Magic Grout and Tile Cleaner is a fast-acting formula designed to clean grout quickly and effectively. It is created with Stay Clean Technology, ensuring that your grout stays clean longer. The Magic Eraser is a unique sponge designed to scrub away major dirt and grime from grout lines. To use it, spray Zep Grout Cleaner and Brightener by tipping the bottle and running it along the grout line. Scrub dirty grout using warm water and a medium-bristle brush.
Magic erasers are effective for cleaning grout due to their abrasive material, which lifts and removes dirt and grime from the grout lines. Grout Magic works as a grout re-colourant and restorer, making old grout look like new. It is cleaner and brighter with no nearly-black lines outlining each square of tile.
The best grout cleaners in 2021 include Grout Refresh, Black Diamond Deep Action Grout Cleaner, Color Restoring Grout Pen, and Marbel Life Mold and Mildew. Magic Grout and Tile Cleaner is a professional-grade product that takes only two to three minutes and a light scrub to work its magic on dirty grout and tub caulking.
While Magic Erasers should work on grout, they are not recommended due to their super fine sand paper nature. Other methods, such as Magic Erasers, stiff bristle drill brushes, and hand scrubbing with a grout brush, may not be suitable for grout cleaning due to their effectiveness.
In summary, Magic Grout and Tile Cleaner is a powerful and effective solution for cleaning tile grout lines. It is safe for use on ceramic and porcelain tile and can effectively remove dirt, soap scum, surface soils, mold, and mildew.
📹 Oxiclean for Grout vs Toilet Bowl Cleaner for Grout: WHAT IS THE BEST GROUT CLEANER (& FASTEST)?
Oxiclean for Grout vs Toilet Bowl Cleaner for Grout: WHAT IS THE BEST GROUT CLEANER (& FASTEST)? What is the Best Grout …
What is the absolute best way to clean grout?
To clean grout, start by rinsing it with plain water and a gentle cleanser like dish soap. If this doesn’t work, test it on a small section of the grout before using a cleaner. Start with a dedicated grout cleaner before deep cleaning. TikTok has strong opinions on this cleaner. If simple water and soap don’t work, consider a deep clean. Start with a Shop Vac, which should come up with most stains. Marino recommends applying the cleaner and vacuuming up the dirty water to lift dirt off the joint.
What should you not clean grout with?
Avoid harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia when cleaning grout. Instead, use a rough brush and elbow grease to avoid damaging the grout. Use a squeegee on shower walls to reduce water absorption. Proper tile cleaning also includes sanitization to reduce bacteria. Clean, sanitize, and disinfect are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. Avoid vigorous scrubbing and use a squeegee to reduce water absorption.
How do professionals clean grout with vinegar?
This guide provides a simple and safe method for cleaning grout. It suggests creating a paste with baking soda and water, applying it to grout, spraying with vinegar, and then rinsing. It also suggests cleaning drains by pouring ½ cup baking soda down and following with ½ cup vinegar. However, caution is advised for natural stone tiles like marble. While professional cleaning services are available, this guide aims to empower individuals with effective DIY methods for cleaning bathroom grime, kitchen stains, or commercial spaces.
What should you not use Magic Eraser on?
Magic Eraser should not be used on surfaces that are shiny or easily scratched, such as wood, stone, marble, granite, and technically painted surfaces. It is important to exercise caution and conduct a patch test before using a Magic Eraser on these surfaces. It is not recommended to buff marks from car exteriors with a Magic Eraser, as it can result in more damage and higher repair costs. Screens, cell phones, and laptops should be protected with a screen protector.
Non-stick cookware, particularly non-stick frying pans, should be avoided as the chemicals from the coating can leak into food. Stainless steel should also be avoided unless there are minor scratches.
Does baking soda damage grout?
Baking soda is a safe and effective natural grout cleaner that also functions as a mild abrasive, rendering it an efficacious household cleaning and deodorizing agent without causing damage to tile.
Does grout cleaner damage tiles?
Homeowners should avoid using harsh chemicals when cleaning tiles and grout, as they can shorten their lifespan. Instead, use a product specifically formulated for your tile type, such as a granite stone and tile floor cleaner, or a specially formulated grout cleaner like Granite Gold Grout Cleaner®.
