Cleaning Tile And Grout

Spring is the time of year for cleaning the house, the yard and the barn. Nothing makes the end of winter more apparent than getting rid of the dust and grime of winter. Living in a cold winter climate means when the snow melts, we have mud. I mean a lot of mud. Our dog and cats come in the house with it on their feet. Now granted all of my pets do not like mud, not even the horses. It cannot be helped though. As much as you try to get around it, there is always more.

A major cleaning job inside the house is cleaning the tile and grout. It is a job that takes a lot of time as the grout gets very dirty. I try to do this job every year if possible. Sometimes I am sorry to say, I have neglected it. There are businesses though, like The Steam Team, in Round Rock TX, tile cleaning, that will do this service for you. They use high pressure steam and they will get every bit of dirt out of the tile and grout. If you work a full time job, and just don't have the time to do it yourself, that would be a good option. Or if you have trouble stooping down on the floor to do this job. Like me, having bad knees or other physical ailment, then it is something you might want to consider. Not cleaning the grout can result in mold in your house and you do not want that.

This is the way I have always done it:

First I fill a spray bottle with vinegar and hot water. I use half vinegar and half hot water. Sprinkle baking soda on top of the grout, then spray with the bottle, enough to soak it. I let it sit like that for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how dirty it is. Then I scrub it with a brush. I mean, really scrub it! The type of brush to use is up to you. You can use a hard toothbrush or buy a special brush and use it just for that. That is what I do. The one I use is classified as a vegetable brush and has hard bristles.

After scrubbing, and if you are fairly certain you got rid of the dirt and grime on the grout, rinse it off and mop the floor. It should look like new for awhile. Of course, I understand The Steam Team would do a better job.

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Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Decorating Peaceful Forest Homestead

View from our deck, not bad!

From my deck I have a great view! Not other houses or people like most people I know. The forest around us gives us the most scenic views all year long. Our house as I have told many times, was a hunting camp. It was in bad condition outside and in when we moved here in 1999. Hunters didn't care about it much and used it mostly for partying. The evidence for that was all the beer cans and liquor bottles thrown around the grounds that we had to clean up. 

Our deck that we hope to make into a sun room.

 Our deck is going to be transformed into a sun room. Build Direct composite decking is what I am considering for rebuilding our deck. Once I saw their products and showed them to my husband, we both agreed that it seems to be perfect for what we want. Low price and environmentally friendly. As it is made from recycled materials. I want a place to start plants in the early spring and this is on the southern side of our house. Perfect place for it. We don't really use it much as a deck anyway as it gets too hot in the summer.

Kitchen is being remodeled presently.

Our kitchen floor badly needs to be finished. Right now it is just bare boards. This travertine tile would be the finishing touch it needs. It is a natural stone tile fitting right into our plan of living in a natural setting. The kitchen and living room will be merged into one big great room. We have to wait till the rest of the room is done before we do the floor. That will be the last thing we plan to do in there. That way it won't get messed up. We are extending it out over what was the porch and over the new battery room. That way the solar refrigerator and freeze will be directly over the battery bank.

Better Homes and Gardens has many awesome ideas for decorating my house. It will be ready for that process within the next year or so. I have begun looking at ideas but have to be sure they fit my house. Our setting in the forest means I want it to be more rustic than a house that would be in a city. I Need to keep the forest as my theme. What about you? Do you have a certain theme or style for your home? A favorite color or design that is important to the mood of your home? I'd love to hear about it!

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole