Help for my small kitchen floor needed badly.
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My kitchen floor is a mess! Can not get grout clean at all. Tried everything. Four rescue dogs in and out, dirt ,rain,snow,mud. Don't know what to do.?????? How can I remove the old grout and tile and do something that will hold up to the weather and my dogs.?
19 answers
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I have been known to sit on the floor and spend the afternoon scrubing grout with a toothbrush and bleach. Ugh. I hate tile! Recently I tried a different approach to refreshing grout--a product called Grout Refresh made by a company called Mapei. It is sold at either Home Depot or Lowes (or maybe both--can't remember where I picked it up). It is stocked in a few basic colors in the store but the manufacturer's website has more colors to select from. Essentially you "paint" it on the grout lines, let it sit and wipe the excess off. Does a pretty good job of making the grout look better/cleaner. You can even change the color of your grout by choosing a different color than your existing grout. I'm not totally clear but it almost sounds like you are considering switching to some other type flooring altogether. DO NOT even consider laminate. It will not hold up to moisture and the click-click-clicking of 4 dogs' toenails on it will drive you insane. (Trust me when I say I've "been there--done that"!) If you want to get rid of the tile, I would suggest Trafficmaster Allure vinyl planks (sold at Home Depot). Very attractive, soft and quiet to walk on, durable and easy to care for (spills and pet accidents wipe right up), water resistant and waterproof styles available, very inexpensive flooring option (less than $2.00 sq/ft.), and easy enough for a DIY-er to install themselves (only requires something to measure with and a utility knife or scissors to cut it). The thing about Allure (and vinyl in general) is it needs to be installed on a level and smooth subfloor because after a while the vinyl will conform to any imperfections underneath it. As long as your current tile is still adhered well and it is relatively flat/level, you can probably lay Allure right over the tile without having to rip it up. I already have Allure in one bathroom and really love it so as soon as I am able, I will be replacing all the laminate and tile in my house with the Allure vinyl planks.
Shari
on Jan 01, 2014
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Just a note- If you keep your tile, make sure that you seal it. Grout should be sealed because of all the reasons you mentioned. Also depending on the traffic, (and you sound like you have a lot of traffic) sealing has to be done more frequently. Lowes sells a sealer for grout in the flooring department.
Debbie Harris
on Jan 02, 2014
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What color is the tile? There are ways to change the grout color to a gray or even brown to hide the discoloration that happens with heavy foot traffic. As Debbie stated, grout needs to be sealed and many times this is a forgotten step. Tile sounds like it is the best option for you with rescue dogs and so I would think about changing the color of the grout which will be the easiest fix for your dilemma. I used a gray grout with white tile in a bathroom remodel and it looks good. Just a thought.
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Jan 02, 2014
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Clean with bleach (toxic fumes) or baking soda, or hot water with ammonia (again toxic fumes) and some type of scrub brush or toothbrush. Dry with an old towel as you go. Keep the traffic as low as possible for as long as possible to dry thoroughly. Check the time on drying before sealing with lowes or home depot. Paint a good sealer on the grout only with an art paint brush. Again dry according to sealer directions. If you clean it well and seal it well it will be much easier to clean the next time. You may still need to use a bucket, brush and a little elbow grease but it will be nothing like this time. And after it's cleaned would be the time to change the color to a darker color.
Tina
on Jan 02, 2014
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If you want to go out the cheap way ...They sell Dremels with an attachment to remove old grout ( Like I stated , "cheap way " , but labor intensive ) ..If you go with a colored grout , then when mixing it , mix it all at once..Follow the instructions on mixing it , that means letting it set , for 10 minutes ,then mixing it once after that ..You want it mixed well.. You don't want to mix grout up in parts , I had to learn the hard way.So, mix it all at once ...After you grout it let stand until you see a film look on the tile ..With a clean bucket of water start cleaning up grout ..Very important to always keep changing out your water for clean ..After you let set overnight ....Come back and buff the film off with a dry towel ..Put , a seal on it following the Directions ...This is at most your cheapest way out ..Good luck !!!
Terry's Flooring
on Jan 02, 2014
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How old is your house ? Cause most older homes have lathe embedded down under the mud that was made to lay the tile on ..That's a mess and is more than you want to take on ...This is when you have to consider floor levels ( Transitions )...If the house isn't that old , then it's got Dura Rock ( or something like that ) under your tile ...This is a mess also ,but not has bad as dealing with an older floor ..They have sheet goods that work well with your situation ( Fiber Floor is one of them made by Tarkett ) It's a durable floor and can float right over your floor as is now ... But, if you have never dealt with sheet goods , then I highly suggest you hire a pro for the install ....Look, if you try to get it done through a box store , then they will try and do things you don't need done ...It's all about the sell to them ...You just need it installed over a skim coated tile floor ...Good Luck ..