Colored chemicals should not be used on grout, as they can cause discoloration and long-term damage. Dark-colored grout should never be used with pure bleach, as it can oxidize it over time. Bleach does not kill mold, but it can be diluted with water and used on the grout in showers once a month. However, it is corrosive to metal and can damage protective coatings on other materials. If you have colored grout, use a grout cleaner that’s specially formulated to clean all types and colors of grout.
Coarse scrubbers are not effective for cleaning grout, as they can damage both the grout and the tiles. Opt for a pad that’s safe to use on stone, such as a granite cleaning pad or a nylon brush. Researching how to clean granite countertops and other natural-stone surfaces and grout is also essential before cleaning tiles.
In summary, homeowners should avoid using harsh chemicals, colored chemicals, coarse scrubbers, and coarse scrubbers when cleaning grout to ensure the longevity and durability of their surfaces.
Does a magic eraser clean grout?
The Magic Eraser is a powerful tool designed to remove grout messes and buildup from surfaces. It uses micro-scrubbers inside to clean, making grout a breeze. However, it is not recommended for high gloss, polished, dark, brushed, satin, faux, bare/polished wood, copper, stainless steel appliances, non-stick coating, or vehicle bodies. It is not recommended to use with chlorine bleach or other household cleaners, and rinses are required for surfaces in direct contact with food. It is not suitable for use on skin or other parts of the body, and it should be kept out of reach of toddlers and pets.
Is grout cleaning worth it?
Professional tile and grout cleaning is crucial to prevent mold, mildew, and bacteria growth due to its porous nature. It removes dirt and debris that can cause these harmful microorganisms to spread. The longer tiles are left unclean, the more damage they suffer. Grout, being porous, can absorb dirt, dust, and other debris, leading to discoloration and staining. Professional cleaning increases the life of floors and saves money in the long run.
Additionally, it helps prevent slips and falls, as dirty tiles can become slippery when wet, making them a major safety hazard. Therefore, it is essential to schedule regular cleanings to maintain a clean and safe environment.
Do grout cleaners actually work?
Tilex’s Mold and Mildew Remover is a popular solution for removing mold, mildew, and bacteria from grout surfaces. It works with bleach to bleach whiten stains and kill 99. 9% of mold, mildew, and bacteria in just five minutes. The cleaner is a fan favorite with positive reviews and is easy to use. It sprays the grout, allows the formula to penetrate, and rinses. However, it can discolor fabrics and has a strong bleach smell, which some may find bothersome. The cleaner is recommended for removing black mold from homes.
How do you clean severely dirty grout?
A solution of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap should be prepared by combining the three ingredients in a suitable container. The cleaning agents should then be applied to the grout and left to act for a period of between five and ten minutes. Utilize a brush to scrub the grout lines with a vigorous brushing motion to dislodge embedded dirt and debris.
Does anything really clean grout?
This DIY grout cleaning method uses everyday ingredients like baking soda, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide. Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap with 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide in a shallow dish or squeeze bottle. Apply the solution to grout lines and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a stiff brush to scrub the lines until clean. Rinse with cool water and repeat. This method works well on ceramic tile floors and backsplashes, and baking soda is a popular ingredient.
The DIY cleaner forms a light foaming paste that gently lifts dirt, kills bacteria, and removes stains. It’s easier to apply to flat surfaces, making it suitable for floor cleaning rather than vertical backsplash cleaning.
📹 AMAZING GROUT CLEANER for Kitchen, Bathroom Floors & Shower! (Best Cleaning Hack) | Andrea Jean
AMAZING GROUT CLEANER for Kitchen, Bathroom Floors & Shower! (Best Cleaning Hack) | Andrea Jean (clean grout fast, how …
I’m a professional tile/grout cleaner and we use straight 3% peroxide (15% concentration works faster) and it actually bubbles up within five minutes and wipes like new. Want it faster? use a scrubber brush. We spray on the Peroxide and no need to get on your knees. You can add in the baking soda which is used as a scrubber agent but frankly not needed since it’s a mess to clean up. Mop up hot water rinse twice. >>>>>Don’t forget to use grout sealer when dried.<<<<<<
I am blown away by this! I have tried cleaning the bathroom grout since we moved in a year ago. It was literally black. I have tried everything to get this clean, no go. I was desperate enough to run to Walmart this morning and bought the Clorox fo only $2.37. I rubbed it into the grout really good and left for an hour. When I came back, my grout was ALL white and matched the rest of the upper shower grout! I cannot thank you enough for this article!!!
