How to Clean Grout: Tile & Grout Cleaning Tips

3 Ways to Clean Grout Between Tiles

Even people who keep a clean home know that mopping floors and wiping walls isn’t enough to keep your tile grout clean. Once in a while, you’ll need to clean the grout between your tiles to get rid of dirt and soap buildup. You can get this done by booking a cleaning service and adding the ‘deep clean’ extra. Alternatively, you can do it yourself with some household products and  a little elbow grease.

In this post, we’ll share 3 methods that explain how to clean grout between tiles so that they look brand new again.

Source: Decoist

How to Clean Grout with Baking Soda & Vinegar

Step 1: Prep the Area

Before you clean the grout between your tiles, it’s always a good idea to clean the tiles first. If the tiles are on your floor then give them a good mop. If the tiles are on the walls then wipe them down with a moist cloth and a cleaning solution; all purpose kitchen or bathroom cleaner will do.

Pro Tip: If you’ve got a big area to work on then you can even mop the walls too. However, this is only recommended if the floor is also tiled, like it would be in your bathroom. Also, make sure you do the walls first so you can mop up any run off when you do the floor.

Step 2: Prepare the Cleaning Paste 

Mix 1 part water (e.g. 1/4 cup) with 3 parts baking soda (e.g. 3/4 cup) to form a paste. While this paste is a versatile cleaning solution that will work with all colours of grout, vinegar can be harmful to some natural stone like marble and limestone.

Apply the paste to the lines of grout using your finger. While baking soda isn’t harmful, we suggest using rubber gloves to prevent scratching or irritating your skin when you rub the paste into the grout.  

Step 3: Prepare the Cleaning Solution

Mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part water (50:50 solution) in a spray bottle. Then spray the paste on the grout with this solution. Immediately, you should see the paste start bubbling, which indicates that the cleaning process has begun.

Remember: Don’t use vinegar on marble or limestone. You might need to get a gurney or pressure washer out for them.

Step 4: Give it Time to Work its Magic

The bubbling is the result of a chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar. This will last a few minutes. When the bubbling stops, you’ll know that the chemical reaction is done and the cleaning has taken place.

Step 5: Scrub the Grout with a Brush

Using a nylon bristled brush (like a dishwashing brush or an old toothbrush), scrub the moist paste into the grout.

Tip 1: Scrub along the lines of the grout so the bristles spend most of their time working on the grout rather than the tiles

Tip 2: Pay extra attention the intersecting corners and edges of the grout lines to make sure these areas get cleaned well.  

Source: Bren Did

Step 6: Clean Up the Mess

Using plain water, mop the floor to remove the paste. If you’re cleaning grout on walls, then do this area first and then clean up anything that drips onto the floor. Make sure you rinse the mop and change the water frequently while you’re doing this so that you don’t end up just spreading the mess around.

How to Clean Grout with Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda & Dishwashing Soap

Step 1: Prepare the Area

Using the same method described above, prepare the area for deep cleaning.

Step 2: Prepare the Cleaning Paste

Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Then add a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to form a paste. The 3 ingredients in this powerful paste clean grout in specific ways:

1. The baking soda acts as a mild abrasive;

2. The hydrogen peroxide creates a chemical reaction when combined with the baking soda, which releases bleaching oxygen ions;

3. The dishwashing liquid helps to dissolve grease and dirt so it can be removed more easily.

 NOTE: This method may also cause damage to tiles due to the bleaching oxygen ions that are released. If possible, first test it out on a small patch that’s generally hidden from view.

Step 3: Apply the Paste with a Brush

 Using a nylon bristled brush or gloved fingers, apply the paste to the grout. Ensure that all areas that you want to clean are properly coated with the paste so that you get an even result. 

Step 4: Daydream About How Beautiful Your Home Will Look

The paste needs at least 15 minutes to work its magic. Like the pervious method, you may see some bubbling happen as it does its thing. Give it a bit of time to ensure that the paste fully remove the stains in the grout. 

Step 5: Final Clean

Using warm water, mop up the the paste. Make sure you follow our recommendations in Step 6 of the previous method. If you’re doing a large area, you may want to start by using a moist cloth to clean up the bulk of the paste and then mop the area. Ensure that no residue if left behind, otherwise the soap could be slippery and the bleaching may effect the tiles if left for a long period of time. 

How to Clean Grout with Bleach

If all else fails then you could always try good old fashioned bleach. While it’s super effective at cleaning grout, there’s a good chance that it may damage certain tiles. We usually advise only using this method on white tiles, like the ones you may find in your bathroom (and particularly when the grout it white too).

If you’re going to clean grout with bleach, it’s a good idea to test it out on a small patch that is generally out of sight so you can check for colourfastness. It’s also a good idea to use gloves and wear old clothes as you may end up getting some bleach on them if you’re not careful. 

Step 1: Prepare the Area

Using the same method described above, prepare the area for deep cleaning.

Step 2: Apply the Bleach

Pour or spray the bleach onto the grout lines, making sure that you apply enough to fully cover all of the grout. Just do one section at a time to avoid getting bleach on your clothes and ruining them. Allow the bleach a few minutes to soak in and then get to work. 

Step 3: Brush the Bleach into the Grout

Using a nylon bristled brush, work the bleach into the grout. Scrub back and forth along the grout lines. Make sure you get the corners where dirt is most likely to accumulate. 

Source: Bunnings

Step 4: Apply More Bleach Where Necessary

For tough to clean spots, apply more bleach or dip the scrubbing brush into a glass of bleach and scrub again. More bleach = more cleaning power. 

Step 5: Rinse the Floor

Using warm water, wipe or mop up the the bleach. Make sure that you do this thoroughly as any bleach left over will get into your socks and could get transferred into your carpets, which would be a disaster!