Have dinner with homeowners Vicky and Gil Vilkas of Merrick, N.Y., and inevitably the conversation will turn to two things. While one subject is obvious - their 2-year-old daughter Brooke and her sister who is currently on the way– the second isn’t as obvious - the grout used in their kitchen backsplash. That grout is LATICRETE® SpectraLOCK PRO Grout which contains Microban® antimicrobial protection.

“We swear by it,” said Gil Vilkas. “It is the best invention in the tile industry since tile itself.” Vicky Vilkas is particularly happy. “The clean up is so easy. All I ever need is a sponge and soap and water.”

The Vilkas’ purchased their home in 2002 as a “fixer-upper” and it indeed was in desperate need of repairs, especially the kitchen. “When we first saw the kitchen, cabinet drawers fell off when you touched them and the walls and floors looked like they had been neglected for 20 years,” said Vicky. They wanted something that would look good, while also able to last. They chose Cerdomus 20 x 20 cm Rhomboid-cut tiles and travertine insets behind the stovetop.

At first, they were going to use normal, ordinary cement-based grout, but their installer suggested otherwise. “I had already purchased other grout and we were going to have him install the tiles using that,” said Vicky. “But he said ‘for a great tile like this, you should really use Laticrete® “Stainless Grout,” which I swear by.’ It is stainless and easy to clean with soap and water. As soon as I heard that I said yes. It was worth it!”

Another thing that made the Vilkas’ decision easy was comparing the potential results with LATICRETE® SpectraLOCK PRO Grout with their already installed kitchen floor – which used normal cemen grout. After only a few months of installation, the existing floor grout was already stained and difficult to clean. “I wish I had known about it and put LATICRETE® SpectraLOCK PRO on the floor then,” said Vicky.

The Vilkas’ were immediately impressed with the results of the grout installation. “Before the backsplash was installed, the area behind the stove really attracted cooking splatter that we couldn’t remove,” said Vicky. “We have had absolutely no problems now that the backsplash is grouted with LATICRETE® SpectraLOCK PRO . Now we just wipe it off and it is clean.”

They are so pleased with the results that they are spreading the word. “I made my sister-in-law use it when she bought her new house and re-did her kitchen,” Vicky said. “And another friend just bought a house and the second thing I did after congratulating her was tell her to use LATICRETE® SpectraLOCK PRO in her kitchen.”