Andrea, I had 7 children within 8yrs… 5 pregnancies with 2 sets of twins… my grout was always awful UNTIL my husband ran across this tip. When my children got in trouble their discipline would be cleaning grout!💡 We used baking soda and white vinegar. We applied the baking soda with a fillable ketchup bottle in the grout then went back and sprayed (in a cheap spray bottle) white vinegar on top. Let fizz (I believe fizzing on the grout is what cleans it) and sit for about 10 min then wipe up. Grout would be beautiful, like new. Unfortunately now that my babies/twins are 18yrs I have to pay them to clean it! 😔🤭
I looked at this article because I am about to do this on my kitchen tile as well. I have also used straight peroxide in my shower floor tile grout. I poured it on and let it sit or several hours. I used a soft “Scrubbie” with a bit of tooth but not so much that it caused the grout to come out. It worked quite well.
With oxy, it is imperative to activate it with boiling hot water, that is when it is the most effective at cleaning. I find by the time I mix the water with the oxy it cools too quickly and so doesn’t quite perform as well as it does say in a large container of hot water when soaking dirty laundry. It remains in its crystallised form so just not great for grout cleaning. A mr. clean magic eraser is absolutely the best!
If you have a sonic cleaning toothbrush, save one of the old brushes and use it to scrub the grout lines after applying the liquid. Just rub it back and forth while it’s vibrating and it will foam up or break the oxiclean or baking soda mixture so you don’t get the clumps. Then get a rag and a 5 gallon bucket of hot water and rinse the rag out after you do each section.
I use baking soda with white vinegar. Wait about 10 minutes after applying. The baking soda reacts to the acid in the white vinegar. Use an old toothbrush for scrubbing. Wipe clean and rinse with clean damp cloths, and allow to dry. Don’t forget to seal those grout lines with a quality sealer. Sold at Home Depot. A bit pricey for a great sealer, but use a small paintbrush, and seal only the clean grout lines. A little goes a long way.
I think you really need to use a grout brush (or toothbrush) to see what these chemicals can do. I worry about the longterm effects of bleach on tile unless it’s rinsed and would probably prefer the other two. Also, as a general rule, don’t use different cleaners right next to one another! I know that they were benign and in small amounts here, but plenty of people have gotten hurt from mixing ammonia and bleach.
I have found that bleach over time will discolor the grout so that some areas are darker and lighter. It lifts the original color of the grout unevenly over time. Hydrogen peroxide lifts but only as light as the original color. However, with the hydrogen peroxide you’ll need to scrub with a grout brush or toothbrush, but you’ll also have undamaged, beautiful grout for many years.
I understand that you don’t want to have to scrub, but an important point to make is to know what color your original grout color is. I have the same tile, and the grout they used was “Tobacco Brown”, and it’s supposed to be that dark.The clorox is basically bleaching your grout, as it’s cleaning it. However, I do agree that the toilet bowl cleaner is easier to wipe up than the others.
It really makes a difference if you scrub it with a brush. I tried the baking soda method and I vacuumed it up with a Bissell Crosswave. I wouldn’t recommend using baking soda unless you have a mop vac like that to pick it up with, but it was a pain because it gunked up the mop vac pretty bad and I had to clean all the baking soda out of it. It didn’t work as well as the toilet bowl cleaner, either, but toilet bowl cleaner has dangerous fumes that you have to be careful of.
A word of caution, I used the toilet bowl cleaner in my shower which has white grout — the grout towards the bottom of the shower now has a blue-ish tinge. I assume it came from the coloring that’s in the cleaner. I’ve tried numerous times to get the blue color off, but nope! It appears to be stained permanently. I guess at the bottom because it had the longest exposure as the cleaner dripped down the wall. It did work well on the top part of the shower walls.
