If there are two rooms that you want to get right when preparing your home for sale, it’s the bathroom and kitchen.
That’s because today’s buyers focus on these areas of the home.
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, they’re the most expensive areas to remodel. The complexity of the design together with a combination of water and electricity make the kitchen and bathroom high-cost renovations.
Secondly, these areas are used a lot. So, if your bathroom or kitchen doesn’t look good, they’re going to drag down the value of your home.
The good news is that not every bathroom or kitchen needs to be ripped out and replaced to satisfy eager buyers. Sometimes, you just need to focus on a few aesthetic improvements.
One of these is likely to be the state of your tile grouts. Black mold marks on white grout leave a bad impression.
You can keep grout clean by regularly wiping down the shower to remove excess water. In the bathroom, the humble bath mat goes a long way towards protecting your floor grout.
Inevitably, there’ll be a build-up of stains and mold in the cleanest bathrooms. Here’s how to fix the problem.
- Ease Your Way In: Don’t reach for the bleach straight away and start scrubbing with your stiffest brush. Take the opposite approach. Use a soft cloth and soapy water and see how much mold you can remove. Harsh solutions will quickly degrade the grout and tile or countertop.
- Time to Get Tough: Mold and grime that’s deeply ingrained will need more persuasion. So, gather your essential supplies – a stiff bristle brush, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and grout sealer.
- Always Do The Prep Work: Spray the grout with hot water and scrub with your brush. Be sure to follow the grout line but scrub in small circles. If that sounds a little energetic, use a steam cleaner.
- The Magic Solution: Use two parts baking soda to one part hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. If you’re in the kitchen, add a few drops of dish soap to disperse grease. Apply the solution to the grout and let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Hard Water Stains: Showers often suffer hard water stains that are difficult to remove. The best solution is to make a paste of vinegar and baking soda. Apply it to the grout and leave for up to an hour for the best results.
- Scrub and Rinse: Grout should return to its original color once you’ve scrubbed in the solution. Then, use hot soapy water and a cloth or sponge to wipe away the baking soda.
- Thinking Ahead: After all this work, you’ll want to ensure the grout stays as clean as possible. So, apply a grout sealer to keep out the dirt and grime. But wait until the grout is dry before doing this.
- Don’t Hesitate to Ventilate: Mold builds up in a bathroom faster when there is no ventilation. Ask every member of your household to put on the extractor fan when they are having a shower. Also, consider whether you can leave a window ajar to ensure your bathroom is ventilated throughout the day.