How to Clean Grout on Tile Floors

Tile floors can be beautiful and can add a great deal of character to your home. But tile floors can also be very difficult to keep clean. Cleaning the grout on tile floors is a time consuming task but is necessary to maintain the beautiful look of your tile.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Toothbrush
• Spray bottle
• Water
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Mop

1. Fill a spray bottle with a solution of half hot water and half vinegar.

2. Pour baking soda on top of the grout and then spray with the solution.

3. Use the toothbrush to scrub the grout. You will have to scrub very hard!

4. Repeat steps two and three until you have cleaned all of the grout.

5. Now that all of the grout has been scrubbed with the toothbrush you will need to mop your floor as you usually do.

6. Allow your floor to dry completely and then inspect it. If any of the grout shows signs of dirt you may need to repeat steps two and three in those areas.

[boon4376]

on 11/16/2009 I have used the Clorox bleach pen to whiten my grout back to its original color with hardly and scrubbing or labor. Here are some before and after pictures, I highly recommend it!
http://alilknowhow.com/?p=75

[grammastacie]

on 11/13/2009 thanks for the great tips, my tiles will look awesome! 5* and recommend!

[dv8tor]

on 10/16/2009 I have tile in my bathroom and where the tile seam meets the tub is forever turning black. After following the instructions above, I painted that seam with white oil based paint and and let dry. I do this annually and never have to see or scrub moldy grout.

[alltrails]

on 9/19/2009 Good article - Now I need to get motivated to do it. 5 stars - thanks!

[mrsrower]

on 9/2/2009 This is fine advice for ceramic tiles, but some tiles will actually be damaged by vinegar and baking soda. There are non-toxic specialist products you can clean with, like Fume Free Tile and Grout from http://www.magicamerican.com. Alternatively, buy a steam cleaner with a floor attachment. That's what I use on my tile floors. It was expensive but I use it all over the house, so it's paid for itself.