Use a steam cleaner to loosen the dirt and from and wipe up. You don’t have to use the highest setting either. Cleans sanitizes and deodorizes all at the same time. No chemicals or spending money on so called grout cleaners that are harsh. Great tip. After get the results you want use a grout sealer. Eliminates future unwanted dirty grout and deep cleanings.
The whole idea of using baking soda with the peroxide is that it’s a mild abrasive, which means you have to scrub. I think some mild scrubbing with all of these would have produced better results. There’s really no shortcut to getting grout really clean w/o a little elbow grease. Also, “sanded grout” vs “unsanded grout” makes a big difference. Generally wide grout lines use sanded and tiny ones use an unsanded mix.
I clean my grout with the toilet bowl cleaner and a grout brush and it looks real good after. I am hesitant to use that though because I have small dogs and I don’t want them to get it on their paws even if I rinse it real well. I just recently got a small steamer from Aldi and that works fantastic without any cleaner, just the water. I am going to try using both the toilet cleaner and the steamer in my bathrooms on a small spot to see if that works even better. Also you have to be careful with the toilet bowl cleaner if you get it on your clothes because it is basically bleach and it will ruin them.
Make sure you open windows and read the safety instructions, also make sure you really rinse all the gel off after. Not sure about Clorox but the reason toilet gels work is because most cleaners contain hydrochloric acid. Most professional tile cleaning products contain the same acid and recommend you use safety goggles and gloves. I use them after laying tiles to clean the adhesive and haze off the tiles.
We rent a house that has tile floors in the kitchen 1/2 bath, laundry room and breakfast nook. The tile is light grey and the grout looks dark brown or black because it has become stained over the years. I have tried every cleaner under the sun to get the stains off the grout to no avail. it should look light grey like the tiles. If this was my house I would have sealed the grout once a year to keep it from getting stained. I think the only thing that would make it look clean is to refresh the grout and re-grout it.
Love the cleaning hack for the shower. I have a suggestion to make rinsing the shower easier for you–remove the wall shower head and in its place install a handheld shower head. The long hose on the hand held allows you to rinse all the shower walls by simply aiming the shower head wherever you want. I discovered handheld shower heads years ago and would never looked back.
I swear by the Oxy-Clean. BUT I use a 4T one gallon of HOT water. And I scrub. Get a stiff scrub brush. It is much less expensive than creating a paste. I also don’t have the luxury of leaving a cleaning product on my floor for 15 minutes. I also have so extra fat to work off. So my method works for me. My daughter has a small bathroom tiled floor and uses your method. She LOVES it!!
We bought our house is December 2019 and I’m just now getting around to do doing this. The people who lived here before weren’t the best house keepers so I’m pretty sure it has never been done. I started it tonight and I was appalled at the horrid smell that was circulating. I guess just years of dirt and whatever was coming up from me scrubbing. It for real smelled like rotten eggs. I used the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner at first so I thought maybe it was that. Then I switched to a CLR type cleaner thinking that would help but no. My whole kitchen now smells like rotten eggs. 🤢🤢 also we have the same tile. I CAN’T wait to get rid of it and put something without grout down.
Good articles Andrea Jean! I like the results you got with the toilet bowl cleaner with bleach, however, some of us can not tolerate breathing in chlorine bleach fumes. I have had excellent results with Hydrogen peroxide, but I use it in the form of Nature Clean brand, liquid Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach, on floor-tile grout. But, I do not mix it with baking soda. Personally, I am not a fan of cleaning with baking soda for most surfaces because of the messy product residue clean up and rinsing required. Because the floor is a flat horizontal surface you can just pour/spray the Hydrogen Peroxide alone into the grout lines, wait for 20 to 40 minutes depending on the dirt condition of the grout. Then mop up.
May I recommend that after all that work you invest in Grout Sealant. It will help repel dirt, oils and other grime for at least a year and sometimes more (depending on the quality of the grout sealant used). We did our house tiles a year ago under COVID and we too found the same results that you did but we also used a brush. Our 25 year old tile grout looked almost brand new, it was incredible and it still looks clean.
