How to Remove Stains From Tile Grout

Introduction

You know the story. Your otherwise lovely bathroom has gruesome stains or greenish black mold and fungus growing between the tiles. With some elbow grease, you can stamp out those unsightly stains.

By: eHow Home & Garden Editor

Length: 2:14

Comments: 19

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

Regular cleanings with a bleach-based cleanser keep mold, mildew and stains in check.
Make sure you seal the grout after cleaning.
Never mix bleach with an ammonia-based product such as glass cleaner.

Step1

Before cleaning, wipe away any excess wet buildup with a white terry-cloth towel or paper towels. If your grout is crumbling, consider replacing it. (See How to Replace Cracked Tile Grout in a Tub or Shower.)

Step2

While cleaning (steps 3 through 6), be sure to wear rubber or latex gloves and safety goggles, and throw open the windows to avoid exposure to the harsh chemical fumes of bleach-containing solutions.

Step3

Spray on a commercial grout cleaner or a heavy-duty all-purpose cleaning solution with bleach. Wait for several minutes.

Step4

Scrub the grout with a stiff scrub brush or a grout brush, then rinse thoroughly.

Step5

Blast mold, mildew or stubborn stains with a bleach-containing cleanser, or make your own using 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) chlorine bleach and 1 qt. (32 fl oz/1 l) warm water. Let the disinfectant sit at least 10 minutes to thoroughly kill the mold and mildew.

Step6

Scrub the grout with a stiff brush or a grout brush, rinse, then dry with a white towel or paper towels.

Step7

Now that the grout's sparkling clean, keep it that way. Apply one to three coats of commercial grout sealer with a small brush or paintbrush. (Commercial grout cleaner, grout brushes and grout sealer are available at home supply centers and janitorial supply stores.)

Step8

Reapply annually to make certain the only thing scary in your home is the Halloween decor.

Comments

soapberryusa said

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on 8/25/2008 A good product to take stains out of tile or porcelain is ZUD cleanser. It is so good it will eat holes in porcelain if you leave it on too long.

GroutStore said

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on 6/20/2008 I agree it is easy to do it yourself. To find the commercial grade grout cleaner and brush you will need I suggest visiting http://www.thegroutcleaningstore.com . They sell professional strength products to the public.

CateS said

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on 2/10/2008 I have had contractors tell me to NEVER use chlorine bleach on grout. Grout contains latex and latex turns yellow when exposed to chlorine. So, I've never used chlorine on my grout. As a result, it's brown and stained--which is better than yellow! Or is it?

Any thoughts?

VegasMyst said

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on 12/20/2007 Thanks for all your tips. My whole downstairs has white grout on the floors. I appreciate any tips I can get.

cato42 said

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on 12/17/2007 Oh, for cryin' out loud. Okay, number 1: Bleach is NOT an acid. It is a very strong alkali. Second: Vinegar, being a weak acid, generally should not be used to clean grout, as it will weaken and gradually dissolve the grout. Also, both acids and alkali will work at removing the grout sealer that is (one hopes) placed over the grout in the shower, etc. Using a very mild cleaner and a bit of elbow grease will both clean the shower and reduce the need for sealer reapplications.