Our Grout Cleaning Experts in Lakeview, Illinois Steamed Away All the Mold and Mildew in this Shower

May 15, 2017

Something as calming as taking a bath can be ruined when unappealing grout lines and dirty tiles damage the esthetics of a bathroom, like what happened to this homeowner. She was a popular chef in Chicago and she returned to her flat in Lakeview, neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, after work one day and was planning to take a long, relaxing bath to release the stress of a busy night. But, all she could focus on was how the dirty shower walls needed urgent cleaning.


The young professional had noticed months ago that mold and mildew were covering the caulk around the corners of the shower. To revert it, she had bought a multi-use acidic, low-pH cleaner that one of her relatives suggested to her. However, weeks of devote cleaning had passed and there were no signs of improvement. In fact, it was quite the opposite—the mold and mildew were spreading and beginning to get behind the tiles. Before the problem got worse, she decided to seek for a professional grout cleaning team in Lakeview that could help her remove the grime in her shower.

She went online and looked to see if there was grout cleaning company nearby that could help her fix her problem. Fortunately, she found Sir Grout Chicago among the first search results! Through our website, she read about our hard surface restoration services, including tile and grout cleaning, and also found before & after examples of the work we had done in the area. They were exactly the kind of make-over she wanted for her shower, so she followed the instructions we have on our site and contacted us by clicking the "Request a Quote" button to schedule an appointment for a consultation and free quote.


Our team went to the homeowner's residence to examine the white ceramic tiled shower. At a first glance, we noticed the great amount of embedded dirt and grime stuck around the grout lines, especially in the joints between the walls and the bathtub. The caulk seemed to have worn out a while ago, causing water to seep through the grout lines and damaging the tiles; there were some chunks of cracked and crumbly grout too. The client explained to us the many methods she tried to get rid of the grime herself and even showed us the multi-use acidic cleaner her cousin recommended her. Acidic cleaners can have disastrous consequences; they can cause discoloration and muck when treated on tile and grout without the advice of professionals.

The client wanted the shower to look pristine, white, and clean, just like it was when she moved in a couple of years ago, so she asked us what could be done to restore it. We had the perfect solution for her: a complete grout cleaning service to remove all grime, plus our proprietary ColorSeal process to re-color the grout. She accepted without a second thought and we immediately agreed upon a date for the cleaning service.

Our hard surface restorers returned to the Lakeview property a few days later as planned to start the procedure. Our first mission for this shower focused in removing the grime from the grout lines. For this task, we used our own Sir Grout tile and grout cleaner with a high-temperature, low-pressure commercial vapor steam cleaner to loosen the embedded dirt and to remove the mold and mildew from the grout lines. Upon deeply cleaning the shower, we started restoring the damaged grout. We made all the repairs necessary, including the removal of the old caulk. Then, we re-colored the grout lines to a uniform white using Sir Grout's propriety ColorSeal—a thick, water-based sealant that comes in a variety of colors to match the tiles shade. To finish, we replaced the old caulk with Epoxy Grout, which is a much longer lasting solution for the expansion joints in showers instead of caulking. This material stays mold-, mildew-, stain-resistant and water proof for years and can be scrubbed to be kept clean, instead of peeling and getting moldy like conventional silicone caulking, which most grout companies use. Once we were done with the epoxy grout in the joints, we wiped down the whole shower surface to make sure there was no residue from our sealants.


After the job was finished, the bathroom looked completely different. Our customer was amazed by how much the ambiance of the room changed just by having clean and white shower walls. Now she could relax without worrying about dirty tiles or water damage.

Before we left and as part of our service, we walked the client through a simple maintenance guide to keep her shower's renewed appearance last much longer. Sealants may protect hard surfaces against future wear, but they still need mindful care and cleaning to continue looking brand-new. First and foremost, we recommended her to swap her cleaner for a soap-less, pH-neutral one; these are much safer for grout than acidic products and, as they don't contain soap, they won't leave a sticky residue that traps dirt. Furthermore, since mold and mildew are prone to grow and stick to the grout lines in humid environments and rooms with poor ventilation such as this shower, we advised the client to always keep the room properly ventilated, especially after hot showers.

Does your shower look like this one did? Then you might need a professional grout cleaning. If you live in Lakeview or surrounded areas, call us at (773) 923-2084 or fill out the "Request a Quote" form on this website like this homeowner did to schedule a free, in-home appointment today! We can help you get the clean bathroom you want.

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