Who doesn’t want clean tile? Either you’ve already got it or you give it a real mean glare from the couch.
The easiest way to keep your tile clean is to seal it in the first place. If you inherited your dirty grout lines like I did the only way out is to get down and clean them.
You’ve got a few options that I will cover in this article.
Scrub with adhesive
Steam
Paint the grout lines
Chemicals
In the before picture of my tile. The floor doesn’t look too bad – but I think I’d grown used to it. I hated it when we bought the house and off and on hated it while we finished the basement, put in a back yard and built a loft bed. See what I did there 😉.
We weren’t sitting around, staring at a horrible floor. We were working our tails off, occasionally noticing the floor. Then a well meaning family member mentioned it and I had a 40 year birthday bash coming.
(I know I finally made the big 4-0 😊)
Which meant it was time for the real deal. It was time to clean that floor and seal it.
Before the grout was cleaned
After the grout was cleaned
Baking Soda and Vinegar Meathod
I had scrubbed the floor before with baking soda – it worked, but took several washes to get the residue off. I had done a 4’x5′ section to see how it went. Didn’t seal it because the rest of the floor needed to be done first. Within a few weeks the tile was back to normal – ugh!
This time, my 40th birthday try, I decided to get it all done in one blow and rented a really expensive tile steamer.
I was hoping for a magical experience, where I pointed the steam and simply wiped away any leftover mist. The truth is, I worked up a sweat scrubbing the tile – just like I’d hoped not too.
The good news? I figured out how to do it for free with no harsh chemicals, annoying residue or expensive rental machines.
The steamer by itself left light lines, but in no way got the whole floor clean.
Grout lines cleaned with just a steamer and no scrubbing
I found I had to steam and then scrub. I was also in a rush because I only had the rented steamer for 4 hours. It was too pricey to do a thorough job.
Here my floor was cleaner, but still had dark lines and I had to return the steamer.
I was annoyed because of the price I had paid and time restraints – and it still wasn’t clean.
However I had noticed something, I was cleaning up alot of water. Steam after all is a gas from really hot water…
Why was I paying all this money for hot water??
Hot Water No Chemicals or Adhesives
I came home and tried again. This time with no time restraints. How good can boiling hot water do at cleaning grout?
This is the amount of dirt I got up with just hot water and a metal bristle brush. For just the cost of boiled water, I was able to get the exact same result as a rented steamer.
Or better because it didn’t cost me $50.
The good news is not only was it cheaper, but it also left no residue behind. No harsh chemicals to breath in while cleaning or to expose my children to.
Boiling water and a metal bristle brush worked just as well as any other method I’ve tried – and it was free.
After your floor is clean, be sure to seal it. I used 511 Impregnator Sealer. Hoping this works to the tune of never having to clean tile grout again. 😜
Paint Grout Lines
Another option is to “paint” the grout with Grout Refresh. You can see instructions on how to get that look here.
Chemicals
You can clean with chemicals. As time has gone on I’ve become more weary of the chemicals we use. My youngest was diagnosed with asthma at one year of age so I personally have started looking for options that don’t require chemicals.
That being said, sometimes chemicals are just easier. There are a few options out there and people claim ut makes your life easier and will get the job done quickly.
One option is Clorox toilet bowl cleaner you can view the how to here. Though I haven’t tried this personally I would suggest you clean your floor very well after since it is meant to be kept within a toilet bowl.
There are also options to use Oxiclean or Resolve to clean your tile.
Whichever option you choose, best wishes. I am so glad I got it done and that I sealed the grout afterwards. I’m not going to do this every month.
This is probably the easiest mermaid cake around, though the frosting tip makes it look difficult. I kind of felt like I had cheated when I was done. 😂 But it really was pretty simple.
This article contains affiliate links, which means no additional cost for you, but I get a small commission. These links are provided for your convenience.
How to Make Teal Frostine
I made teal frosting by mixing WiltonRoyal blue and Kelly green food coloring. They cost a bit more than liquid coloring, but you get a richer color and they last forever if you take care of them.
I made a Buttercream Frosting recipe from Two Sisters Crafting. It tasted great and was easy to make. I also got compliments on the taste so it’s a winner.
