How to Clean Smoke Stains on Grout

Smoke carries greasy particulates that can stain any surface.

Some materials must have been designed by people who would never have to clean them. Grout, on walls, floors and in kitchens, absorbs stains because it is essentially compacted sand. Smoke from cooking, tobacco or a fire leaves sooty stains that adhere with greasy tenacity. Smoke stains are vulnerable to several solvents, but abrasives can wear away layers of grout and chemicals can dissolve it. Once grout is clean, apply grout sealer, which protects and helps you avoid having to spend time cleaning tiny spaces between tiles again.

Things You'll Need

• Washing soda
• Bucket
• Clean rags
• Toothbrush
• Vinegar
• Oxygen bleach, powdered or spray-on

Instructions

1. Mix up a bucket of washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate, and wash the entire tiled area, rinsing and wiping well. Washing soda is a laundry product that contains a grease cutter and stain lifter.

2. Rub the remaining stains with a poultice of 2 tablespoons of washing soda in a cup of warm water. Apply the poultice with a toothbrush. Allow the solution to sit for a few minutes before rinsing well and wiping with a clean cloth.

3. Spray stains that persist after a washing soda scrub to remove grease with a solution of half white vinegar and half water. Blot up the solution with a clean rag immediately.

4. Resort to oxygen bleach for tough stains. Make a spray solution using powdered products or use one of the sprays sold as a pretreatment for the laundry. Spray the solution on until it forms a layer on the grout. Allow it to sit for up to one minute before dabbing with a clean rag and rinsing the area with clean water.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat recently cleaned grout as if it were a new installation. Allow it to dry for at least a week before applying grout sealer to avoid sealing in moisture that might cause the grout to break down.

• Keep all cleaning solutions, even "green" ones, away from your eyes and wash your hands thoroughly after their use.

References

• Dakota County Minnesota: Green Cleaning Recipes
• Ask the Builder; How to Clean Grout; Tim Carter