Treating mildew in tile grout? (Home Depot, color, cleaner, installation)
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Hi All. So our shower stall is about 6 months old. The whitish grout is showing signs of darkening toward the bottom area of the stall wall. Almost looks like stains or mildew. Whatever it is, seems to be spreading. Cleaning with bleach seems to have no effect. It doesn't seem to be a stain simply on the surface.
Any ideas what it is or causing it? Don't think any shampoos are doing it.
How might I go about cleaning it? Any heavy duty grout cleaners? I do not believe the grout is sealed.
I used it and it worked great! It seals the grout, makes it cleanable, AND has a mildewcide in it. I swear by the stuff and would not have grout without it. I little goes a long way, so it is not expensive.
Frank, which of the products on the page do you recommend?
Jim, perhaps. We do have hard water. I never knew hard water would create a colored stain. The stains are almost grey-reddish
It looks like mold. . I would guess that the grout was not sealed correctly, if at all. If it were me and cleaning recommendations did not work, I would grind out the affected grout and re-grout. Re-seal all the grout in the shower. If stains re-appear quickly the mold is likely coming from behind the tile. Not good at all if this is the case.
Hi
Lifelongmogal is spot on! There are grout removal tools that you can get to remove the affected grout and you will be using NON sanded white grout. A grout trowel is inexpensive or you can use a stiff sponge.
It is NOT mold though. Mold needs an organic matrix to feed on. Its probably mildew and/or grime.
Try the cleaners first, if no help; then simply regrout and seal as lifelongomgal suggested.
Thanks all. Yes, do not believe grout is sealed. I know that the grout used by the builder is called "382 Bone". I'll see if I can find a match at Home Depot. I'll make sure whatever it is, it is non sanded.
I did suspect that I might have to remove the grout, as some of you have suggested. If I do, I will definitely seal all the grout after.
FWIW, I have never found grout sealer to be all that effective long term.
You have to keep sealing it, and it can stain between sealings. That is why I suggested what I did. I have no personal gain in that recommendation......I have just found that it works better, as it seals the grout and lasts for years, and it keeps it the right color long term. It most importantly keeps it from staining, and makes the grout super easy to clean.......that is why some professional installers use it for even brand new installations.
You should be using a penetrating sealer or you can try the material Frank refers to. I do not recommend membrane sealers such as that though.
If you use a penetrating sealer, use a silicone based sealer. You should wait till your new grout drys and apply a few coats. Basically the penetrating sealer "soaks" into the grout. It drys and leaves silicone in the molecular spaces that exist between the grout aggregate when grout is dry. The more of those molecular spaces you can fill with the sealer,the better. The silicone does not degrade in a manner of speaking, so resealing may or may not have any benefit. It really helps to do it when new and a few times. Penetrating sealers will NOT prevent stains as Frank mentioned. Membrane sealers in wet locations can be problematic as the molecular space in the grout is not filled and will get wet once the membrane gets compromised,then water fills that space and stuff starts to grow....you know the rest of the story.
Thanks all. Yes, do not believe grout is sealed. I know that the grout used by the builder is called "382 Bone". I'll see if I can find a match at Home Depot. I'll make sure whatever it is, it is non sanded.
I did suspect that I might have to remove the grout, as some of you have suggested. If I do, I will definitely seal all the grout after.
If you own a Dremel they have a nifty tool for grout removal!
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