forty minutes, clean off the blackening with the hard side of the sponge, and wash the floor again, only with clean water. This method cannot be used to clean colored and dark tiles.
Chlorine-containing compounds. The most effective: Whiteness, Nathanya, Bleach. To properly clean the joints between the tiles in the bathroom, you will first need to apply the selected product to the joints between the tiles for five to seven minutes. Then rub the problem areas intensively with a stiff brush and rinse off the cleaning agent with water.
Melamine eraser sponge. With its help, cleaning the seams between the tiles will be as quick as possible. After all, you just need to wet it and walk through the contaminated areas.

Industrial household chemicals

Modern home care products include a whole arsenal of devices and detergents to combat contamination in tile joints.

Housewives can use:

A whitening pencil-marker that not only removes dirt, but also paints over the yellowness in the joints. It is convenient to use such a quick way to solve the problem in rooms where there are smokers. Components of cigarette smoke quickly settle on the surface of the tile and penetrate deeply into the porous space of the joints, so cleaning and cosmetics may be needed much more often than usual.

Powdered oxygen stain remover, diluted to a thick paste. It is applied in an even layer to the areas of contamination, and after drying, thoroughly washed off with water and a sponge.
Cleaning sprays containing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. They are easy to apply and wash off, and the solutions do an excellent job of killing bacteria and fungus.
Cleaning gels based on chlorine or acids. Aggressive synthetic products are diluted with water, foamed and wiped over the tiles. If a lot of dirt has accumulated in the joints, mold has formed, careful application of a concentrated substance is allowed. It should be remembered that caustic chemicals can discolor the color in the grout. It is important to protect hands, eyes and mucous membranes from splashes and vapors. After cleaning, the remaining foam and stains must be thoroughly rinsed off.
Three-phase complex means for eliminating mold. With their help, you can dissolve and wash off fungal particles, then destroy the spores using a fungicide (a chemical agent for combating fungal diseases, such as Vectra, Fundazole, Bordeaux mixture). At the final stage of cleaning, you need to treat the surface with a water-repellent compound that prevents the penetration of moisture and new spores.
Melamine sponge, a modern expensive but very effective cleaning agent. With its help it is easy to get rid of dirt and water deposits. However, the device is useless against mold and bacteria.

When cleaning with chemical reagents, you need to protect your skin, eyes and respiratory organs well. Rubber gloves, an apron and a respirator will help avoid burns and dirt particles entering the respiratory tract.

Any industrial and folk remedies are good when it comes to routine cleaning. If a fungus has entered the house and settled in the tile joints on the walls and floor, only a radical method will help - partial or complete repair.

Traditional cleaning methods

Many experienced housewives are confident that traditional methods can clean the seams between tiles on the floor just as well. We list a few available tools that will help clean tile joints.

Soda and vinegar

If small areas of grout between the tiles have darkened, baking soda will help clean them. The method of application is simple. First you need to sprinkle the contaminated areas with white powder. Then pour them with table vinegar. When the characteristic hissing stops, you can remove the remaining product with water.

Ammonia

To clean up mold in the bathroom on the tile joints, you will need to follow these steps:

mix two liters of clean water with twenty milliliters of ammonia in a deep container;
pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle;
spray the liquid onto the areas where the seams have darkened;
after half an hour - thoroughly wash the tiles.

Important! Ammonia is quite toxic, so it is better not to use this method for cleaning kitchen surfaces.

Soda, lemon and vinegar

The following proven method will help you quickly clean the seams between tiles on the floor and walls:

first you need to pour one and a half liters of warm boiled water into the pan;
add to the liquid sixty milliliters of nine percent table vinegar mixed with soda ash in the amount of one hundred and twenty grams and thirty milliliters of freshly squeezed lemon juice;
mix the ingredients thoroughly;
treat the black tile joints in the bathroom with the resulting mixture;
after fifteen to twenty minutes, the remaining dirt and active product are washed off with plain water.

Soda and white

To restore the original whiteness of the seams between tiles at home, you need to perform a few simple steps:

pour a glass of baking soda into a small container;
add a little white to make a paste-like consistency;
apply the resulting mixture to the seams that have turned yellow;
When the mixture dries completely, it will need to be washed off.

Expert opinion

Natalya Osadchaya

If you decide to clean the grout using this method, you will need to protect your skin with special rubber gloves for cleaning.

