Shower floor grout dingy
 

The shower floor white grout is looking dingy in certain spots. I have tried various home remedies to no avail. Any suggestions as to how to restore the grout in the floor?

Thanks.

The best thing I found is white vinegar. My builder also recommended this for cleaning grout.

Two parts baking soda and one part borax. Warm water to make a paste. Works for me. :ho:

Actually I did use that this afternoon, helped some but areas still dingy. Thanks for the tip!

We bought a kit from Grout Shield, Grout Shield | Grout Restoration System | Grout Cleaner, gave them the name of our grout (from home warranty),and they shipped a cleaning kit, and a COLORED sealer that exactly matched the grout. I did the entire house, and we now have fully sealed grout the exact same color as original. Has been in the shower for over a year, looks great.

I’ve had really good success with this product. You can buy it at Lowe’s. Apply the liquid (I used an angled foam brush) to the affected grout line(s). Wait 10 minutes, then agitate with a stiff brush. You can even buy a cheap grout brush. Then wipe off with a damp sponge. It works like a champ.

Vinegar and baking soda and a toothbrush. Or a scrubbing brush with a loooonnnnnnng handle.

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide work well when made into a smooth paste, left on the grout for 10 min, then with light scrubbing (I use an old toothbrush) and wipe clean.

Barkeepers cleanser, a stiff brush and a lot of elbow grease.....gets it all off every time.

Wet&Forget Shower
 

Some of the home remedies suggested may work. Ace Hardware recommended Wet & Forget Shower, which i bought with some scepticism. It was over $20. But since I had tried several mold and mildew cleaner with no success, I gave it a try. Sorry I didn’t take before and after photos. Wet and Forget Shower works over time and I’d say it took about 3 weeks. You spray after a shower once every 8-10 days. I’ve since seen Wet & Forget in Home Depot for $17. They also make another product for outdoor use. It’s as good as Ace Hardware said. You won’t be disappointed.

For those who swear by vinegar, acid solutions from Lowes etc., and bleach products, below is what Sure Clean has to say. Maybe they are just pushing their product????

•USE SURECLEAN SOLUTIONS NEUTRAL CLEANER FOR PERIODIC AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF YOUR TILE AND GROUT.
• Don’t use vinegar for cleaning tile. Vinegar is acidic and will damage grout and possibly bleach its color.
• Don’t use muriatic acid or other acidic cleaners. It is dangerous to people , pets and tile and grout.
• Don’t use bleach. It is acidic , corrosive and toxic and has the same effect on tile and grout as vinegar.
• Don’t use a dish detergent. This leaves a soapy residue and causes dullness.

Bleach is actually a strong base. I wouldn't use it on grout either. Vinegar will deteriorate and weaken grout over time. Lowes, Home Depot, Ace all have good products for cleaning grout. Once cleaned, use grout seater. Grout sealer can be applied pretty simply over a weekend...if you are able to sit in the floor.

Another endorsement for Wet and Forget Shower spray. Be patient and it will work well over time.

I was also skeptical about Wet and Forget Shower, especially since it’s about $20. Ace Hardware highly recommended it so I gave it a try. As said earlier, the results are not immediate but over a two week period you’ll see the difference. You only spray it once, and no scrubbing. We now use it once every 7-10 days. Not sure what’s in it but it works well!

Thanks, I went to the site and it's inexpensive enough and looks easy but I know it's going to be a very time consuming project. Wish I would have just sealed it when we first moved in but there were so many other things to do at that time.