Kroppin Karen's Korner

Today I sealed the tile and grout in the bathroom.  After the successful cleaning yesterday, I wanted to get this done before any dirt started knocking at the door again.  You can read about how I got the grout sparkling again in my previous post HERE.

I used this product following the directions on the bottle.  It was recommended to me by the kitchen tile installer as the best on the market.  It was a bit pricier than others, but he said it was worth it.
It was surprisingly easy to do.  I used a sponge paint brush and painted it on the grout.  I did two coats on everything and it is really amazing.  Although my tile is only a year old, the difference is remarkable.  The hubby even noticed and said it looked brand new again.

All white & shiny again!

You can really see the shine after using the sealer.

It has been about a year since my bathroom remodel was finished and as part of my spring cleaning this year, I wanted to give the new tile a good scrub and seal all the grout.  I gathered my supplies and off I went wearing my reading glasses.













Well, the good thing about getting older and needing glasses is that when I don't wear them, I can't see all the secret dirt that hides in corners and lurks in nooks and crannies.  So, I had a choice to make, take the glasses off and do a fair job of scrubbing the tile . . . or, leave them on and really get this shower clean.  I choose the latter and am very pleased with the results.
I mixed a paste of baking soda and peroxide to use on the corner shelves that got quite yucky from the shampoo and shower gel bottles.



BEFORE:


This was the only spot that was really bad, so I took a photo to see how clean I could get it.










AFTER:

It really only took a few minutes of leaving the solution on and giving it a light scrub with a toothbrush.  I then sprayed the rest of the walls with my favorite homemade bathtub cleaner recipe I found HERE on Pinterest and gave it a good cleaning with a scrub brush.





I bought a spray bottle of peroxide at the dollar store and squirted it on any of the grout lines that seemed not as white as a year ago.  Again, this worked very quickly and the grout is really white now and ready for the sealer.


I recorded the journey here about the bathroom reno we did last year and was very happy with the white tile choice.  However, with my glasses on and looking very closely at it, I see that the installer didn't get all the grout off of the tile in certain areas and it stuck in the little crannies.  It would be so noticeable, except  I can see that the grout is attracting soap scum and getting discolored; especially around the faucets and in the corners.

It didn't scrub off easily using the baking soda paste.    I then tried the Dawn/vinegar bathtub cleaner.  It came off somewhat, but not perfect.  I didn't want to scratch the tile, so I thought about my plastic scraper from Pampered Chef.  Worked like a charm.
It did take some time, but I was able to chip away and clear out most of the stray grout.  I dipped the corner of the scraper in the peroxide/baking soda paste and cleared out each little nook.  I now know what it must feel like to be a Dental Hygienist and scrap away at the tartar on teeth. I have a greater respect and admiration for my hygienist now!

I have been a fan of My Craft Channel since it started some time ago and have purchased several of their "Buy of the Day" specials.  They have super videos to demonstrate and sell the product.  I always wish I would have saved the videos for later reference and I can never find them again once the product or kit has sold out.  Soooo, I have created a page on my blog to house those videos for later reference.  Hope you will find these helpful to you as well.  Click on page tab at the top or here.

Here is a link if you are not familiar with this website:  My Craft Channel