Toby ([info]wintrmute) wrote,
@ 2008-09-05 19:15:00
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Current location:Fitzroy North
Current music:Dance on Vaseline
Entry tags:diy, house, real estate

Grin & Grout
So, our estate agent did the inspection they had insisted on doing at short notice when we couldn't be there and had no time to clean. And lo! They were unhappy with the bathroom, and will now be coming back again in 14 days.. at a time of my choosing.. to reinspect it.

However, this does mean I need to find out how to clean the grouting between bathroom tiles.

We have quite a lot of tiles, and thus miles of grouting to clean.
Is there some kind of attachment I can get for my power drill that will help? I was thinking of using a small wire-brush attachment, but I'm worried that might scratch the tiles, or even remove the grout entirely. I could get a buffing attachment, but that might not actually remove the gunk.

I suppose I should just drop into Bunnings[1] and ask them which is best, but I feel a bit silly asking a hardware store clerk something that, really, I presume most adults have figured out by now.

[1: Bunnings is a brand of hardware/home/garden/DIY megastore here in Australia]


In other news, I am having a lot of trouble getting the Thievery Corporation remix of David Byrne's Vaseline out of my head.


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[info]short_mort
2008-09-05 09:27 am UTC (link)
Thick bleach and a scrubbing brush. Plastic or natural bristles. Leave the bleach sit for a while then use elbow grease.

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[info]battlekitty
2008-09-05 09:32 am UTC (link)
I was going to say much the same.

And to try add in a comment about Tim Allen and "More power!!! *Hohoho*" ;P

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[info]feanelwa
2008-09-05 09:33 am UTC (link)
Yes, that.

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[info]wintrmute
2008-09-05 09:45 am UTC (link)
Hang on, I just went and counted and added them up, and there are 2000 cm of grouting in our bathroom!! Jesus wept, I'll be there forever if I do it manually with a toothbrush or something!

.... perhaps I could use an electric toothbrush?

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Big girls blouse.
[info]short_mort
2008-09-05 09:49 am UTC (link)
The bleach should loosen most of the grot. Do a section at a time and use a big scrubbing brush, tooth brushes are good for corners.
Oh, and another peice of advice, keep the bathroom aired to stop it coming back.

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[info]feanelwa
2008-09-05 10:15 am UTC (link)
If you stood there and scrubbed them as you counted them you would have done it already by now! Just go and do it. If you use a big scrubbing brush you can get a proper grip on it and do it with your arms and it's not tiring. If you use a toothbrush you will knacker your wrists very quickly. Also, toothbrushes are soft, for not damaging your gums.

Stop looking for a technological solution to simple hygiene and just do it!

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[info]short_mort
2008-09-05 10:58 am UTC (link)
What she said, stop being a squib.
Oh, if you clean regular like, you don't have these problems.

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[info]wintrmute
2008-09-05 11:28 am UTC (link)
I don't *have* a big scrubbing brush! (Well, there is the toilet brush, but I'm not going to use that!)
so if i need to drop into a hardware store anyway, I may as *well* get a $10 attachment for a power tool rather than a $10 brush, surely?

I mean, that's the thing about the 21st century.. surely we should be able to be lazy about things like scrubbing grouting, so we can worry about more pressing issues?

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[info]vatine
2008-09-05 11:31 am UTC (link)
With a normal drill, you're probably better off using a sponge than a brush, since most (if not all) drills would spin fast enough that I suspect tile and/or grout damage would occur.

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[info]feanelwa
2008-09-07 01:41 pm UTC (link)
You may have noticed that almost all domestic cleaning equipment was designed by men about fifty years ago, for use by women. Therefore, no, there is no non-humiliating solution to the problem. Get brush. Scrub.

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[info]maelorin
2008-09-05 11:09 am UTC (link)
spray on bleach (you can get stuff for cleaning grout in bottles). wait a while. use a broom to rub it all down. then rinse off.

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[info]voofy
2008-09-05 09:47 am UTC (link)
go to the supermarket and buy grout cleaner.
then follow the instructions on the back of the packet.

I do the srubbing but with an elderly nail brush.

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[info]skorpionuk
2008-09-05 09:49 am UTC (link)
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-grouting-look-as-good-as-new

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[info]kevinhains
2008-09-05 10:05 am UTC (link)
Is the dirt organic or not? ie is it mildew or a stain of some kind?

If its mildew then u can normally buy bleach based sprays at the supermarket (normally says active bleach or for mildew), spray let sit for 10min and rinse... possibly sum gentle scrubbing with a kitchen scourer(plastic not metal) will sort out any stubborn bits.

If the dirt isn't organic, (eg hair dye) then you are probably better off buying a re-grouting pen which basically re-paint the grout white and cover the stains... not a huge amount of effort but takes a bit of time and its worth being careful to keep the lines straight, normally the colour won't adhere to normal glossy ceramic tiles so not a big deal if u slip. they come in a range of colours to match your grout.

If your tiles are natural/unvarnished/porous then seek advice from a hardware store as u will need to be careful about what u put on them.

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[info]feanelwa
2008-09-05 10:16 am UTC (link)
The best thing I have found to get hair dye off bathrooms is colour protect shampoo. I stopped paying more for it when I found that out.

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[info]short_mort
2008-09-05 10:59 am UTC (link)
Really? I must note that tip.

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[info]wintrmute
2008-09-05 11:29 am UTC (link)
It looks mildewy..

I'll have to look out for this dedicated bleachy stuff now that several people have brought it up. cheers!

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[info]eyeofbast
2008-09-05 10:11 am UTC (link)
hospital strength demestos and elbow grease. also Shower Scrub spray. this you can spray on as you leave the shower and it works with the remaining moisture so all you have to do is moisten it with your next shower and scrub it before you scrub you.

in fact, for any shower cleaning i recommend spraying all surfaces half an hour or so before you hop in, and then have an extra-long shower so you have hot water on hand for rinsing the walls, no chance of bleach getting on your clothes and you can feel clean afterward too.

floors not so easy. scrubbing brush applied liberally between tiles. kneel on an old towel to save your knees. then have a long shower :)

i've seen your bathroom. think of it as a good upper arm workout.

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[info]wintrmute
2008-09-05 11:30 am UTC (link)
If there was ever any hot water left in this damn house, I'd think the long-shower option was the best one suggested so far!
I'll pick up some of the stuff anyway next time I see it.. can't hurt..

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[info]fnoo
2008-09-05 11:31 am UTC (link)
it may be cheaper and easier to hire somebody else to deal with it.

$50-$100 is better than an entire afternoon spent sorting it out.

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[info]wintrmute
2008-09-05 11:38 am UTC (link)
Given that the consumables and tools alone would set me back $20, hell yeah I'd pay $50 for someone else to spend a couple of hours doing it along with mopping and disinfecting and everything else in there. Know any poor students then?

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[info]fnoo
2008-09-05 11:41 am UTC (link)
I know many poor students. But none who'd help.

Immigrants are usually your best bet. They're in the yellowpages generally ;)

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[info]illdrinn
2008-09-05 12:42 pm UTC (link)
Look for a "guarantee your bond back" cleaner on Gumtree or something of that ilk.

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[info]insomnius
2008-09-05 12:14 pm UTC (link)
I think you should know that I burst out laughing when I got to the bit about the power drill. I have never heard of anyone wanting to clean their bathroom with a power drill before. :D

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[info]illdrinn
2008-09-05 12:42 pm UTC (link)
Use Exit Mould or Easy Off Bam Stains and Drains. Don't wear anything you can't have ruined and mop with water only afterwards.

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