Tile is gorgeous, strong and most of the time very easy to clean, however, cleaning grout? Thats a whole different subject. Because of its normal light coloration and super porous makeup, grout can stain very easily because the dirt finds its way into the porous grout very easily. If you have your tile in a mudroom then mud and dirt are to blame for dirty grout. In the kitchen, spills are the usual suspects and in the bathroom, we have things like mold and mildew to fight with.
The good news is that its not an impossible task to keep up with cleaning your grout and keeping them clean, in fact, its actually quite easy if you have the right tools and of course the right attitude. Before we get going, its always a good thing to remember that when starting any new cleaning project, you must try to use the more gentle cleaner at first. When not sure how strong a cleaner is, rather test it on a hidden area first before committing to a more visible spot, just in case it turns out to actually ruin the grout.
First, you are going to need an invaluable tool, A microfiber mop from http://www.amazon.com. Microfiber mops are made in such a way that their fibers are so small that they can penetrate and get into the tiniest of places and spaces. Remember I mentioned earlier that tile grout is very porous? Well, thats where those tiny little fibers of microfiber come into play very well. No matter what cleaning agent you choose to use, microfiber is going to make the job so much easier. Trust me.
So there are a few approaches to cleaning grout and your use of them all depends on how badly dirty and stained they are. Here they are in order of strength.
1 – Clean the grout using plain water and a little dish soap
2 – Spray the grout with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar
3 – Apply a baking soda paste and spray the added paste with the vinegar
4 – Pour a bunch of hydrogen peroxide onto the grout
5 – Apply oxygen bleach and let sit for 20 minutes
6 – Use Chlorine bleach to clean the grout
7 – Steam clean the grout
As you can see, they are ordered in accordance with how strong and aggressive each cleaning method is. Be very careful as stated earlier. You dont want to jump right into the harshest cleaning solution especially if its not needed. Start at the top and you will soon know if it has worked or not. Good luck.
