How to clean a tile grout: Know the Tile Expert Suggestion

Steps to Cleaning Tile Grout

Tiles are beautiful, durable, and give a very neat look to a room. They add texture and class to several areas of a home, areas like the bathroom, kitchen, patio, and more. But the grout that forms along with it? That’s a completely different story.

Grout is prone to staining because of its light color and porous composition. Mostly, tiles and grout are filled with dirt, allergens, etc. These tiny areas are not only dirty and dingy but can also pose grave health risks to your family and pets. To keep your home safe from germs, grout cleaning is a must! Routinely cleaning of grout must be considered as an important way to a healthy lifestyle.

In a tiled room, dirt is the biggest culprit, while spills are more likely to be blamed in a kitchen. Despite all the efforts you make to get rid of the mildew and mold from taking hold in your bathroom tile, eventually, white grout gets dingy and discolored. Especially in the corners and along edges of the bathroom wall where water usually settles. That’s when you should know that you need a good tile and grout cleaner. Restoring stained grout to a clean and brilliant state is the best way to give your bathroom a major makeover.

Fortunately, it is possible and simple to clean and get rid of grout using a few common household products. But before you begin, remember to always start with the mildest cleaning solution. And if you are in doubt about a grout cleaner, first test it in a hidden spot like under an appliance or behind the toilet in the bathroom.

From mildest to the strongest, the following suggestions are listed out for cleaning a tile grout

• Using warm water and a stiff-bristled brush, scrub out dirty grout. You may already have a brush for the job, but if you don’t, most hardware stores have these stiff-bristled brushes that are specifically designed for cleaning grout. Spray warm water on the grout tile lines and then scrub slowly in a circular motion and let it dry.
• With equal parts of vinegar and warm water, spray the solution and leave it for several minutes. Vinegar is an old and trusted standby for many household chores. For heavier dirt and mold stains, fill a bottle with equal parts of vinegar and warm water. Now, spray the solution on the grout and let it work its magic for five minutes, then scrub it with a brush.
• Apply a baking soda paste to the tile grout and spray with vinegar. Cover the grout lines of the tile with a paste of baking soda and water, spray the vinegar-water solution. After the foaming stops, scrub slowly with a brush then rinse it with plain water.
• Use hydrogen peroxide. If you don’t have hydrogen peroxide, run to a nearby pharmacy and buy one as they are extremely in handy. Moderate stains require hydrogen peroxide for the removal of the grout. You can either directly use the product, or make a paste out of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
• Use oxygen bleach. For grimy grout and the tougher stains, use an oxygen bleach solution as a cleaner. Before using the solution, first, make sure the room is a well-ventilated area, then carefully read the manufacturer’s guide and follow the directions laid out for application. Apply the oxygen bleach solution and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with clean water and don’t let the dirt resettle into the grout lines.

Before following any of the above attempts, rinse away the solution thoroughly, especially the vinegar. The traces of vinegar mixed with bleach emits a toxic chlorine gas into the air which is very harmful to intake. And don’t make this cleaning session a routine because the long-term use of these cleaners will erode grout, hence they must be used on a limited basis.

What’s best for cleaning grout?

• Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide: One of the best and safest combinations for cleaning grout is baking soda, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide. Without damaging the grout or surrounding tile, this mixture creates a soft scrub like texture that lifts the dirt right out. The ingredients do not have any harsh chemical reactions between them. While bleach shouldn’t be mixed with any other cleaning product, the combination of baking soda and vinegar reduce the effectiveness of both the ingredients. For best results, mix half a cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 1 teaspoon dish soap. Apply the mixture to the stain and see the magic it works!
• Power Scrubber: As you chase down a dozen feet of grout lines, toothbrushes and sponges may leave you with sore wrists and hands. Instead, try a power tool like a small hand-held power scrubber that comes with a rotating head. It works great and lifts off years of stains and dirt in a jiffy. You can find one of these tools at a hardware store or through online retailers.
• Gel Bleach: If you encounter a dark patch of grout that won’t come off easily with your home-made solution, go for a gel bleach. It has a sticking ability that quickly whitens out the grout and can also be applied in small amounts to avoid any fading to the surrounding tiles. Until the stain doesn’t disappear, the gel is unlikely to drip or run. Try not to mix bleach with any of your DIY cleaning solutions since it is a highly reactive product.

Listed above are some of the best solutions that may help you to get rid of the grout. However, this may be debatable according to people’s preferences.

The Tile and Grout cleaner results

Grout is the cement that holds the ceramic tiles together. May it be your kitchen, bathroom, or even just the hallway, the grout plays an essential role in your floor’s foundation. It may appear as it is not needed but grout cleaning is very important to keep the tiles in pristine shape, otherwise, they can collect a lot of unwanted dirt over time. Cleaning of grout using home-made solutions benefits in ways like-

Extending the lifespan of your floor: With regular maintenance and routine cleaning, you can preserve your tile floor. This removes the harmful contaminants that can cause a lot of wear and tear to your tiles over time.

Read More How to clean a tile grout

Killing the bacterias and germs: Routined cleaning of your tiled room helps to minimize health risk. Frequent grout scrubbing can help to destroy harmful bacterias and is also a very hygienic way to ensure your safety.

Keeping your floor stain-free: Cleaning the grout brings an immense difference to your floor. Scrubbing off dirt and stains can make your floor look as good as new. Just make sure you mop the floor regularly. For a sparkling neat look, clear out the grout cracks and other residues using a bristle brush.

Cleaning Grout With a Steam Cleaner

Using steam cleaners is one of the easiest ways to clean dirty grout lines. Before starting, we recommend you perform a quick cleaning of your trim right in the corners that meet the tiles. You can dust and then maybe use an all-purpose cleaner followed by a quick wipe down.

Once you’re ready, plug in your power cord and wait for the reservoir to heat up and produce steam. This is going to take about a minute and a half. All you have to do is hold down the trigger on the handle and the steam will start to come out of the nozzle. Now you can go back and forth to work through the different grout lines and you will see the dirt loosen up.