Learn how to clean grout naturally with a DIY recipe! After many tries, this homemade grout cleaner is the best way to clean between tiles.
I Needed The Best Way To Clean Grout
When we moved into our house, I really liked the floor in our main bathroom. It had small blue tiles and white grout, and it’s in an interesting geometric pattern. It’s not exactly contemporary, but I decided that it was just dated enough that I could call it vintage. Sure, the grout was dingy and kind of stained, but that didn’t seem like a big deal.
Turns out it was a big deal. Have you ever tried to clean a floor that’s at least a quarter white grout? It’s difficult. Mopping doesn’t do a thing to grout, not even if you’re mopping with a rag down on your hands and knees. No, if you want to get the grout spick-and-span, you’re going to have to full-on Cinderella. Brush, solutions, blood, sweat, and tears. (Singing mice optional, but of course encouraged.)
If you have a room with a lot of light-colored grout on the floor, don’t despair. You can clean it with some hard work and all the right tools, and then you’ll feel all happy and accomplished for having done so.
How to Clean Grout: DIY Grout Cleaner
Ingredients
- grout brush (old toothbrushes just don't work as well)
- power drill grout brush (optional, but awesome!)
- baking soda
- lemon juice
- white vinegar
Instructions
Step 1: Mop Your Floor
- Mop your floor. I use a solution of 1 part vinegar to three parts water. You might not get the grout totally clean, but you need to start with a clean floor. Getting the surface grime off allows you to get the deeper stains off when you're really ready to scrub.
Step 2: Homemade Grout Cleaner
- Make a paste with the lemon juice and baking soda. Lemon juice and baking soda are excellent natural cleaners for most everything in your home.[1] I'm not giving exact measurements because this depends greatly on the size of your tile floor, but you want your mixture to be thick and paste-like. Start out with a certain amount of baking soda (maybe a quarter cup and add tablespoonfuls of lemon juice until you have reached the desired consistency.
Step 3: Let DIY Grout Cleaner Sit Then Scrub
- Spread the solution out on the grout lines. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub it with the tile brush. A grout brush is a great tool for this because they have extra stiff bristles, but if you don't have a grout brush, an old toothbrush is a great substitute.It's kind of funny that this is only one step because it's going to take you way longer than the rest of the process. You're going to have to really, truly scrub. If you're working on an entire room, expect your arms to be sore. Also, be sure to start at the back of the room and work your way to an exit; no scrubbing yourself into a corner, okay?
Step 4: Mop Again
- You're going to have to mop again. Sorry. But you just scrubbed sticky lemon juice all over the floor, and it's not like you can just leave it there. I use the vinegar/water solution as in Step 1, and make sure you get all of the residue up.
You’re Floor is Clean!
By the time you’re finished, your DIY grout cleaner will have delivered a sparkling floor and grout that is much lighter. If you have any stubborn stains that didn’t come off with the homemade grout cleaner, try soaking and scrubbing them with hydrogen peroxide.
Tip: now that your floor is clean try our homemade shower cleaner!
Do you have any other tricks for how to clean grout? Let us know in the comments!
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Sources
- Carolyn Washburn. Home Cleaning Chemistry. March 2009.
How to Clean Grout Naturally with DIY Grout Cleaner was written by Emry Trantham.
* This article was originally published here
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