Toothpaste, soda, mustard and lemon juice

An active mixture of several ingredients washes out dirt from the space between tiles well. Consider the recipe for its preparation:

Pour a liter of warm water into a saucepan.
Add one hundred grams of baking soda, thirty grams of mustard, five grams of toothpaste and fifty milliliters of lemon juice.
Mix all components until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Expert opinion

Evgenia Taran

The resulting solution will need to be applied with a toothbrush to the stained seams on the floor. After thirty to forty minutes, remove with clean water.

Coca Cola or Pepsi

Cleaning floor tiles will be easy if you use sweet soda. You can choose any: Coca-Cola, Sprite or Fanta. Such drinks contain active substances that will help quickly clean the grout. To do this, you just need to apply lemonade to problem areas and leave for half an hour for effects. After the specified time has passed, thoroughly wash the floor.

Steam cleaner

Using steam, you can quickly remove not only dirt, but also fungus in the bathroom. To carry out the hygienic procedure, you will need to direct a stream of steam at the dirty seams between the tiles. Then wipe the floor or walls with a damp cloth.

Why do the seams between tiles darken?

Before choosing a method for cleaning tile joints, you need to find out the cause of the contamination. This will help you purchase an effective remedy and prevent the problem from occurring in the future. The tile joints turn yellow or black due to the accumulation of dirt and cleaning agent residues. Due to high humidity, mold often grows in the bathroom, giving the grout its characteristic color.

The tile joints in the bathroom are dark with dirt.

How to clean various stains

In order to clean the joints between the tiles as efficiently as possible, it is worth considering the nature of the pollutants that cover them. Let's look at how to deal with pollution of various origins.

After renovation

The method discussed above using soda and vinegar will help to clean the seams between the tiles after repair. After removing dirt, you will need to thoroughly wash the walls or floor with plain water.

Fungus

Medical alcohol removes mold deposits well. To clean the joints between the tiles from fungus, you just need to apply the product to the space between the tiles with an old toothbrush. After fifteen to twenty minutes, remove the alcohol with clean water.

From nicotine

To clean the grout from traces of tobacco smoke, you will first need to mix any washing powder with ammonia in a small container to form a thick paste. The resulting mixture will quickly remove yellow nicotine stains from the space between the tiles.

Removing rust

To clean the grout from rusty stains, you need to treat them with a two percent solution of oxalic acid. After fifteen to twenty minutes, thoroughly wash the cleaned surface. To achieve the best result, these steps will have to be done several times.

Important! It is better not to use this method when working with ceramics, so as not to damage the material. In such a situation, it is worth replacing the acid with a slurry obtained by mixing soda with water.

Old stains

If there are old stains on the grout that are useless to scrub off, you should paint over them with water-based emulsion. Just before applying it, you will need to thoroughly wash the surface and treat it with any antifungal compound.

How to whiten grout

Over time, the grout turns black. To return it to its original whiteness, you will need to treat the seams between the tiles with a heated solution of citric acid in water. To prepare it, you need to mix three liters of water with three packets of nutritional supplement. The exposure time is thirty to forty minutes.

Ways to update seams

The original decorative appearance of tiles cannot always be restored by thorough cleaning. Dust particles penetrate deeply into the porous structure of the gypsum grout. Even concentrated detergents cannot always whiten and dissolve stubborn dirt.

To return the seams to an attractive, updated look, you can carefully paint them with a water-dispersion paint of a suitable color. However, it is worth keeping in mind that this method is not radical and durable, and it is also useless if the bathroom is infected with mold.

If fungi have grown in a damp bathroom, only a major renovation will help to completely eliminate them. The old tiles will have to be removed, the walls cleaned, primed with antiseptic impregnation, dried, and then a new coating will be laid.

You can try to eliminate blackness in the joints by simply replacing the grout. This is a long and painstaking process, but it will help slow the spread of harmful aspergillus.

It is better to entrust mini-repairs in the bathroom to specialists. They have the right power tools for carefully cleaning tile joints without damage, removing dust and applying antiseptics. However, you can do this yourself, but the work will require attention, effort and compliance with safety measures.

Signs that your grout needs updating are:

Loss of the aesthetic appearance of the tiles, the inability to remove dirt even with a concentrated detergent.
The appearance and spread of black mold, which returns soon after thorough cleaning.
Cracking and leaching of mastic particles from joints, crater formation, chipped or falling tiles.
Washing out of coloring pigment, yellowness.

