Quick Tips for Easy Grout Cleaning?

Answer 1

Even the most beautiful tile job in the kitchen, bathroom or patio can quickly lose its luster when the grout in between the tiles gets dirty and grungy looking. If maintained on a regular basis to prevent dirt and spills from causing the grout to darken, tile walls, floors and backsplashes can be kept looking in like new condition. Just a few inexpensive cleaning tools and a few minutes of manual labor can transform ugly grout into good looking grout once again.

One of the easiest ways to clean grout doesn't involve any expensive commercial solutions or caustic chemicals. Simply mix equal parts of hot water with white vinegar. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and apply to all grout surfaces and allow to sit for a few minutes. Now use a small scrub brush and working in circular motions scrub all the grout prior to rinsing with warm clear water and mopping up any excess liquid.

You can also make a paste of baking soda and warm water and rub that into all grout surfaces. Then scrub with a small brush before rinsing with water and drying with a clean cotton cloth or mop. For double cleaning action, you can spray the baking soda paste with the water and vinegar solution prior to beginning scrubbing duties. Either cleaning solution works well on either walls or floors and both are environmentally friendly ways to get grout tile looking clean and fresh again.

A small hand-held steam cleaner is another quick way to clean the dirt and debris that can accumulate on tile grouting. Always remember to rinse the treated area with clean water and dry thoroughly after cleaning. If the grout has been neglected for quite a few years and has some pretty heavy duty staining, you may have to head to the hardware store to invest in a commercial grout cleaning solution. Be sure to read the directions and apply it to a test area in the corner first before using it over an entire wall or floor to be sure that the solution doesn't damage the grouting.

Some stains can be removed using a solution of oxygen detergent or bleach diluted with equal parts of water. Never mix any cleaning solution containing either bleach or ammonia with any other solutions and be sure to open a door or window so that the area you are working in is well ventilated. You can avoid frequent grout cleaning jobs by applying a grout sealer after the grout has been satisfactorily cleaned and completely dried.