To get the color add a bit of one color then the next until you get the hue you are looking for.
Food coloring tip: use a toothpick to get the color and use a fresh toothpick every time. This helps avoid getting any frosting in the container. If food of any kind gets in the container it makes the food coloring go rancid.
How to Make Frosting Look Like a Mermaid Lagoon
For the rose shaped seaweed, use a Wilton 1M tip as seen above. Then at the top edge make an “S” shape. Do that around the entire cake.
Come back and fill in any gaps with a little dab of frosting from the 1M tip. It will look like a 3D star.
How to Make Candy Corral and Plants
Using Haribo Sour Streamers cut into plant shapes. You can see how I trimmed the blue strips off center that way I had two sizes that I alternated around the cake. For the bottom of the plant trim to a point or make a tree limb look. Then from the top cut and remove triangle like shapes. Twist the branches for a plant like look.
For the orange corral I cut it into the thirds rolled out into a column and held it in place with frosting. I didn’t feel like making white frosting and hadn’t thought to reserve some. I hid the dark frosting by putting it against the cake and then you couldn’t tell.
How to make Ombre Frosting
The cake has kind of an ombre effect. I did that by having a lighter teal and adding a half cup to the bag then mixing in more color adding another half cup, until all the frosting was in the bag.
How to Make Berry Layered Cake
The party was so exciting I didn’t get a very good shot of the inside of the cake. It was layered Berry cake with vanilla cake.
To do this
Cut the batter in half. Cook your vanilla layers first. These layers will be much thinner. Cook for around 11-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
With the remaining batter add
1 cup blended berry mixture,
1/4 cup flour (fold in gently to keep batter soft)
Divide into 2 sections and bake for 11 – 15 minutes, depending on your oven at 350°.
Finishing Touch
Add the mermaids of your choice. This is also why I felt like I cheated, it was Sooo easy and yet the little 5 year olds were going nuts over it.
There you go. I hope this was helpful. See you next time 😊
The only thing worse than a room being small is actually feeling small. Thankfully there are plenty of things to do to not only increase the look, but also the feel by adding attractive, inconspicuous storage, well placed accent walls and choosing color than enhances the space.
I’ve compiled amazing tips for decorating small spaces for the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and home, that will help you meet your goals.
Small Bathrooms
Sometimes there is just not a cost effective way to increase the size of a bathroom. If you have a small bathroom all is not lost. At Trend4Homey you will find a variety of truly small bathrooms with inspiring decorating ideas.
The following rooms all increase their storage with the use of shelves and make the room feel more homey.
Small spaces can be great. Less to clean, less to own, but it also has its draw backs, namely storage.
One of the most effective ways to create space in a small bedroom or apartment is to add storage in attractive and efficient ways. Like this storage added under a loft bed. See how to make your own loft bed and immediately have more space.
This bedroom has been given an airy feel by adding curtains around the bed to create a sense of privacy. The curtains, though thin, give the feeling of separate rooms. See it here along with 37 other small bedroom ideas.
Small Kitchens
Check out Architectural Digest for an amazing tour of small kitchens. These are my favorites.
Many kitchens (and homes for that matter) are going all white. With the right decore and texture through fabric, wall covering etc. An all white space can be pulled off well. It also increases the effect of space and is wonderful in small rooms, but check out this kitchen!
I love it so much. Using a light grey paint, they created height and still kept the spacial feeling by painting the walls and cabinets the same color. While this wouldn’t work in all situations it works here because there is a good balance of smooth and lined texture. The shiplap helps break up the monotony and the smooth cabinets help separate them from the wall.
The bright window is set high on the wall which pulls your eyes upward and increases the spacial feeling.
The live plants add interest and also pull your eyes upward, creating an inviting and calm space. Imagine this room without plants – it would feel kind of blah and the grey would likely become overpowering.
And of course these amazing counters and floor. They are the highlight. The final touch. They would easily be “too much” in an otherwise busy kitchen with alot of texture and color, but with the grey throughout and the green plants up high, they have nothing to compete with – they just get to shine.
