How To Take Care Of & Clean Your Tile And Grout
- Always notice the condition of your grout & caulk while you shower. Attend to any openings immediately! Wipe down all of the walls with a towel after use. This removes water & soap scum before they dry. If you don't wipe, at least squeegee the walls down. This will greatly help in keeping it clean.
- Always have a leaky shower head or faucet fixed right away. A small crack in the grout or caulk can lead to an expensive repair if it is not repaired. Leaky plumbing can also lead to expensive wall damage if not attended to right away.
- Be aware of trouble areas in your shower and inspect them regularly. Areas include rim of a bathtub, spigots, spigot covers, shower windows, soap dishes, shower doors and stall shower base. At least once a month carefully visually inspect all these areas as well as all the tile in your shower for missing or cracked grout. Fixing these small problems early can save you money in tile repair.
- For showers with high humidity and low ventilation or with mold problems regularly bleach the area down. We use a 50/50 solution of water and bleach in a spray bottle or a bleach containing tub & tile cleaner. Spray on and allow it to soak for several minutes and rinse down. This should kill mold and mildew before it has a chance to breed and grow deep into the grout lines. Depending on how bad your problem is you may want to do this anywhere from once every two months to once a week. Always test any cleaners before using. Check with manufacture recommendations. This may not be recommended for some natural stone or marble. Mold is destructive and should be stopped as soon as it is detected.
- Once a week or at least once every 30 days, spray all the walls down with a tub & tile cleaner. Allow the cleaner to soak for several minutes and sponge clean. Then rinse with clean water. This simple 10 minute process done once a month can add years to your tile and grouts appearance.