01 Apr Maintaining Your Grout

Grout is used in a variety of capacities in homes and businesses. The most common place to find it is between floor tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. Grout fills the spaces between the tiles to bond them together and to create a seal that’s water-tight. Grout requires regular attention if it’s to maintain its functionality and aesthetic appearance.

Tile is a beautiful solution for floors, but grout will need periodic cleaning to keep it clean, fresh, and hygienic. A steam cleaner can be a useful tool for cleaning grout and it’s environmentally friendly. For tougher stains, try the following.

It will take some work and you’ll need a small scrub brush, but the good news is that you have a variety of cleaning solutions from which to choose. Hardware stores and home centers carry several different types of grout-cleaning products. Some can be applied directly to the grout lines, followed by scrubbing to clean and freshen.

For those that don’t want to utilize a premade product, a vinegar solution is effective. A floor that hasn’t received regular cleaning and has developed mild stains and dirt buildup can be cleaned with a 50-50 solution of warm water and vinegar. Spray the mixture on the grout and let it stand for about five minutes before scrubbing.

If you need more cleaning power, apply a paste made of water and baking soda. After applying the paste, spray the paste mixture with the 50-50 vinegar solution. The vinegar will interact with the baking soda and begin foaming. When foaming stops, scrub and rinse with plain water.

Grout that’s become really grimy can be cleaned with an oxygenated bleach solution. Apply and wait 10-15 minutes before rinsing with clean water. Be sure that the area is well-ventilated while cleaning. Commercial grout-cleaning products containing bleach should only be used as a last resort and never, ever combine a bleach containing agent with vinegar. When the two are combined they emit a highly toxic and dangerous gas.