It is recommended to renew the space between the tiles approximately once every three years, even if there are no signs of fungal infestation.

To renew the seams, you need to apply a vinegar solution to them. Then, using a thin spatula or the edge of an old knife, carefully remove everything from the space between the tiles. It is important to protect the respiratory system from mold spores and grout particles.

The cleaned cracks are thoroughly washed with antifungal agents, dried, and then a fungicidal primer is applied. For better penetration of the antiseptic into the wall and the space under the tiles, it is better to use not a brush, but a medical syringe or a spray bottle with a thin stream.

After drying, the space between the tiles is again rubbed with a special paste. To dilute it, it is better to use a primer with antifungal components. When the restoration is completed, it is advisable to increase the hydrophobicity of the porous coating (its ability to absorb moisture). For this, there are products based on organic silicates, for example GPB-S-01. To save money, the joints can be impregnated with a solution of silicate office glue.

Such restoration work will not be able to completely eliminate dangerous mold, but will delay its spread for a long time.

To achieve a greater sanitary effect, it is better to carry out antifungal treatment of plumbing fixtures. If after a short period of time black spots appear on the tiles, floor or ceiling again, you will have to do a major overhaul. Otherwise, the risk of developing aspergillosis-related diseases in household members increases significantly. Mold is especially dangerous for young children.

When to change grout

In a situation where the fungus has penetrated deep inside the grout, there is no point in cleaning it, since the mold will return again and again. To get rid of the problem, you will need to completely change the composition. To do this you need:

apply water to the tile joints with the addition of a small amount of nine percent table vinegar;
when the grout softens a little, clean it completely: a spatula or knife can act as a cleaner;
treat the seams with an anti-fungal compound;
apply new grout.

A radical solution to the problem, or If the mold has penetrated too deeply

All the products described above can cope with dirt and mold, which has appeared relatively recently. If the fungus has penetrated deeply into the grout joints, you will have to act radically.

A scraper will help. Use it to clean off all the grout. Ideally, if mold has appeared in the bathroom, you should change the tiles or remove them, clean them of glue or fastening mortar and reinstall them. But there is not always time and opportunity for this. But we can’t just let things take their course. Mold is dangerous to health, especially for people prone to allergic reactions and asthmatic attacks.

The solution is to completely remove the grout and disinfect it. A hand or eclectic tool will help you remove the grout from the seams. It is better to entrust such work to professionals. If you decide to act on your own, be sure to wear a protective mask and goggles on your face, since the dust generated as a result of the work can get into your respiratory system and eyes.

Before cleaning the seams, they need to be softened with water and vinegar. After the grout has been completely removed, each seam must be carefully treated with special antifungal solutions, then rubbed again with a compound for them using a spatula.

General rules for caring for the space between tiles

In order not to have to think about how to clean the joints between the tiles later, you should take proper care of them from the first day after the repair work. To prevent contamination, you will need to follow simple rules:

Periodically, at least twice a month, it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning of the grout.
After bathing, be sure to wipe the tiles dry and open the bathroom for ventilation.
Do not use products containing abrasive particles for hygiene measures; they are a source of micro-scratches that attract dirt.

Little secrets

Cleaning any type of tile has its own characteristics. They influence the choice of the product that will be used in further work.

If the surface of the tile is glazed, then acids cannot be used on it, otherwise the tile will fade.
Upon completion of work, matte tiles should always be treated with a mastic with protective properties. It creates a film that will prevent the surface from getting dirty longer.
Mosaic, like glass tiles, is resistant to irritants. But they should not be treated with products containing large quantities of alkali and acid.
Compositions with abrasive elements - in the form of granular powders or crystalline components, as well as too hard brushes, are best not to be used on any surface.
When choosing grout for joints, pay attention to products with an epoxy base. Not only are they resistant to stains, but they are also resistant to mold and mildew.

So that you don’t have to rack your brains over the task of how to clean the seams between the tiles, don’t be lazy to clean the bathroom regularly. Then the dirt will not have time to eat into the surface, and your tiles will become cleaner.

Do I need to replace old grout?

