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Tiles are beautiful, VERY durable, & are relatively EASY to clean, but the HARD part is when it comes to cleaning grout. That is a WHOLE different story. As grout is MOSTLY light colored & its porous composition & material makes it more prone to getting stained & dirty MUCH easier.
Dirty grout is the MAIN culprit that will cause ANY bathroom, NO matter how beautiful, to look VERY dirty & unhygienic. In the bathrooms, homeowners & business owners MUST contend with CONSTANT mildew & mold if the ventilation & water drainage are not IDEAL. The BEST way to prevent this is to get a ceiling fan, replace your ceiling fan & motor or open your window to allow a breeze to circulate FRESH air throughout the ENTIRE bathroom.
But don't worry since we are here to tell you ALL of the BEST tips & tricks on how to clean grout. BEFORE you begin, you should REMEMBER that using ANY cleaning product, it is ALWAYS best to START with the MILDEST/WEAKEST cleaning solution FIRST. Then SLOWLY work up to stronger cleaners, if required, if the grout is NOT coming clean.
When you doubt or are unsure of ANY grout cleaner, test it on a HIDDEN spot in your bathroom, under ANY appliance in your kitchen, or behind the toilet seat before using it in a visible area.
#1: Apply Vinegar & Water!
The BEST way to clean grout of HEAVIER dirt & MILD stains is to turn to a vinegar solution, a trusty option for MANY household chores. Fill up a spray bottle with a HALF & HALF mixture of WARM water & vinegar. ALWAYS use WARM water to mix the vinegar.
SPRAY all over the grout & LET IT STAND for around 5 minutes, then SCRUB IT OFF with a STIFF bristle brush. WIPE down the grout afterward with a WET cloth or WET paper towel to remove ANY excess mixture left behind. Continue to repeat the process as MANY times as needed to achieve the results YOU desire!
You can ALSO purchase some rubbing alcohol & apply it DIRECTLY to ANY grout or messy tiles using a cloth or paper towel. ALLOW it TO STAND for 5 minutes. ALWAYS test a SMALL & HIDDEN area first to see if there are ANY issues before doing your ENTIRE bathroom! Then as mentioned ABOVE, WIPE the grout AFTER with a WET cloth or a WET paper towel.
https://www.costco.ca/highbury-pure-white-vinegar%2c-2-x-5-l.product.100703785.html (For bulk options)
#2: Scrub The Grout Using A Stiff Bristle Brush!
If you don’t already have a BRUSH on hand for this job, most home centers will have MANY options designed SPECIFICALLY to clean grout. STIFF bristle brushes work BEST for this.
You MUST spray WARM water on these grout lines & SCRUB them off using a CIRCULAR motion & LET THEM DRY.
https://www.uline.ca/BL_2932/Colored-Scrub-Brushes?keywords=stiff+bristle (For bulk options)
#3: Apply Baking Soda!
To bring MORE strength of cleaning to the party, COVER grout lines with a paste or mix of baking soda & water, then SPRAY on the vinegar solution listed above. The mixture will begin to BUBBLE up as it STARTS cleaning your grout.
Once this mixture STOPS creating foam, SCRUB using a brush & then RINSE with WARM water.
https://www.costco.ca/arm-%2526-hammer-pure-baking-soda%2c-500-g%2c-6-pack.product.100498375.html (For bulk options)
#4: Apply Hydrogen Peroxide!
MODERATE stains MIGHT require you to apply hydrogen peroxide, which is available in MANY drug stores.
You MAY use the product DIRECTLY to the grout using a cloth or paper towel or apply a PASTE made from baking soda & hydrogen peroxide.
#5: Apply Oxygen Bleach!
For the TOUGHEST stains & grimy grout, you can use oxygen bleach to clean grout. You will find this cleaner in MANY different stores sold MOSTLY in a POWDERED form.
OxiClean is ALWAYS a great choice!
WHICHEVER product you will choose to clean grout, MAKE SURE that the area is VERY ventilated & READ the instructions for use CAREFULLY! MOSTLY, you will want to ALLOW the oxygen bleach solution to stand & do its work for 10 to 15 minutes BEFORE you rinse it.