I clean my tile grout like this: at night, I sprinkle baking soda powder and sweep let the powder fills the grout, spray on vinegar, let it sit overnight. The next day, I spray water to wet it and use a tooth brush slightly scrub the grout and then mope clean the floor. My tile floor look like newly install. Formula: baking soda, vinegar, time.
The baking soda and peroxide works but it needs time to dry. My floor grout was like charcoal grey when I moved in. My counters’ white grout was real dingy too. I scrubbed the counters so hard I wore away some grout! So I was on a mish to find a way to restore their former color. The toilet cleaner is nice but pets and kids don’t like to listen about not touching areas and so if they walk in it and track it it’s bad news bears. It also kinda leaves that slick residue that bleach inherently has that takes a number of wipes to remove. The soda/h2o2 I found worked wonders in just the first go bringing the charcoal floor grout caked w/ ground in dirty back to it’s original beige color. I just made a few modifications to the technique–I sprinkle the soda w the side of a spoon in the grout and then go around and spray h2o2 on all the soda lines. LET IT DRY. I think that’s part of the magic. Once dry I go back and spritz to rewet (I originally used water but I figured more h2o2 = more cleaning power lol). I use a toothbrush and just need a very light scrub (vs the grill grade scrubber and serious arm workout I was prev accustomed to). As I scrub a square I wipe it with a damp wash cloth and a bucket or if u really have time you can let it dry again and vacuum all the soda and just wipe the remnants w a hot damp rag.
I’m with ya, Lady! Love the smell of bleach and Clorox CleanUp, too! I’m also a fan of Pine Sol, all 3 smell clean to me. 💙 I was shaking my head thinking of you having to clean up an entire floor of either of the paste solutions. 🤦🏼♀️ At least you only did 2 squares. Next time, I suggest trying Scrubbing Bubbles Bubbly Bleach Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It doesn’t smell like bleach (🤣) but it works great. (The word foaming is a lot scarier than the actual foam, so not nearly as messy as it implies.) I clean foreclosed post construction mobile homes with all the muck you can imagine. 🤮 The Scrubbing Bubbles with bleach toilet cleaner never lets me down on toilets or floors.
I was first wondering what color grout you had originally, but then presumed it was a darker grout (vs like say white). But then also I was waiting for you to put an old toothbrush to it..but I was left hanging. Wondering what that would do..hint hint. Either way, thanks for posting, it was resourceful to watch!
I have been using the toilet bowl cleaners to clean my grout for years, but I vacuum it up with a floor mate cleaner and then I seal the floor with grout sealer, It lasts for two years, and I just mop with clean water and a small amount of pinesol weekly. My floors are gorgeous and easy to keep clean even with 6 small dogs in my house.
A steamer is the best option. I use one with a long hose, brass scrub attachment and at least 1500 watt…. no bending, no scrubbing no chemicals.. when I used the toilet bowl bleach gel in my bathroom first..I noticed the grout was starting to crumble… and if it’s anything other then a light grout color it will bleach out unevenly… the area around my toilets are bleached out and dont match the rest. So the steamer is my go to. I do not use any chemicals anymore other then bleach for my laundry
I used this on my shower tiles last night, because they were embarrassingly gross, and was amazed by the results. I tried what seemed like everything in the past, and thought that my grout was bad/old and needed to re-grout. I was at a loss. Then I saw this article and thought I’d give it a whirl. OMG! My shower looks brand new! Grout looks like it was basically freshly done! I do like more natural options, like vinegar and baking soda, but that didn’t do anything. I’m so so happy with my shower now!! This was marvelous!
I have a small bathroom with 1960s-era mosaic floor tiles. The tiles are very small, about 1″ square and 1 1/2″ rectangular, and there is grout between all of these tiny tiles. I cannot get the grout clean (and some of the tiles, since the surface is a little uneven and the spray mop doesn’t get them all), and I was wondering if the bleach-based toilet bowl cleaner could be used on the grout AND the tiles themselves to clean and brighten. Or do you have another suggestion?
Thank you for the tip on that cleaning gel – cleans without much effort for sure. But Hydrogen peroxide & baking soda won’t just clean the grouts without giving it a light brush. I clean mine with that and it will be very clean. I tried cleaning it with Dawn Dish soap & Vinegar too with light brushing, and it will clean perfectly well too.
