The title of this post has nothing to do with the post. I was just reading a story online about Lady Gaga not wearing very many clothes to a Yankees game, then I got the song in my head, and then I was out of witty blog post titles, and here we are.
What I am going to blog about, friends, is tile. But Tile Face isn’t really a very good blog post title.
We are on our way to having our tile floors installed in the kitchen! We went with 12×12 natural slate, arranged in an offset pattern. I am sure that the way we are having the tile installed has a name. I don’t know what it is. I guarantee you it isn’t tile face.
Okay, so another tile breakthrough of late – remember when I professed my love for Barkeeper’s Friend? Seriously, we are now in a serious and committed relationship (sorry, Dude). It is a miracle worker. MIRACLE. WORKER. We are sprucing up the downstairs bath – we don’t have the money for a full-on renovation, so I’ve set out to clean up and shine up every surface in there. We have vintage white ceramic tile on the walls and in the shower. The tile is in pretty good shape and it is white – which, let’s be honest, is probably what I would have picked anyway. But the grout…
the grout was duuuuuuuuuuuuuurty.
Yum. Nothing says “come bathe in here” like dirty grout and tile.
I tried Comet (I still love you, C). I tried Lime Away (we were never that serious, anyway). Then it dawned on me – Barkeeper’s Friend! The back of the can suggests making a paste of Barkeeper’s Friend and warm water for tougher jobs. I felt like this job fell in the “tougher jobs” category, so a paste we made. Then I started scrubbing. And after a couple of hours, one part of the wall now looks like this:
Like boom.
I won’t lie – the work on this project is slow-going. I am scrubbing section by section. My arm gets tired. It isn’t at all glamorous. But it sure beats ripping the tile out or attempting to re-grout the entire bathroom. I am hoping to get through the whole room by the end of the week. We’ll see.
Go get you some BKF. Target has it for $1.89 a can. Making something shiny is really quite gratifying. Tile face.
The Decatur Project 
The floor and the bathroom walls look great, Meg! Also think how green you are being not replacing the tile :).
I have no idea what song you are talking about. I had no idea that radio station Alyssa was on existed until she sent the email out about them playing. If it isn’t bumper music on All Things Considered or Marketplace I have probably never heard it. That is kind of sad given I am 32 not 82.
Absolutely beautiful….can’t wait to come look. As much as it’s work it’s also fun
WoW!! The change is amazing. I’ll be going out to buy Barkeeper’s Friend the first change I get. That may be a while because I’ve got Parker (my grandson) all week (it’s summer vacation).
Joe
Meg- ever since you sent me this link, I have been obsessed!! I LOVE seeing all the work you two are doing! The blog is so funny! You, Holly, and I should meet for a drink sometime soon!
Can I use Barkeeper’s Friend on Herb and Marv?
Daaaaaamn, I am totally using that on the 479 bathroom. Who needs a gut renovation when you have BKF!@!
just added BKF to my target list. i have filthy white tile in my downstairs bath that had been covered in carpet. carpet in the bathroom. gross.