Steam Cleaner for grout and tile??

[GSEninja]

I searched through the history but couldnt really find anything except this:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67038&highlight=cleaning+grout

not really any help..

There is about 460sqft of tile and grout in my house that I need to clean before selling the place.. I looked into local businesses and the cheapest I found was $1.25/sqft...no thank you

So, my question is.. can i simply rent one of those large carpet steam cleaners you see at WalMart/Home Depot/Lowes and go to town?

I know another method is to get down and scrub with a bleach mixture, but honestly i physically cant... recent combat injuries restrict me from squatting like that without intense pain

 

[Zeke]

Sorry for your injuries but a huge thanks for your service. I hope you mend up well.

On to the grout. The wand steamers are just that, hot steam, not hot water. However, the carpet cleaner may still work if you can lay down some cleaning agent and agitate. The carpet machine will **** up the water and you can use it to rinse the floor with clear water afterwards.

See if you can get a buffing machine with scrubber pads. You could use a shop vac for the water pick up. So, there's not really a big advantage to having a carpet cleaner unless you have some carpet or rugs to clean as well.

 

[Jinks]

As long as it's all tile save the rental costs. Buy an inexpensive scrub brush, a long handle, & a gallon of white vinegar. Simply pour some vinegar on the floor & scrub with the brush. The handle lets you do it standing up. You'll be surprised how little scrubbing it takes & how clean the grout comes. Rinse with a standard mop. You can reapply grout sealer if you want.

 

[GSEninja]

Sorry for your injuries but a huge thanks for your service. I hope you mend up well.

On to the grout. The wand steamers are just that, hot steam, not hot water. However, the carpet cleaner may still work if you can lay down some cleaning agent and agitate. The carpet machine will **** up the water and you can use it to rinse the floor with clear water afterwards.

See if you can get a buffing machine with scrubber pads. You could use a shop vac for the water pick up. So, there's not really a big advantage to having a carpet cleaner unless you have some carpet or rugs to clean as well.

And thank you for the kind words, Ive healed up as much as possible but unfortunately the damage done is done

I know HD rents a lot of tools, Ill see what they have in regards to the steaming wand/buffer... appreciate it!

As long as it's all tile save the rental costs. Buy an inexpensive scrub brush, a long handle, & a gallon of white vinegar. Simply pour some vinegar on the floor & scrub with the brush. The handle lets you do it standing up. You'll be surprised how little scrubbing it takes & how clean the grout comes. Rinse with a standard mop. You can reapply grout sealer if you want.

This also seems pretty inexpensive... Ill give this a try and hopefully any grime comes up quick!

 

[bdamico]

show pictures, especially grout. I'm no pro but have thousands of feet of stone and porcelain I try to maintain. I have an upright eurosteamer. Fine for some maintenance but it won't get your grout clean. I have a $1000 steamer. Cleaning grout with this is a long hassle. What I really like now is viper venom cleaner (google) with a hoover hard surface cleaner. The venom leaves my floors spotless. And I you want to rent a swing machine it will really clean your tiles well with the venom and then extract with a wet dry vac. You can also renew your grout lines after cleaning everything.

 

[Jinks]

This also seems pretty inexpensive... Ill give this a try and hopefully any grime comes up quick!

Quick easy test. Try a small amount of vinegar on a small spot of tile/grout in an inconspicuous part of the room. Give it a couple of minutes & a light scrub. Then compare it to the rest of the room. I found out about it I spilled a little vinegar in front of my sink & went to clean it up.

 

[CT2012]

Steam cleaners for grout cleaning are a waste of time & money.

I have one, have used it a bunch of times but invariably go back to lo-tech firm brush and elbow grease.

If your grout is white, do yourself a favor and get Fantastic with bleach. Spray enough to get a good coating on there (and open your windows 'cause it stinks something fierce), let soak overnight or for several hours. Go back and either wipe off or scrub lightly. It works absolute wonders.

I have a counter with white grout and it looks brand new despite the grout being 10 years old.

Soft scrub cleanser with bleach works very well too.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Clorox Clean-up (with bleach)

Any cleanser with bleach. Dampen the grout well, sprinkle on and let work for at least 10-15 minutes before scrubbing.

 

[amberjack1234]

Bleach is indeed a VERY powerful cleaner. I often use it full strength but you have to be careful it will burn your skin and of course the smell is terrible and toxic as well. Be sure to open all the windows and a good exhaust fan would help a lot or possible use a respirator. Depending on how bad the grout is I would mix it accordingly even right up to full strength. Of course the stronger the better job it will do. Be careful and don't track it onto anything else. You can use a shop vac to get it up then mop it with clean water several times or just an ole mop, bucket, clean water and wringer.

Actually, I would try the vinegar first and see how that works and if it don't satisfy you I would use the Bleach. The vinegar would be much less hazardous.

I am a 70% disabled veteran too so I know where you are coming from. Thank you for your sacrifice for our country and God speed. I know that's not much but that is all I can offer.

Larry

 

[930dreamer]

We use the Shark steam unit with good results.

 

[mobiledynamics]

Grout Cleaner - Great 1st post bumping up a 6 1/2 year old theead

 

[gungatim]

LGR!