What Causes Grout Discoloration and How to Fix It

While grout is not a very prominent part of your home, when it starts to stain, it will become a very obvious problem. One day, that elegant, pristine line between your tiles will lose its sheen, and your floors, showers, or backsplashes will seem dull. But do not worry about this - grout often changes color. Knowing what causes it and how to correct it can save you time, money, and a great deal of stress.

Tulip Carpet Cleaning of Woodbridge offers professional tile & grout cleaning services and has extensive experience dealing with troubling grout issues. In this article, you will find the most common causes of grout discoloration and how it can be restored.

What Causes Grout Discoloration?

Discoloration of the grout is normally caused by a combination of various factors which lead to the alteration of its color. The grout is actually porous; it can easily catch dirt and moisture, and hence, it is very prone to get stained.

One thing that has attracted a lot of blame is water. Well, we all know that water is a good solvent for several substances. Grout is very absorbent and hence can absorb water, which results in the formation of mold, mildew, and bacteria. This usually leads to discoloration of the grout, worse in regions that are frequently exposed to water, such as the bathroom and the kitchen.

Moreover, when the cleaners are either high-strength or applied erroneously, they remain on the surface as films that penetrate into the grout. This residue not only makes the surface less shiny but can also attract dirt, making the discoloration more noticeable.

Traffic concentration is the final factor we are going to mention. Walkways such as the corridors, the living rooms, and the working areas are areas where dirt is stepped on and pressed into the grout lines, making it impossible not to have discolored grout.

Common Grout Stain Sources: How to Identify Them

To be specific, not all stains are the same problem that requires the same cleaning solution. Techniques of grout staining include knowing the root cause, which is crucial in repairing the damages.

• Dirt and Debris are the most frequent causes of grout discoloration. Many people walk and stand on the floor with shoes, and dirt gets into shoes and pet paws. Dirt can even be brought in from outside when walking into a house or building that has tiled floors. It then sticks to the surface of the porous grout and remains darker than the original color.
• Mold and mildew love warm and humid conditions, and your bathroom is the perfect place for them. The black, greenish, or sometimes pink discoloration is evidence of mold or mildew growth, especially around the grout used in the shower area. It is not only cosmetic but also a health issue, especially for people who suffer from mold-related allergies and breathing complications.
• Soap Scum and Cleaning Products: If you've ever cleaned your tiles with soap or an all-purpose cleaner, you might know the reason why your grout turns yellow or brown. Shower curtains and elaborate shower enclosures are another source of hardness, as is soap scum, while some cleaning materials will discolor grout rather than clean it.
• Hard Water Deposits: If you live in a hard water area and you have residents of Woodbridge, mineral deposits from the hard water will deposit on the grout, giving it a chalk-like covering. Such mineral deposits may be fairly hard and challenging to eliminate without specific therapy.
• Food and Beverage Spills: The most common cause of discoloration in kitchen grouts is the effects of spilled foods and beverages. Nonetheless, if the area is left uncovered, it will spill and get into the grout and cause stains that cannot be cleaned with the mop.

When to Seek Professional Grout Cleaning Services

As much as one may practice cleaning to minimize the discoloration of the grout, there is always a time for hiring a professional. If your grout is severely stained, has mold deep within it, or has not been professionally cleaned for a long time, then it is time to look for professional services.

Professional grout cleaning services, like the one provided at Tulip Carpet Cleaning of Woodbridge, use machines together with the right grout cleaning solutions that can easily penetrate the pores of the grout to clean and disinfect it. This not only does the work of revitalizing the lost color of the grout but also helps lengthen its service, which can spare you the trouble of having to replace it.

If you have particularly difficult stains or if the grout has turned color throughout the tiled areas where it is used, you should consider hiring a professional to clean your grout. Plus, it would save you the time of scrubbing your hands and knees for the entire day!

Preventing Grout Discoloration: Maintenance Tips

Prevention is, again, the best approach when it comes to most home maintenance activities. Although one is likely to try and wash any grout color away, doing this is difficult, especially if the area you live in is high-moisture or high-trafficked. However, there are ways to ensure that one keeps their grout clean for a long time.

First, seal your grout. Applying a grout sealer is one of the most helpful processes for preventing moisture and dirt from penetrating the surface. Sealing makes it impossible for water and dirt to penetrate, making cleaning a routine task much easier.

The other procedure is cleaning, which should also be performed quite often. Clean the tiled floor regularly using a broom and a mop so that no small particles get into the grout lines. For showers and bathrooms, always use a squeegee to wash the tiles and grout off the water, which accumulates and encourages the formation of mold and mildew.

When cleaning grout, do not use any strong chemicals. Only use products with a neutral pH level so that the grout is not damaged and no unwanted streaks are left behind. In kitchens, one should luxuriate for speed to clean the spills since the longer the liquid remains on the grout, the more it will set on the floor.

Finally, minimize humidity everywhere possible. In bathrooms, this may require increasing ventilation by having a fan or opening the windows during and after the shower.

Ready to Refresh Your Grout?

Tile grout stain issues do not have to be for the rest of your home and also do not have to ruin the appearance of your home. Thus, knowing the causes, knowing where the stains are coming from, and taking preventive measures, you can make sure that your grout looks as good as the day it was laid. However, if those marks prove to be stubborn, it is time to turn to Tulip Carpet Cleaning of Woodbridge for professional grout cleaning. Pick up the phone right now and contact us at 703-496-3126 to clean and revitalize your living environment.