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I'm a stay at home mom of 4 cute kids. I love anything that has to do with homes & decorating. My husband Steve often gets recruited into helping me finish things that I start! We are making our house a "HOME" one project at a time!!

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Cleaning & Sealing Travertine Tile

We added Travertine Tile to our entry, kitchen & laundry room about 6 years ago.  
Unfortunately, the grout has gotten pretty gross over the years...it's actually turned black!  
I guess we were suppose to be sealing it every year & we never had.
I couldn't stand it anymore, so I decided to see if I could clean the grout myself...Amazingly it worked!!

HOW TO CLEAN THE TILE...

I started with these supplies...
Comet, A spray bottle filled with warm water & a textured rag.

I started by shaking some comet onto the black grout, then I sprayed the water onto that & it kind of made a paste.  Just scrub with the rag.  I'm sure a toothbrush would work too, but my rag really got it off!
Then I sprayed more water & wiped it all off. 
 I was really surprised!
This did take some time & I actually worked on it a few days, but it was so worth it!!
I just did small sections at a time.
After I finished cleaning all of the grout, I mopped the floor twice before I applied the sealer.  

APPLYING THE SEALER...
After the floor is completely dry I used this sealer from Home Depot.

Then I used a small smooth roller & a disposable paint tray.
 
A little bit goes a long way, so I just poured a small amount of  sealer at a time.

 I just did a few rows of tile at a time.  
You just roll it all over the tile & grout.    
Then you let it sit for 3-5 minutes & wipe it off with a clean white towel.  

It's amazing how a few supplies can make such a difference!

I wish I hadn't waited so long to seal the floors...it wasn't as hard as I thought!
I'm sharing with these blogs:
My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
Home Stories A to Z
Chic On A Shoestring
Making The World Cuter
The 36th Avenue

11 comments:

  1. Looks great now! Way to use a little elbow grease to get the job done.

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  2. On reading the post, I was quite impressed with the product but holly's comment has put me into dilemma...Is it really hard on hands?

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  3. Thanks for the sharing. Excellent your Bathroom Tiles Ideas related goods Home Improvements vast Defferent tiles products here tfo in australa.

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  4. thak you for the sharing

    http://home-improvementips.blogspot.com

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  5. You did such a great job sealing your floor! I've tried a few different times with little success and I think I am ready to just hire someone to help me out. Hopefully I will be able to hire someone that does tile sealing in Perth to come over next week. http://www.turboforce.com.au/protecting

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  6. It's really cool to see how big of a difference cleaning and sealing tile can make in the way it looks. I'm actually working on getting tile floors put in a couple rooms in my home. I'll have to remember to get it all sealed before any dirt has the chance to settle in.
    Keara Littner | http://www.turboforce.com.au/protecting

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  7. I just walked through a home that had travertine floors that was absolutely beautiful. I have always wanted dark wood for my floors. I think that just changed though, I'm now going for travertine.
    Feruccio
    http://www.zuccari.com.au/slabs

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  8. Just that little change to your tiles gives them new life and makes them stand out. I am going to have to try this out myself at my home. See just how well it works and what it can do for me.
    http://www.zuccari.com.au/slabs

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  9. Amazing post! I had to try it out and it worked beautifully. I linked to your blog in my post...couldn't take the credit for finding this beauty!
    I like this site :: Alaska Bear Viewing Tours Day Trips website

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  10. Great job. I have travertine tile in my living room and I too have the same condition as yours before. Thanks for this helpful suggestion. I would love to follow your method.
    Travertine Flooring

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  11. I read your blog until the end and maybe you will be interested on my site that related to this topic ==> best way to clean a carpet

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