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.

[Clare0]

@Sandra126 Ah, good ol' vinegar....so useful in so many ways! 🙂

[Dee9]

white vinegar? and what is bicarb? thank you

[Sandra126]

@Dee9, yes, ordinary white vinegar. I buy big bottles of cheap stuff from the supermarket as I clean with it a lot, just never on the grout before. Bicarb is Bicarbonate of Soda, it is possible that Americans call it Baking Soda??? Comes in a cardboard box usually, and you can leave an open container to absorb smells in the fridge, you can clean anything with it, you can use it to bake gingerbread, you can pour it in the bathwater, a tonne of uses. For a toilet which needs a deep and easy clean, pour generously into the bowl before you go to bed, let it sit all night. In the morning, a quick scrub and you have the cleanest toilet in seconds.

When you put vinegar on bicarb, it hisses as it reacts which adds a certain element of cleaning excitement.

[Dee9]

THANK YOU!

[Jude7]

Still giggling over adding some cleaning excitement to my life, @Sandra126. I truly loved your choice of words.

Jude

[Petra84]

Who doesnt need a bit of "cleaning excitement" in their life? What a lovely choice of words! 😂👏

[Laretta0]

And we do need excitement, especially when cleaning our toilets...you guys/gals are great!  I, too, am tickled re: those choice of words,  Now I can't wait to clean my "White Throne"!

[Clare0]

@Sandra126 The only problem with using excessive amounts of vinegar, like in toilets, is that for those of us on septic tanks, vinegar kills the necessary bacteria need to break down solids. The company that services my septic tank warned me about this.  🙂

[Sandra126]

@Clare0, that is a good point. My last place was on septic, and I used bicarb as it is a much friendlier way to clean than aggressive chemical treatments. Didn't know about vinegar, though! My plumber told me never to use bleaches etc which was fine by me.

[Chaela0]

hahahahah @ cleaning exitement

[David-And-Amanda0]

We need to love cleaning, as we do so much of it!!! Thanks for all your inputs, some intersting ones.

I have found the sabaco heavy duty earses absolutely fantastic on the bath, tiles, glass and especially the grout. Just buy it from the hardware store and so evironmentally friendly. Just use water and the sponge... great invention!!

happy scrubbing, Amanda 🙂

[Sharon683]

I will use the BC in the toilet overnight.  Great suggestion.   I was told to use 40% white vinegar, 30% Dawn dish soap and 30% water.  I love it.  It is also great for killing ants and other bugs.

[Barbara405]

Bicarbonate of soda is baking soda.

[Andrea9]

@Sandra126

Good to know that it works so well. I've seen several sites on the miracle combo vinegar and baking soda, even for ovens. I've been using it for my wash and think it's great. Add a handful of bicarbonate to your wash with the detergent (works great against stains and seems to also work against yucky residue in the machine. Then in the last rinse water add a cup or so of vinegar instead of the chemical softeners which aren't good for the skin at all. It softens the water and makes the laundry softer. There might be a slight vinegar odor on opening the machine, but this dissipates instantly, and certainly can't be smelled after drying.