June 6, 2022 by Mulberry Maids
While cleaning tile grout may not be the quickest cleaning task, it does not need to be difficult. As one the best Fort Collins cleaning services, we are here to walk you through a simple grout cleaning process to use on your tile floors, backsplashes, and counters.
While grout cleaning is typically not part of a deep home cleaning, it is still important to do from time to time to keep your grout looking clean and fresh. The more often that you mop your floors and clean your countertops, the less often a grout clean will be needed. Luckily, when it is time for it, a few natural cleaning products will be sufficient to do the job well.
Keep reading on to learn a bit more about grout cleaning tiled areas throughout your home!
What is the best process to clean my tile grout?
While cleaning tile and other hard flooring is typically a pretty easy and quick task, cleaning the grout will take a little bit more concentrated effort. The porous nature of grout, combined with its typical light color, make it susceptible to staining. Depending on the location of the tile flooring or countertop, you may be dealing with a different cleaning. For example, grout in the kitchen will likely be stained with food and liquid, while grout in an entryway may be caked with dirt and mud. Grout in bathrooms can unfortunately have mildew or mold, making it a bit more involved to thoroughly clean.
Generally nothing special is needed to clean up your grout, and can usually be done using natural cleansers, such as baking soda and vinegar. As with most cleaning techniques, it is best to start out by using the most mild option, and working your way up in strength as needed. To get started, you can simply use warm water with a small bristle brush, or a specific grout brush, which is typically long and skinny.
- Spray warm water onto the grout, and scrub at it with your grout brush. Do not use a metal wire brush, as it can damage the grout.
- If water alone is not enough, add some vinegar to your solution. Mix equal parts warm water and vinegar, spray it onto the grout, and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with your grout brush. You should try to avoid using vinegar on unsealed grout, as the acidic nature of the vinegar could lead to breakdown of the grout.
- If you still need more scrubbing power, you can add baking soda to the mix. Apply a baking soda and water paste mixture to the grout lines. You can then spray it with vinegar if it is a sealed grout, then use your grout brush to scrub the grout. If this is successful, you can rinse it with water, and make sure that it is wiped clean and dry.
- If you still have staining after the above baking soda step, you can add in some hydrogen peroxide, which is safe for both sealed and unsealed grout. This will give extra stain fighting power.
- If you are in the unfortunate position that all the above steps have not worked, you can start to try some store bought heavier duty options. These include oxygen bleach cleaners such as OxiClean. To use them, apply the cleaner to the grout, and let sit for about 15 minutes, before rinsing with water and wiping dry. There are also grout specific cleaners that you can buy and spray onto the grout, however, they can be quite strong. Some of these may include chlorine bleach, which is not a good idea to use regularly.
How can I keep my grout cleaner for longer?
As with everything related to cleaning, consistency is key. While the easiest way to keep your grout clean is to perform a grout cleaning each month, we all know that may not be practical, as it takes much more time and energy than other types of cleaning. The best way to keep your grout cleaner in between grout cleaning is to mop your floors more often, and to clean up spills quickly in areas such as the kitchen or bathroom. Wiping up a spill, or doing a daily counter cleaning, can work wonders in the long run, and only takes a few seconds a day. Using a steam cleaning mop on your tile floors will also aid in keeping the grout in better shape longer.
Another helpful tip is to not wear shoes in your home. This will help to decrease the amount of dirt and grime being tracked into tiled and grouted areas, which will in turn keep them cleaner for longer.
What caution should I use when cleaning grout?
Normal caution should be practiced when cleaning grout, which includes starting out your cleaning with a mild cleanser, and working your way up to harsher stronger chemicals only as needed.
Additionally, there are multiple types of grout, and you want to make sure that you are using safe cleansers on the type of grout that you have. For example, there is sealed grout and unsealed grout. The unsealed is more porous, and thus will be affected by acidic cleaners like vinegar, which should not be used on them.
The most common types of grout are cement and epoxy. The epoxy is more resistant to water and stains, while the cement grout is more porous. If you decide to use a store bought grout cleaner, make sure that it is safe to use with the type of grout that you have.
Lastly, make sure that you are not using a wire or metal bristle brush on the grout. While you want a brush with some strength, the metal wires can damage the grout. It is best to use a synthetic fiber brush for the cleaning.
Fort Collins cleaning services that truly deliver results!
At Mulberry Maids, we are a service oriented and results focused company. Working with the top cleaners around, we are fully trained and equipped to handle your cleaning needs in an efficient manner, with quality as our top priority. So whether you want to grab a meal at the Waltzing Kangaroo with some friends, or simply don’t want to clean anymore, we are the service for you!
Reach out to us anytime to get on our cleaning schedule, or to just chat with any questions you have. We are always here to help you out!