ALWAYS make sure you rinse with CLEAN, WARM water so that dirt DOES NOT settle back into those grout lines.
https://www.costco.ca/oxiclean-max-efficiency-stain-remover%2c-5-kg.product.100425415.html (For bulk options)
#6: Try Commercial Cleaning Products!
There are MANY different types & brands of grout and tile cleaners to choose from. Some of the MOST IDEAL & BEST tile and grout cleaning products CURRENTLY available in the market are "CLR Bathroom And Kitchen Cleaner" & "Clorox Tilex Mold And Mildew Remover And Stain Cleaner".
These products MOSTLY work in 2 steps, SPRAY & WIPE, then SCOUR using a STIFF bristle brush.
Spray-on products CLAIM to work without the need for scrubbing & MAY save you time & energy. But sometimes, HARSH acids solvents & chlorine bleaches can be HARMFUL to the tiles & humans using them. Scouring using a STIFF bristle brush & cleaner takes MORE work, but this method may be MAINLY effective on your floors and dirty grout.
So BEFORE you start using ANY product, MAKE SURE you pay CLOSE ATTENTION to the ACTIVE ingredients & CLOSELY read the instructions. These products will ALSO give you alternate processes of how to clean tile grout in SIMPLE & EASY to follow steps.
#7: Apply Chlorine Bleach!
Chlorine bleach CAN be applied in EXTREME cases of grout cleaning.
Bleach also works EXCELLENT for disinfection if you're encountering mold issues in your shower, on your tile, or backsplash. It will STOP the growth & ELIMINATE the mold ENTIRELY.
TRY using Clorox toilet bowl cleaner with Bleach, this product makes the application VERY simple & MUCH less messy.
When everything fails, this option may be your BEST grout cleaner. But be VERY careful as it is VERY dangerous to humans & pets!
https://www.uline.ca/Product/Detail/S-20294/Disinfectants/Clorox-Bleach-358-L-Bottle (For bulk options)
#8: Utilize Steam Cleaning!
Tile and grout cleaners MAY treat & cause a reaction on the tiles, but you can work with steam cleaning for a SAFE & EFFECTIVE result.
Steam mops CAN be used as an environment-friendly method of getting rid of grout stains WITHOUT using ANY HARMFUL cleaning products.
What Are The Best Ways To Prevent Dirty Grout?
Grout sealing OFTEN comes in contact with water & other materials that can STAIN & DAMAGE it.
To KEEP the grout & grout sealing CLEAN & FREE of stains, it is IDEAL to spray on it with vinegar & wipe it down ONCE every week & NO LESS than ONCE per month.
You can also wipe grout using RUBBING ALCOHOL to keep the mold & mildew AWAY. Try filling a spray bottle with 1/4 ALCOHOL & 3/4 WARM water & spraying some onto the grout ONCE per week & it will save you A LOT of time & effort in cleaning in the future.
Microban-24 spray, Clorox wipes, or Lysol wipes are VERY helpful products to keep within reach to HELP clean messes on the grout & tiles as you see them DAILY as they happen to AVOID them becoming MUCH worse stains.
What Are Some Of The Top Grout Cleaning Supplies?
As mentioned in the steps ABOVE, there is a WIDE variety of GREAT grout cleaning supplies on the market to choose from currently. We will list the necessary items you will NEED to complete the job CORRECTLY, as well as some of the GREAT products our company CURRENTLY uses!
Top Grout Cleaning Supplies:
- Waterproof Rubber Gloves
- Baking Soda
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Microfiber Cloth
- Paper Towels
- A Brush (Stiff Bristle Works Best)
- Vinegar
- Bleach
- Grout Cleaner (CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner & Clorox Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover)
- Grout Preventative Options (Microban-24 & Lysol/Clorox Wipes)
- A Steam Mop
Now you see, to clean grout, you will not ALWAYS need to hire PROFESSIONAL cleaners when you can do it at home YOURSELF with these EASY tips & tricks we have taught you today.
You will develop a fondness for how SOOTHING it is to clean the tiles, & how much STRESS you can release through this process & you will get the hang of it in NO time at all.
Try out these methods & let us know which option worked BEST for you.
So why don't you try getting that annoying DARK grout, SPARKLING white now?
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