Beautiful light coming in from a window that can’t even be seen. Technically you could add lighting to mimic natural light and get the same effect. The cabinets go to the ceiling creating both storage and bringing attention to the height of the ceiling. They were even able to squeeze in room for a mini breakfast bar.
The all white kitchen helps it feel larger than it is while the wood counters bring in warmth. White subway tile add to the brightness of the room while also adding subtle texture. Though it doesn’t seem to stick out, this kitchen would look much different if it had plain painted walls.
Small Homes
At designertrapped.Com you’ll find 7 tips for making a room seem larger than it is using furniture and decorating tips.
Among her designer tips – adding curtains that go to the ceiling to make the window feel larger than it is.
Try thishomemadehome.com tips on using paint, color, texture and mirrors to trick the eye. Creating a spatial feeling without knocking down any walls.
That is my quick and simple guide to making a room feel larger. If you have other ideas that have worked for you, please share in the comments below.
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Tasty, quick to the table and full of good-for-you vegetables. Bistro Chicken makes a long day taste delicious.
I discovered this recipe years ago in a Kraft foods magazine. It quickly became a favorite and is so easy to make it became part of the permanent dinner rotation.
Specialty Ingredients
This recipe does require a few things I don’t always have on hand like bacon and fresh mushrooms. Everything else I usually have in the house. It is easy to make, but I usually have to plan ahead.
Easy Bistro Chicken
2 tsp. vegetable oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 med. Onion, chopped
1 can (15 Oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup Italian dressing
3 Tbsp. tomatoe paste
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 slices bacon, crumbled
Heat oil in large skillet on med – high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), dressing and tomato paste.
Add chicken; cover. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer 12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. I’ve found it tastes best simmering longer, as long as the heat is low, the chicken becomes even more tender.
Sprinkle with cheese and bacon; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over rice if desired.
Makes 4 servings – I usually double it because the leftovers are also amazing – amazing that I don’t have to cook the next day. 😉 (and they’re also amazing).
I served the Bistro Chicken with a side of sautéed summer squash and zucchini, (recipe found here) and a fresh loaf of bread.
Tips to make this meal even faster
Bread Tip: buy frozen bread and set it out to rise in the pan in the morning. Then put it into bake when you start the entrée. Your family will love you.
Chicken Tip: set chicken in a bowl in the fridge to defrost the same time you set out the bread to rise. You’ll be eating a half hour after getting home.
Bacon Tip: cook the whole package of bacon when you buy it. Put it in the freezer and pull out just the amount you need when cooking.
Tomatoe Paste Tip: most recipes don’t call for a whole can of tomatoe paste. Place the rest in a zip lock bag, flattened out. With the blunt edge of a butter knife section into roughly 1 Tbsp sections then put in the freezer for next time.
Saving tip for leftover tomatoe paste
Mmmmm.
Sautéing the mushrooms and onions is the secret to a great dish.
For the most tender chicken it’s important to cover and reduce the heat to med – low as it cooks.
Mozzarella and bacon are the final touch.
Searve over rice with a side of sautéed summer squash and fresh bread.
What is your go to meal, easy and tastes delicious?
Hands down the best way to eat summer squash and zucchini. Full of flavor with a sizzling, crisp taste. Done in minutes.
I used to steam my zucchini and summer squash – no one would really eat it, but my husband and I. Once I started to sauté the kids began to like it. I found that I liked it better too, now it’s the only way I cook them.
The squash gets a nice brown sear and adds a little great flavor to good-for-you vegetables.
Sautéed Summer Squash
2-4 Summer Squash and Zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices.
1-2 Tbsp butter
Garlic salt, fresh ground black pepper and parmesan cheese to taste.
Heat skillet to med-high, melt 1 Tbsp of butter, cover the skillet with a layer of squash.
Cook for 1-2 minutes or until a crisp light brown sear forms on the bottom.
Turn and cook squash another 1-2 minutes, sprinkle with seasonings – garlic salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.
Plated and gone very quickly after this photo was taken . ☺️
Hi, I’m Natalie. I’m a mother of four, an artist, and a DIYer that loves to reuse, recycle, and refurbish. I like power tools and teaching others how to save money while improving their home.
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