Caring for brand new tile and grout

June 30, 2013 9:04 AM

When our bathroom renovation is complete this week, our house will have tile and grout for the very first time: white subway tile with light gray grout on the shower walls and porcelain faux slate with dark gray grout on the floor. How do we keep it clean?

This post has a good recommendation of a grout sealer, but what about daily upkeep to prevent stains and mildew? We'll have a powerful bathroom exhaust fan, which will help some, but we also have hard water that loves turning everything white and pink. Should we use a daily shower cleaning spray? Make our own?

And what about heavier cleaning? Is it OK to use Tilex, Scrubbing Bubbles, and the like? If not, what should we use? (We're also getting a fiberglass tub, and I have heard many commercial cleaning products are bad for fiberglass.)

posted by dayintoday to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

I'm just starting my own research on the stuff, but did you look into using a stain resistant grout, like Laticrete's Spectralock? They sell it at Lowe's. Here's a John Bridge forum post on Spectralock. If you haven't grouted yet, that might help.
posted by slidell at 9:51 AM on June 30, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks! The contractor has purchased the grout and is grouting tomorrow, so I'm just looking for post-installation tips on keeping it all clean.
posted by dayintoday at 2:37 PM on June 30, 2013

My fantastic Japanese tiler said never use anything but water on porcelain tiles!
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:29 PM on June 30, 2013