Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm the average Joe type, working for 8 hours a day for six (maybe seven) days in a week. While growing up, my dream was to be a chef, but somewhere down the line, I decided it wasn't practical and went into a different career instead. Now I'm a desk jock and I'm finding it a bit boring and repetitive. Fortunately, my girlfriend has a knack for bringing excitement into my life.

With the recession happening, many people have cut back on spending, and I went along with the times. I used to be so busy, I went out to eat at restaurants for almost every meal, but recently, I decided to go back to my old passion for cooking. Packing a lunch and creating my own dinner is much more practical in these times.

But, my apartment's kitchen counter is questionable. I've barely used it before, and due to neglect and poor upkeep, the grout in between the tiles is extremely filthy. I'm pretty sure I'd get sick when I start preparing food there.

I got right down to it one Sunday and decided to try and clean up the kitchen counter. Maybe do it to the rest of the house, too, particularly the bathroom so my girlfriend wouldn't be grossed out. But, as I discovered after a few minutes of working on the grout, I realized that it was difficult to clean. A little research and I found out that the grout is made of porous cement and thus had absorbed a lot of food particles over time. Methinks the grime and dirt has seeped in completely.

I would want the kitchen counter to be sparkling white again, if I had the time to spend working on it. Unfortunately, as I've said, I work six days in a week, and generally take Sundays off as a day of rest and relaxation. I did the next best thing: I went online and surfed around for anyone in the area who could come in and take care of it for me.