Several types of grout wear and tear occur.
Spilling coffee while running late for work, family pets, rambunctious outdoors-loving children and the everyday hustle and bustle of normal life contribute to the grime, grease and overall grunginess that builds up on grout. All of these factors and more are considered normal wear and tear for your home's grout. Does this Spark an idea?
Tile Floors, Kitchen Area
Daily foot traffic and kitchen use take a toll on grout, which is a common problem due to various forms of grease and stains from cooking and/or eating and drinking in addition to simple dust and dirt brought inside on the bottom of shoes. Lighter colors of grout will turn darker from foot traffic; dark grays and browns tend to hold up better over longer periods. A good scrubbing with a mild grout cleaner followed by a penetrating tile sealant will return heavy-foot-traffic grout to its previous luster.
Tile Bathrooms
Continuous use of bathrooms, especially areas in showers and countertops that get wet daily, feature significant grout wear and tear. Called efflorescence, this process changes the appearance of grout into a dingy, light-gray appearance. Areas of the country that have "hard" water -- water high in chlorine, salts and minerals -- are more prone to this kind of grout staining. Mild tile and grout cleaners applied to both the tile and grout take care of this problem; applying a quality sealant protects grout from efflorescence.
Exterior Stone/Tile
Exterior stone or tile is prone to every wear-and-tear symptom possible. Weather, moisture, sun and simple time often fades grout. Dirt and rust stains from furniture and potted plants also occur. Applying a high-quality sealant periodically protects against exterior grout wear and tear; cleaning with a tile cleaner alleviates fading but will not solve it.
Swimming Pool Tile
Like bathroom areas but even more extreme, swimming pool tile is subjected to harsh chemicals that change the color of grout. Efflorescence is particularly extreme with pool tile and grout; stronger cleaners specialized for this kind of wear and tear can clean up the mess. Dark blue tile and corresponding dark grout selections in pools aren't chosen by accident; they both help in deterring normal wear and tear.
Tags: wear tear, grout wear, grout wear tear, tile grout, foot traffic, pool tile, stains from