Unless you tile and grout a room in your home that you never plan on using, your grout will eventually get dirty. Dirty grout is rather unsightly, and detracts from your tile work, so keeping it clean is often a priority in most homes.
Life is busy and unpredictable, and keeping up with a daily (or even weekly) grout cleaning routine can be difficult. Without careful upkeep your grout will eventually become stained with mold, mildew, food, or dirt – but all is not lost. With a little bit of elbow grease and some time, your grout can look like new again.
When asking around or looking online, you’ve probably been advised to use vinegar to clean your grout. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best method, because vinegar is acidic. Grout is made up of cement and sand, and while sand typically doesn’t react with acids, cement does and could potentially dissolve. Routine vinegar cleanings could erode the grout over time, so while it may work in a pinch, using a different cleaner regularly is a more viable option.
If you’d prefer to clean with something natural, choose something alkaline. Create a paste with baking soda and water, apply it to a small section of grout, let it sit for ten minutes, and scrub with a firm brush (a toothbrush works great). Move the brush in circular motions rather than up and down, as this will remove more debris from the grout. Rinse the area well with clean water and mop up excess moisture with a sponge, like a Hydra tile grout sponge. Since grout is porous, if the loosened stain isn’t rinsed away it can be reabsorbed into the grout, making all of your hard work for naught.
If you have a tougher stain that baking soda can’t remove, you can turn to more commercial based cleaners. Just be sure the cleaner you’re selecting is pH balanced and specific for the room you’re cleaning. At Tile Pro Depot, we recommend using StoneTech DEEPKLENZ Cleaner, as it can be used on a variety of surfaces to remove stubborn stains without damaging your grout. All you need to do is spray, let it sit for five to ten minutes, and wipe it up with a clean cloth or grout sponge and warm water.
If your grout stain won’t respond to natural or commercial cleaners, pressurized steam may help lift it. If this doesn’t work, the grout may need to be cut out and re-grouted. This needs to be done with great care to not loosen or damage the tile. Avoid simply re-grouting over the stained grout, as the contaminant that made the grout dirty can prevent the fresh grout from adhering properly.
If you’d prefer to not have to worry about routine grout cleanings, sealing it is a great idea. Sealants will help to repel stains, and with routine application (depending on the type of grout and sealant used) will help cut down or eliminate the time you spend cleaning your grout.
At Tile Pro Depot, we have a large selection of tile grout cleaners, sealants, and tile grout sponges to keep your grout clean and looking like new.
Visit our website to place an order, view our wide selection of products, and to read our blog for tips and the latest practices. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us online or by phone at (844) 751-2625.
