In short, yes, if you want your grout protected year-round. Grout is porous – think about your grout lines as like sponges all around your floors or backsplashes or showers. Being sponge-like, grout absorbs everything it comes in contact with like dirt, mold, mildew, liquids, debris, and more. That milk you spilled? The grout sucked it up. The mud your kids tracked in. The grout absorbed it. The puddle of pee from your dog? The grout is full of it.

Now, if your grout lines were covered by a grout sealer, the spills, dirt, and so on, wouldn’t absorb into the grout. They would sit on the sealer. The grout sealer protects the grout as it creates a protective seal.

However, if your grout is epoxy grout, it does not need to be sealed. Only cement-based grout should be sealed. Epoxy grout is made up of epoxy resins, epoxy hardeners, and sand/aggregate fillers. Epoxy grout isn’t porous so it will not absorb anything. Epoxy grout is easier to clean than other types of grout. However, epoxy grout is more expensive and harder to install.

A good grout sealer like Grout Shield’s clear grout sealer or color grout sealer repels and stops the penetration of dirt/liquids and also minimizes buildup. You should seal your grout after installation. However, it’s never too late to seal your grout, but if it’s dirty, you’ll need to clean it first with a quality grout cleaner. For tough stains, try Grout Shield’s grout and tile cleaner. You don’t want to seal dirty grout lines, because they will stay looking dirty!

You can tell if your grout needs a grout sealer by doing a simple at-home test. Put a few drops of water onto the grout. Did the grout absorb it? If the water beads, the grout lines have a sealer on them. if the water is absorbed, the grout isn’t protected.

Grout Shield’s color sealer doesn’t just protect your grout, it will give you a brand-new color, as well. There are endless colors to choose from. Color sealer is also great to use if the grout cleaner is unable to get rid of years-old stains.

For more information on Grout Shield products, click our grout cleaning product page, or call toll free at 1-800-631-0716.

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Why do you clean your home? Do you want it to look presentable and good for you and guests? Do you want it to smell nice? Do you want it to be germ-free? Whatever the reason, cleaning your home is important. There’s a lot of areas in the home to clean: toilets, counter tops, floors, windows, tables, etc. etc.; however, there’s a part of the house that is often forgotten: grout.

Your grout lines need to be cleaned as often as your tiles or any other item in your home. Grout is like a sponge, so it absorbs anything that touches it. From spilled milk to cat urine, grout will absorb anything, which makes it a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria.

So besides looking pretty, the other main benefit of cleaning your grout and tile is your health. When your home is clean, you have less of a chance of being sick. If there are bacteria floating around, you’re likely to pick up the germs.

If you dropped a piece of food on the kitchen floor and ate it or touched the floor with your hand and then rubbed your eyes, you just spread a lot of potential germs to your body. You could get a bacterial or fungal infection if you haven’t properly cleaned the floor.

Whether it’s the floor or counter, your grout lines and tiles are flat, which means lots of things can land on them including dust. You may not see the dust, but it can make you have allergies if there is too much built up in your home. Dust build up on tile and grout can keep bacteria on surfaces. Dust also invites dust miles, which excrete allergens that can irritate you.

In wetter areas of your home, like the bathroom, grout and tile can harbor mold and mildew, which can cause your body to have an allergic reaction. When it comes to mold and mildew, you should turn a fan on, open a window, and doors to air the room out after a bath or shower. Try to dry the room out as often as you can in between cleanings. Make sure your house isn’t overly humid, as well.

To avoid health problems in your own home, clean your tile and grout regularly. Grout Shield’s Maintenance Cleaner cleans stains and dirt off tile and grout. This cleaner has a neutral pH, so it isn’t harsh on your tiles or grout. This cleaner will keep your tile and grout renewed-looking and clean. To prevent allergens, fungi, and bacteria from  lingering on your floors, use Grout Shield’s  grout sealer to protect your grout and tile.

Grout Shield’s products can help your tile and grout look like new again while eliminating the bad stuff that can cause you and your loved ones to get sick.

For more information on Grout Shield products, click our grout products page, or call toll free at 1-800-631-0716.

The post Benefits of Cleaning Your Grout and Tile appeared first on Grout Shield | Grout Restoration System | Grout Cleaner.

Kids make messes – it’s what they do! However, if we ignore these messes, they can breed germs and bacteria, especially if the messes get into the tile and grout. If you have a baby or toddler at home, you know they love to crawl, sit on the floor, and put anything in their mouth that fell on the floor (like a pacifier). With children around, it’s essential you make sure your grout and tile are clean year-round, so your little one isn’t picking up germs.

Grout is porous, so it absorbs basically everything it encounters. Grout is a good breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. When your child spills a drink or drops food or even if you’re walking through the house with shoes on, you’re spreading germs. Salmonella, listeria, and E.coli can easily spread in the kitchen or bathroom from foot traffic or spills. A 2014 study by Aston University in England revealed that bacteria transfers on dropped food from tile surfaces.

The more (and better) you clean your tile and grout, the less bacteria there will be to spread.

if your floors haven’t been thoroughly cleaned in a while, you want to use a trusted grout and tile cleaner to remove dirt, mold, bacteria mildew and stains from the grout. Grout Shield’s Grout & Tile Deep Cleaner lifts deep stains and is a great product to use if your floors haven’t received a good cleaning in a while. You will see your grout changing back to its original color. Throughout the rest of the year, you can use Grout Shield’s Maintenance Cleaner, which cleans stains and is good to use on a regular basis.

After you clean, you want to seal your grout, as well. A grout sealer will protect future stains from your kid’s sippy cup seeping into the grout lines. You should try and seal your grout once or twice a year – over time, sealers break down due to the amount of people walking on it. If your grout and tile are sealed, the cleaning process will also be easier for you. Pick up a bottle of Grout Shield’s clear grout sealer to protect your grout and tile.

If your grout and tile are clean, you will feel a lot better about your little one crawling, playing and putting things in his/her mouth off the floor.

Grout shield also sells grout brushes and chamois cloths that help easily remove dirt and debris from the grout without wrecking it.

Grout Shield’s grout cleaners and grout sealers can help your floors (and kids) stay clean! For more information on Grout Shield products, click our grout products page, or call toll free at 1-800-631-0716.

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