You can understand whether it is worth completely changing the old grout after thoroughly cleaning and painting it. If there are no obvious defects, there is no need to remove it. In most cases, you can limit yourself to thorough sanding with sandpaper, washing and painting. Related article: How long does tile grout take to dry: factors affecting drying time

For cement joints, you can try HG concentrate, which removes dirt, grease, and soot in 10-15 minutes. Can be used for color composition.

You can also use chlorine-containing mixtures - Belizna, Domestos. You can prepare a bleach solution by diluting it in water. It is applied for 10 minutes.

However, colored surfaces cannot be treated with bleach. To do this, it is better to use available means, experiment with folk remedies - hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, soda. You can try them on a small area to see if discoloration occurs. An even simpler option would be general purpose detergents - Santry, Pemolux, Ultra Stripper.

Features of different professional compositions for removing contaminants:

Ultra Stripper is a cleaning product for ceramic, granite, cement and porcelain surfaces, also suitable for mosaics. A concentrated solution that needs to be diluted, depending on the level of contamination.
Spray Mister Muscle Expert - sprayed on surfaces, dissolves fat, removes stains, kills pathogenic microorganisms.
Silite - applied with a brush, left for a few minutes, washed off with warm, clean water, then polished the surface with a soft cloth.
BOZO is a disinfectant that has a viscous consistency. It removes grease stains, soot and rust well. The good thing is that along with the contamination, the unpleasant odor goes away.
HG - before use, the joints are treated with a degreaser and then dried. The composition is applied with a brush and left for up to 20 minutes. Cleans up with water.
Pemolux – the powder is used to clean the seams using an electric or regular hard toothbrush.

For shallow contamination, it is good to use fine sandpaper. This is not the most perfect method, but it will be possible to update joints in dimly lit areas, in the hallway, and above baseboards without any problems.

There are several ways to paint a seam:

Waterproof marker.
Whitening pencil.
Using Fuga Fresca, Pufas Frische Fuge.

It is best to approach it comprehensively - clean it from grease, sand it, paint it. If the result is satisfactory, there is no need to delete anything. It may be necessary to carry out repair work after some time, but this will only be done if there is a real need.

Chemical reagents

This method is based on removing putty with acid-containing highly active agents.

How to clean grout from tiles? For these purposes, liquid and gel-like substances can be used. They are suitable for any surface.

Effective chemical cleaner:

Valo Clean is made on the basis of inorganic acids. All tools are washed with this composition after construction work. Valo Clean quickly removes fugue residue from all surfaces. The liquid can be used for both smooth and textured surfaces. Apply the product according to the instructions, wearing gloves and other protective equipment. Wait until the liquid begins to foam. This indicates the beginning of the action of the chemical reagent. In this way, it gets rid of contaminants that need to be removed. All that remains is to rinse everything off with water and wipe the surface with a dry cloth.
Keranet is an acidic cleaner used on ceramics and porcelain tiles. It is sold in powder form and is capable of removing traces of cement both indoors and outdoors. When working with this acid, you should get gloves and goggles, and it is also advisable to wear a respirator. Treat surfaces with a brush with stiff plastic bristles (do not use metal). Dilute the powder with water and apply the prepared mixture to the tiles. Wait 5 minutes and rinse with water.
If you used epoxy, wash it off with Litostrip. This is the best chemical for this type of putty. Litostrip gel is applied to the desired area with a brush, or a metal spatula can be used. Leave the product on the seams and surfaces for 8 hours. In a shorter period of time, epoxy putty is unlikely to soften. Residues are removed with a spatula. Then everything is washed off with water and wiped dry.

Chemical reagents are used if the putty gets on the tiles, since in this case mechanical methods cannot be used, and traditional methods do not always help.

Softening compounds

Before working with softening compounds, you need to prepare. First, the surface is wiped with a sponge soaked in water and laundry soap added. This is necessary to remove stains and dirt.

The surface is tapped with a stick or rubber hammer. If an echo is heard, mechanical removal is prohibited. Also, you cannot use manual cleaning when the tiles do not adhere tightly to the wall or floor. In this case, a drill or knife will damage the cement mortar, and you will have to remove the tile along with the grout and make repairs.

It is necessary to protect the furniture in the room by covering it with film. You can put old newspapers on the floor and protect the baseboards with masking tape.

Representatives of compositions for softening seams:

Atlas Szop.

PUFAS CEMENT-EX.

Kilto Clean and Valo Clean.

MONOMIX CLEANER GEL.

