Can grout be steam cleaned?

Steam cleaning has been a popular method for cleaning homes for several decades. If you’re not familiar with steam cleaning, however, you may be a bit apprehensive about using it for the first time, especially on somewhat delicate areas such as the grout found in your tile flooring. This is why so many people ask us if our steam cleaning methods will damage their grout. We’d like to answer that question, so let’s dive in…

Why Does Grout Get Dirty So Easily?

Since grout contains sand, it doesn’t take long before it’s plagued by various types of particulates, such as soap scum, minerals, dirt, and mold. It also absorbs liquid spills and dirt, which causes it to stain easily. If that wasn’t enough, grout is quite porous, which means that as dirt builds up on top, it slowly gets even dirtier because the debris slips down into the pores. This makes cleaning the grout by simply wiping it off much more difficult.

How Does Steam Cleaning Grout Work?

With the process of steam cleaning, hot steam is used to loosen and then remove debris such as stubborn dirt, grease, hard water buildup, soap scum, mildew, mold, etc. A huge benefit of steam cleaning grout is that it doesn’t use any harsh chemicals. But, does this mean that steam cleaning will never damage grout?

Does Steam Cleaning Damage Grout?

If you’re worried about steam cleaning damaging your grout, we can put your mind at ease. In most cases, steam cleaning won’t cause any damage. Even though the process uses hot steam, grout is more than resilient enough to handle the heat. Plus, you don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals either eating through the grout or otherwise causing it to break down. But as we’ve said, steam cleaning doesn’t damage grout in most cases.

How Does Grout Become Damaged?

Steam cleaning is extremely safe for grout, unless the grout hasn’t been sealed. When there’s no sealant involved, the grout isn’t as strong or resilient, which means that the hot steam could cause a problem. How can you tell if your grout is sealed? All you need to do is apply a few drops of water to it. If it’s sealed, the water will stay on top. With unsealed grout, the water will be absorbed. Either way, a professional steam cleaning is in order. A cleaning company will seal or re-seal your grout before or after the cleaning process, as needed.

5 Techniques to Keep Grout Clean

The best thing you can do to keep your grout clean is to hire a professional cleaning company, but you can definitely wait a few months between cleanings.

Here are five techniques that will help your grout stay clean:

• Walk-Off Mats — Placing a walk-off mat at every entrance will prevent dirt from being tracked inside on the bottom of a person’s shoes. This results in less dirt and grime that could potentially be absorbed by the grout.
• Small Mats or Rugs — In areas where food and water commonly collect, you may want to consider placing small mats or rugs. This will go a long way toward preventing the grout in your kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms from getting too dirty.
• Proper Mopping — First off, be sure not to get your floors too wet. Also, you should only mop small areas at a time until each one is clean instead of using the whole-floor method.
• Magic Erasers — Magic Erasers are great for removing surface dirt from grout before it’s able to set in. They’re especially effective in areas that are often wet, such as sinks and showers.
• Vacuum or Sweep — The final tip is also one of the most obvious and easy to follow. If you want to avoid dirt and debris from being absorbed by grout, be sure to vacuum or sweep on a regular basis, especially in high-traffic areas.

Why Professional Cleaning Is Needed

Many homeowners will try to clean the tiles and grout themselves. This is perfectly fine if you’re constantly cleaning, but that’s not how most households are able to operate. If you want your grout to stay clean and last for a long time, then your best bet is to hire professional cleaners. Not only do they have all of the equipment necessary, but they do this kind of stuff on a regular basis, which means they’ll be much more effective. Plus, a professional cleaning company will be able to clean your hardwood floors, travertine, carpets, furniture, wool area rugs, laminate, vinyl, wood, and more.

Contact Steambrite for Professional Grout Cleaning

Steambrite provides professional steam cleaning of grout, tiles, and all other floor surfaces, furniture, and more. If you’re interested in receiving a free estimate for our services or would like to sign up for our two-room carpet cleaning special for just $89.99, give us a call at (727) 940-5364 today.