Detailing (Not the Car)

[GearHead_1]

Thought this might be of some interest. My home has a good percentage of the floor footage covered in black tile (2 kitchens, 4 baths). It has a grout that is gray and adds a nice contrast to the black tile. This gray grout over time was looking a little grungy. It was starting to blend with the color of the tile and the contrast wasn`t eye catching.

My wife decided it is time to go after it. I set up a couple of my buffers, (PC and GG6) with some stiff carpet brushes. We were interested in making this as easy as possible and wanted to find a product or products that made this process as painless as possible. We tried 9 different products, everything from dedicated grout cleaners to PineSol, Ajax, Boraxo, Baking Soda, Vinegar and several automotive products that I have in my collection. We mixed and matched these products trying to find which product/products cleaned the best with the least amount of work. The Baking Soda, Comet, Ajax and Boraxo all cleaned well when mixed with water and other products but left a residue in the grout that made it look cleaner than it really was.

In the end the product of choice was a stand alone detailing product. My wife`s words were this, "I think this product gives the most honest clean". This means we didn`t have to go over the area again and again to get the powders out of the grout, they left the grout artifically white. Having given all the products in their various combinations a fair shot, the winner is Poorboys Spray and Wipe all by itself. Works as well on grout as it does my paint, go figure. We`ll be starting to clean the whole tiled area this week. Thanks to Poorboys it will be as easy as we can make it.

[lxjeremy]

Can vouch for Poorboys. Just put in an order for some Black Hole glaze and (unrelated) FK425 Detail Spray. Now to wait for the dreaded week-long wait.

[Accumulator]

Hey, a Detailing the House thread :D I spend sooo much more time on the house/grounds than I do on the vehicles...

We need something *way* more potent than a Rinseless Wash for our grout, at least in the high-traffic areas with light colored grout. But I have used a Rinseless for this on a few floors that had darker grout and textured tiles (don`t want the Rinseless to make things slick and that`d happen on most of our tile).

Along with the steamer, I use the Cyclo with carpet brushes on some of our tile and grout when doing the Big Cleanups, and 3D`s APC works well for me on lighter colored grout. Heh heh, just wait until I get a Rupes ibrid nano....

FWIW, a nightly quick-cleaning with APC or even just Mr. Clean on a wet MF helps immeasurably in our high-traffic areas (two rooms and two hallways) where the dogs apparently bring in the Great Outdoors. Only takes a little while to have nice clean floors to wake up to every morning and keeps me from having to do the Big Job regularly. I keep waiting for the MF to come up clean (showing I can slack off), but it hasn`t happened yet. Bathrooms don`t seem to need done nearly as often, other than the one out in the shop, probably only do most of those a few times/month. Shop`s bath needs done kinda often..sigh..

GearHead_1- I`m not familiar with the S&W...how potent a mix are you using? When I use a Rinseless I use a QD-strength, and that just doesn`t cut it on a floor that`s actually dirty.

Kinda related- I`m *really* liking a Rinseless at QD-strength for household dusting, gotten me off my Furniture Polish Snobbiness completely. Perfect use for that ONR that I don`t use on the vehicles.

[atgonzales]

Gearhead

Might try asking for VERY nice steamer for the house and car detailing....

[Accumulator]

Might try asking for VERY nice steamer fro the house and car detailing....

I use my steamer for the household stuff a lot more than I do for the vehicles. Bit of a hassle with the Daimer now that my smaller one finally died..but still worth doing.

[GearHead_1]

Accumulator, I`m using the S&W straight.

These floors are cleaned multiple times a week. It`s one of those things that just happen gradually, you kind of get desensitized to the grout lines and then you look at them one day and say, "that`s not right".

[Swanicyouth]

Use Pinnacle waterless wash on my hardwood floors in a Swiffer Wet Jet. The wax it leaves behind makes me able to slide across them like Tom Cruise in Risky Business - except I`m much better looking.

[LEDetailng]

Use Pinnacle waterless wash on my hardwood floors in a Swiffer Wet Jet. The wax it leaves behind makes me able to slide across them like Tom Cruise in Risky Business - except I`m much better looking.

I was waterless washing my kids pedal car on the hardwood floor a few weeks ago. I sprayed Uber rinsekess at 128:1 on the car and MF. I had over spray dry on the floor and my oldest son was running on the floor minutes later and wiped out near the area where I was washing the car. Even with bare feet it was super slick under foot. The wife was not impressed. 10 mins later there were booger prints all over the hood of the car again:)

[xspwrstang]

I cleaned up my grout a few years back but I got some liquid that smelled horrible and did an amazing job. Don`t know what was in it but I got it from a tile store, just used a small hard bristle brush and it looked like new after I was done. One thing for you to do after you clean it up, seal it! The tile sealant made the grout a shade darker and I can actually see the protection on the grout every time I mop. I put two coats of sealant on it, one day apart. It took me a few weeks to do my entire house but it`s worth it.

[Poorboy]

Hey Mark .. been using Spray and Wipe in bathrooms and kitchen for many years ... hardly use any OTC products other than toilet bowl cleaner ...




I cleaned up my grout a few years back but I got some liquid that smelled horrible and did an amazing job. Don`t know what was in it but I got it from a tile store, just used a small hard bristle brush and it looked like new after I was done.

Had a woman come up to me at Detail Fest and told me the same story but her product was no longer available ... she was looking at Iron Remover and opened it (with ample warning about the smell) and she said it was the same rotten smell ... she bought a bottle !!

[RaysWay]

My girlfriend just asked me to polish and seal the sink again since it`s no longer sheeting water anymore lol. I used to hit the sink with P21S Polishing Soap + Hydro2 when I would use the kitchen to refill my sprayers. It`s great our detailing skillz are applicable at home :)

[atgonzales]

Ray

A great reason to purchase refills without getting in trouble, all for the kitchen...

[atgonzales]

Gearhead

Does this count as detailing

https://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=33560&stc=1

Nails clipped front and back, ears cleaned, teeth brushed, and used a furminator on the coat

here is what a furminator looks like

https://www.autopia.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=33562&stc=1

[JustJesus]

I`ve used Poorboy`s SW on the kitchen tiles a few times. Love how it leaves the tiles. My wife...not so much :(

It`s too slick for her and she fears she will slip and fall. She doesn`t quite have the ...um...same footing, as I do.

I still use it to spot clean some spills/spots.

[Accumulator]

Gearhead_1- Yeah, sometimes you clean something up and realize just how badly you`d let it go.

atgonzales- Good on you for doing stuff like keeping the nails clipped, too many dogowners neglect that. And yeah, the Furminator does work well, though we still use a shedding blade for the worst of it.


I had over spray dry on the floor and my oldest son was running on the floor minutes later and wiped out near the area where I was washing the car. Even with bare feet it was super slick under foot. The wife was not impressed.

That`s why I don`t use such stuff on our wood/tile floors...I know too many people whose lives have been permanently altered by seemingly minor falls.