For cement-based grouts

It is best to soften cement-sand compositions with acetic, sulfuric or citric acid. Of course, they act more slowly than synthetic ones, but they are much cheaper and, with the right approach, are no different from professional ones.

Method for preparing vinegar solvent:

Dilute 30 ml of essence in a liter of water.
Saturate the seams using a sponge.
Leave for at least 12 hours.
Carry out grout removal.

As the main composition, you can use 9% table vinegar. Then you need to mix the additive with water in a ratio of 1/2. This solution can soften the grout within a day. However, vinegar does not have the most pleasant smell, so many people prefer citric acid. For a liter of liquid, take a bag of dry mixture. The water is preheated so that the acid can completely dissolve. You can apply the mixture to the tiles with a rag or brush. The grout should be removed after a day.

The liquid with sulfuric acid to dissolve the grout is diluted in a ratio of 1/20. The substance is added to water, but not vice versa, as strong foaming will occur. Before applying this composition, be sure to protect the edges of the tiles with masking tape. Removal is carried out after 6-7 hours. The sulfuric acid solution must be applied with a brush. If the mixture gets on your hands, you can get burned, so gloves must be used.

It is important to remember that acids produce toxic fumes. The room where the work is being carried out must be well ventilated and only enter it with a respirator. After removing the grout, you need to rinse the tiles again to remove acidic substances.

You can prepare a safer softening composition from glycerin by mixing 100 ml of the substance with a glass of hot water. After work, you can wash off the glycerin with a dry cloth, followed by degreasing with kerosene.

Among the special products, you can use industrial developments, which can be purchased under names such as “Mortar Remover”, “Cement Plaque Cleaner”, “Mortar Remover”.

As the experience of craftsmen shows, some types of tiles can be damaged beyond repair if unsuitable solutions are used. Before using any professional composition, you need to read the instructions. You should also test the composition on a small area of tiles.

For epoxy compounds

For epoxy compounds, professional cleaning agents should be used, since resin grouts are resistant to chemicals and do not allow moisture to pass through. In a hardware store you can buy Litostrip, Mapei Kerapoxy Cleaner, Sopro ESE 548 cleaners. Epoxy grouts are good for their resistance, but when removed this becomes a problem. Repeated applications may be required.

For silicone sealants

It is easier to work with silicone compounds. They are removed mechanically or with hot steam. Silicone grouts can be acidic or neutral. In the first case, you need to use vinegar essence or alcohol (technical or medical) for removal. For neutral grout, ordinary solvents are suitable.

You can choose universal compositions - LugatoSiliconEntferner, Penta-840. Some cleaners can break down plastic.

Industrial cleaning products

To remove dirt from different surfaces, as well as in the space between tiles, household chemical stores sell many specialized preparations - acid cleaners for softening grout. Here are some of them:

Ultra Stripper perfectly cleans ceramic and porcelain surfaces. This is a concentrate that needs to be diluted with water according to the instructions, focusing on the degree of contamination.
Silit household cleaner is applied to the joints with a toothbrush for 10 minutes, then wiped with a damp cloth and wiped dry.
The BOZO disinfectant has a viscous consistency. It removes dirt and mold well, and along with them the unpleasant aroma goes away.
Before applying the concentrated HG product, the surface of the tile joints is washed with a soap solution and dried well. Then apply the concentrate with a brush for a quarter of an hour and then rinse.
The Mr. kitchen spray is especially convenient to use. Muscle Expert. Simply spray it onto the seams and wait 20 minutes. It copes well with grease, soot and other dirt.

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Having cleaned the surface of the tile joints until they are white, it is recommended to coat them with Atlas Delfin impregnate. It will protect them from negative external influences and keep them clean for a long time.

Industrial softeners

The gaps between tiles in construction are filled with grouts based on a cement-sand mixture, silicone or synthetic resin. In the first two cases, compositions with acids are used to soften the solid mass. To do this, you can use folk remedies with citric acid. To make them work better, it is recommended to extend the action of the composition for 24 hours. In this way, the seam is prepared for complete mechanical cleaning.

Other chemical industry products can cope even with resistant sealants. It is capable of removing epoxy grout from joints. If you apply such a preparation to silicone grout or cement-sand mass, it will simply dissolve and mechanical cleaning will not be required. Examples of such highly effective solvents are Litostrip from Litokol, Atlas Szop and others.