How to become a grout cleaning master

[Sandra126]

I cleaned the grout in the shower using a technique I have never tried before but which was so good I thought I'd better share it.

I put some vinegar in a spray bottle, sprayed on the tiles, threw bicarb at it (on a horizontal surface this would be easier, but it worked with some repeated effort) and scrubbed as the vinegar hissed away. Rinse, and the grout looks as new. Amazing! I have tried everything under the sun before, but nothing works as well or as cheaply.

Vinegar fights mould, too.

[Debbie100]

And here is my holy grail of grout cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flfAc_jMzvM.  I burned up the motor on my drill I cleaned it so well!!

[Ron56]

[links removed]

Nice to have this suggestion!

[David196]

Personally I perfer minimal hassle so I engaged a grout sealing company Sirgrout to seal my grout so it makes it much easier to clean, prevents any dirt or anything else from entering the grout.

[Debbie100]

I didn't know there was such a thing.  I'll look into sealing.  Thank you for the suggestion!

[Ma0]

This sound like a great way to clean. Thank you.

[Lynus0]

A grout paint is sold that qorks really well. Just apply with a toothbrush, then wipe and presto!

looks brand new

[Huma0]

My cleaner has now been AWOL for more than a month, during which time I've had back to back guests. When I started doing all the cleaning myself, I realised the house is nowhere near as clean as it should be, so I've been constantly scrubbing and wiping and dusting. I'm getting a bit obsessed!

I couldn't find Scrubbing Bubbles (recommended by some of the US hosts) here in the UK except at extortionate prices. So, I tried Cif Bathroom Mousse, which was the closest thing I could find. It did a reasonably good job in my shower, and was certainly much less hassle as you just spray it on, leave for 10 minutes or so and then rinse off. Not sure if it's good enough for deep cleaning, but a good solution for 'in between' cleans when you're busy.

I also tried Bar Keepers Friend Stain Remover powder on my kitchen sink, as a I had a small sample of it, and was amazed. It easily removed marks that I thought were permanent and left the sink, which is a few years old, looking brand new. I w ill definitely buy the full size of this and try it on my shower tiles and grout.

[Adriane3]

Vinegar fights mold, but Borax kills mold spores. It will take a lot longer for the mold to reappear after you use Borax.

[Jeff129]

The posted link to http://www.wisezipper.co/log.php  didn't work for me.

I have seen the work of grout sealers before, and they leave streaks on the tiles, and in time require resealing.

Understand the problem: Grout is a cement product, and breathes and soaks. Often the mold and mildew that appears on grout is deeply-embedded, and must be removed from within, yet general purpose cleaners such as chlorine bleach, while effective on surfaces, do not effectively remove the root cause without a strategy.

Soaking helps because it penetrates, but you cannot expect a single wash cycle to do the trick.

I like the youtube spinning brush idea that was posted above [thumbs up!], as it agitates and the vibrations allow the chemical compounds to penetrate deeper and be more effective.

If Scrubbing Bubbles is not easily and affordably accessible then I recommend combining chlorine bleach with a bleach-based cleaning powder such as Ajax or Comet to produce a wet creamy solution, and wiping it on the tiles and grout, then letting it sit for a while. Return with a brush or drill-brush and agitate (careful not to let it spray all over you) and then let it sit some more before wiping it all off with a damp cloth and rinsing well. If a single wash won't do it then a few washes over time should. Then there's always TSP for those who want the cleanup responsibilities.

[David196]

Do you know how long it takes before the grout needs resealing? I was told it will last as long as no physical force was used to damage it. I also know it is possible to "spot repair" if damage is minimal.

[Lizzie]

@David196, good question. I find if your grouting is say next to taps and is wet all the time it does start to deteriorate quite quickly and then you need to redo it more frequently. 

Have others found this? Or how often do you redo yours?

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Sandra126  When we bought our vacation home, the bedroom carpets were disgusting. We replaced them with new tile but kept the rest of the houses old tile. The old tile was an off white marble. Mopping the old tile floor at least ten times, still had the mop water looking like chocolate milk. I used everything on that floor you could think of to clean it. I just could not get this floor up to standard. I decided this floor needed serious scrubbing. I purchased the Hoover floor mate scrubber vacuum. I also had no idea what dirt was on the floor, if it was grease  or just tracked in dirt. I also purchased a 1 gallon spray bottle with a wand sprayer and pump handle you can pressurize the chemicals. I made an equivalent concoction of bleach, simple green and fabulous cleaner. First I vacuum the entire house. Then I take the wand spray and spray every inch of the floor and let it sit. I load the Hoover floormate with hot water and a cap full of simple green. I have done this three times now and the floor is so clean, you could perform surgery on them. Guest make comments now about how ‘sparkling clean’ the house is looking . I provide white spa slippers fo my guest(single use) and the bottoms are not disgusting when I throw them out. So we are winning that war. We had to separate from our old housekeeper because she didn’t understand and wouldn’t correct after instructions. When I say I want it ‘clean’, that means I literally wouldn’t have a problem eating off of it. The old housekeeper told me ‘this house is too hard to keep clean’ and I told her ‘You’re not doing it right’. I do think vinegar has its place in cleaning but chemicals get it really ‘clean’. 

[Amy38]

@Rene-and-Zac0. Smart girl, vinegar would etch marble...great on other things.  You might also try a steam vacuum...quicker, fewer chemicals.

[Frank342]

Interesting Sandra

I have a problem with dirty grout on my bathroom floor between the 1” square tiles. Bathroom is otherwise clean.

 I was never really bothered by it before until I started hosting.

 I’m always skeptical about homemade products.

An AirBnB representative suggested a product called Muriatric Acid , Which is essentially Hydrochloric acid who’s very strong and potentially dangerous.

 I would need to wear a face mask to prevent lung damage as well as special gloves.

 I have heard other suggestions like Oxyclean and Kaboom.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Sandra126]

@Frank342, if it is that bad you might have to do something more drastic like colour the grout maybe or regrout?

When it comes to things like bicarb and vinegar, it is a simple reaction which also is totally harmless to you. You can, after all, eat both. Being sceptical about home made products? I am not making either, both come in a packet at the supermarket and I just use them. For a toilet deep cleanse, pour in bicarb before you go to bed, in the morning scrub the toilet. Cleanest you ever saw. I used to be on a septic system only, and you can't use strong chemicals or you destroy the biological system. I got used to using things like bicarb very successfully. Up to you what you use, of course.

I have used commercial ''wonderproducts'' for grout cleaning in the past to my disappointment, but none have been as good as bicarb.