How To Clean Grout, Part 2 — What I Didn't Tell You About Steam

The first video's baking soda and dish soap paste, the steam cleaner and the sealing step got a lot of questions, so here are straight answers to six of them, each one checked against the documents: is steam safe, which floors it ruins, which steamer to buy, what to do when steam changes nothing, why sealer let you down, and why dark grout turns white. In this video: how to tell if your grout is sealed with a few drops of water, how to steam clean grout safely (burns, mold spores, fresh air), why you shouldn't steam a vinyl, laminate or wood floor, which steam cleaner works for grout and how to do a whole floor without kneeling, what to do when steam makes no difference, how grout colorant works, why grout sealer isn't permanent and how to re-test it, why dark grout turns white when it dries, whether epoxy grout needs sealer, and why vinegar and grout don't mix. A home steamer runs hotter than a boiling pot, about 275°F on one popular model, so the everyday risk is burns. If there's mold in the joints, wear an N95 mask (the EPA's mold guide suggests one), open a window and run the bathroom fan for about 20 minutes after. Vinyl plank brands say no steam mop unless it's approved for your exact floor. For grout, use a small nozzle with a nylon brush; a basic handheld steamer runs about $40, and a pro tile and grout cleaning runs $250 to $700. Grout that dries the same gray every time is stained inside: a grout colorant, a stain and a sealer in one bottle for about $20, recolors it, and digging grout out is the last resort. Most sealers soak in and repel water but don't make grout dirt-proof. Re-test with a drop of water, keep ammonia, acids and bleach off sealed grout, and seal only when it's completely dry. White crust on dark grout is mineral salt from the cement: brush it off dry, use a remover made for it, keep acid away from natural stone, and don't seal over it. Epoxy grout doesn't need sealer. Today: put a few drops of water on a grout line and wait a minute. Did they bead up or soak in? Got a grout question I didn't answer? Leave it below: that's how part 3 gets made. 👉 What did your drops do: bead up or soak in? #grout #groutcleaning #steamcleaning