Terry's Flooring
on Jan 02, 2014
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They have a grout refresher...also next time your grout is clean , seal it. It will keep the stain and grud from sticking to the grout. http://homerenovations.about.com/od/bathrooms/f/groutsealer.htm
Terra Gazelle
on Jan 02, 2014
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I had a tiled floor that ran the kitchen, dining room, and foyer and halls of our home. The tile was stained and then a coat of polyurethane over it to seal. It was glossy and very pretty most of all it was easy to clean. A very mild detergent and just mop. I had 2 toddlers running in and out of the house in Red Georgia Clay. That stuff is awful and stains big time so this was a great and easy care floor for this.
Shar
on Jan 03, 2014
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I understand your pain! In your shoes with 4 dogs on the go, I would cover the tiles up with a wooden floor look linoleum. Cheap and easy to lay, very washable and durable and nothing getting into any grout lines. Good luck!
Carole
on Jan 03, 2014
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thank you so much, will look into that. Happy New Year.
John Batchelor
on Jan 04, 2014
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I just had an issue with my textured, fairly new kitchen floor and I used a stiff brush and Oxy Clean. I had to use bathtowels (old ones) to rinse it but it really did the trick! I mixed the Oxy Clean with water in a spray bottle and just did small sections at a time. I was told by a man at the place where I bought the floor tile to STOP using the Swifter. It leaves a coating on any flooring. Now, I just us Once and Done, a commercial floor cleaner and am very happy with the results.
Margie*Lee
on Jan 05, 2014
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Looks like my husband and I will be taking the old floor up. Busy spring we will be having. Many projects to do in this old house.
John Batchelor
on Jan 13, 2014
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I have used Polyblend Grout Renew to seal & change the grout color. It gives the appearance of a brand new floor. But it sound like you want something else. Personally, I hate grout. I prefer a flat surface for ease of cleaning. You can rip it out & apply a floor leveling product & place a floating (no glue) sheet vinyl on top. Check into Marmoleum, comes in diy click or sheets. You can install laminate or pre-engineered hardwood but it can be too slippery for dogs & cause them hip problems. Cork & bamboo are great options but must be swept daily & spills caught right away. Water bowls would have to be on a mat. I've also seen people use mini one inch black tiles in between large white tiles. There's very little grout visible & it's black! But you still have the light reflection from the white tiles. If you do go with tile, keep in mind it's cold & hard for pets compared to Marmoleum. No matter what, the old floor has to go. Good luck :)
Sharon
on Mar 03, 2015
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If you are taking up the floor make sure you use porcelain tiles. These are scratch resistant and are very easy to clean. As for grout - you can grout the tiles with as little as 1/16" grout line and seal the grout. Sealing the grout will help with dirt and stuff. Hope this help. If you want more info or ideas please feel free to email me at Christine@christinetse.com http://christinetse.com/ http://bit.ly/SuperSecret10-MinuteDreamHomeMakeover
Christine
on Mar 03, 2015
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Clorox toilet bowl Cleaner is a gel. put it in the grout lines and wait a little bit and moP? Scrub if necessary. Clorox and baking powder also. i have painted the grout seal it fterwrd. It turned out well. it's been five years, and still doing good. It is a slow Process pinting with a small vrjsh nut it ia the easiest if it will not come clean. Good luck
Barbara
on Mar 03, 2015
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I really hate this spell check on the tablet, but I think you can make it out
Barbara
on Mar 03, 2015
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I feel for you. I've been in your shoes with grout. Hated cleaning in, it never stayed cleaned. But, you can change the color and then seal it. Best of luck.
Diana Deiley
on Mar 02, 2016
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Our dogs hated our 12 x 12 inch cold, hard ceramic tile floor! Their nails were scratching out the grout, too. We, also hate grout. We found a quick and inexpensive answer to this problem. We left the ceramic tile, and put a floating sheet vinyl over it. (Check online for different brands.) The dogs love it. It's easily mopped and doesn't ever need waxing. It's much warmer, too.
Liz
on Mar 26, 2016
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I thin down paint (wall or craft) and use a small straight artists brush to paint the grout back to it's original color. My grout matches the walls, so I use that wall paint. Holds up well, easy to redo as needed. Looks great when done.
Julie Laubenstein
on May 06, 2016
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