How to Clean Tile Grout

Posted by Jane Wilson on September 11th, 2017

Cleaning a tile floor has always been quite a challenge. From one side it seems quite easy, because they are only tiles after all. Many people think that cleaning tiles is a lot easier than cleaning hardwood floors or carpets. Well, these people are only somewhat right. Maybe the tile is a lot easier to be cleaned than the carpet or the wooden flooring coverage, but this doesn't mean that it's very easy to clean it too. The tiles also have their specific needs when it comes to cleaning. For once, things get stuck to the floor very easily, and unless you clean them two or three times a day, these things will dry up there and get stuck for good. But the hardest thing to clean of all is the grout, which fills the space between the tiles. It's not made from the same material, which are the tiles from, so it's a little harder to clean it properly. To help you deal with this difficult situation, I've gathered these useful tips on how to clean tile grout. I hope you will find them helpful.

The tools. Cleaning the tile grout is something very important and responsible, but you won't accomplish anything without having the right tools to do it. In this case you will need a toothbrush, because you'll have to clean very narrow and small surfaces, and the toothbrush is perfect for it. You could also use a broom, a soft cloth, some cleaning detergent for tiles you like, and a bucket filled with room temperature water. Of course, if you're more into the modern technologies, a steam cleaner would make everything a lot easier and stress free, but I know that not many people own one of these. They usually depend on the services provided by reliable tile and grout cleaning experts in the nearby areas. But if you don't, you will have to deal with the situation using whatever is handy.

Chemical cleaners. Even though the eco-friendly cleaners are gaining lots of popularity lately, the chemical formulas are still preferred by many people. The most common chemical solution for cleaning tiles is the one involving borax. It's used by practically every experienced cleaner in the world. You only need to make a solution of a few spoons of borax mixed with a bucket of water. If you want, you can also add some general detergent for a nicer smell. The borax will not only remove the unpleasant stains from the tile grout, but it will also remove all the unpleasant smells from your bathroom or kitchen. If you notice any mould in the tile grout, you can try another solution, which includes one-part hydrogen peroxide and two parts of water, and spray it on the mouldy parts. And if you have mildew on your tiles, you should try mixing even parts ammonia and water. It should remove it right away.

Green cleaners. For those of you who prefer to think about the nature's well being, there are some natural solutions you can try. For instance, you can try to apply a thick layer of baking soda to the grout, and then pour a glass full of water and white vinegar on it. This will take care of the stains and the bad odours. You can also try pouring a soft drink over a very stubborn stain on the tile and let it soak for a while. After an hour, it should be a lot easier for you to scrub it off. Another great natural product for scrubbing tiles is the corn starch.

No matter what kind of chemical or natural tile cleaner you choose, just have in mind that some natural stone tiles are very delicate and they won't respond well to most cleaners. Therefore, you should only use the specially designated tile cleaning solution. Otherwise you may destroy all your tiles unwillingly.