Wow this is amazing! The toilet bowl cleaner definitely helped and with no scrubbing required! Thank you so much, the previous tenants in my apartment did not clean as much and now I hate the dirty grout lines! I tried the baking soda but I had to scrub but the toilet bowl cleaner was so easy! Thank you! Thank you!
I’m really enjoying your articles and the unexpected boost of enthusiasm to clean! It occurs to me one easy method for distributing the mistures of peroxide and baking sode, etc., might be to put it in a squeeze bottle (like a mustard dispenser) as this would keep the dispensed concoction narrow. Just a thought. Thanks, Andrea Jean. I’m looking forward to exploring more of your offerings.
I watched You clean Grout test. I know you mean well. However, actually You Suppose to use a BRUSH With the cleaner. Therefore it not a good test. Even Professionals Used A Brush. A Toothbrush or Small Brush because Grout is course has tiny crevasses. Or even more hygienic is Steam Nozzle used directly on the Grout Lines. And No Chemicals .
Oxycleen needs to be desolved in HOT water to fully desolve and activate. Personally I prefer Biokleen’s Oxygen Bleach because it doesn’t have the fillers or fragrances that OC has and its OC on steroids. Works great on grout but you still need to scrub oh and you don’t want it thick you want it to desolve in the water Now if you want the big guns, Stain Solver is the best but it’s pricey. It gets grout white though Biokleens version is a pretty close second and good enough for me
I tested a small ares and w as equally amazed with the ease and astounding results. Thank you so much for this! The other mixtures have not worked for me either in the past and with lots of scrubbing. I have had my grout professionally cleaned and it was very expensive. I have lots of tile, but will do little by little with no effort and save lots of money$$$
Thank you for making this website. I HATE cleaning. But when I’m absolutely EXHAUSTED of living in my and my family’s mess, I’m SUPER OVERWHELMED and have no clue where to start. You are helping me from running to the store’s to buy products like a chicken without a head. I will BUY EVERYTHING!!!! ITS NOT GOOD. 🤦♀️ So thank you very much for helping my head get centered.
I have a disabled son who has a hard time walking. He will sit and scoot around the house which means I have to clean my floors. I clean my floors once a week and that includes under the furniture and appliances. Using any cleaner like comet, bar keepers friend, baking soda etc. will require a lot of extra work cleaning the residue. I have a brush from Home Depot that I love. After I throughly sweep and vacuum the tile and wood floors I start cleaning one section at a time. I use Lysol and my scrub brush on everything. I love the smell of lemon Lysol and that is why I use it. I put a little bit of water on the floor with my Lysol and scrub a section at a time. Then I spray a little bit of 409 on the grout and use a toothbrush to clean it. I don’t need to scrub very hard because I consistently clean. After I finish that I wipe it up with a rag. My son is usually home when I clean and he makes it hard because he is afraid of wet floors and he likes all of my attention. That’s why I started cleaning a section at a time. When the floors are done I like to spray the baseboards with 409. I use the toothbrush and hit the baseboards with it and then wipe it up with a rag. It is super easy and doesn’t take a long time. When it comes to windows I use car wax. I put it on the windows, sliding doors and mirrors. As soon as I am done putting it on I go back to where I started and wipe it off. Sometimes after I clean my counters I will wax them. They are so nice and smooth after that. I will also wax my oven door, microwave door, refrigerator and dishwasher.
OK Andrea Jean you got me hooked. I have seen lots of your vids and love most for their simplicity. I have tile floors in both bathrooms. In all honesty there were redone 11yrs ago. Yep lets just say not clean. I am widowed and live alone except for the Black Dog. In your test I was amazed at the ease of cleaning the grout and the tile floor. So I ran my own test, I am older and getting down on my hands and knees is difficult. I also used a broom and Clorox Cleaner + Bleach (spray) and a Bona mop handle and clean towels. I sprayed the stuff on the floor and the grout and used the stiff broom to get into the cracks and crevices and generally spread it around. Let it sit for about 15min while I watched another “hack” of yours and went back and put the towels on the Bona mop and wiped it up. The results were amazing, the floor looks like new and so does the grout. No real effort involved and the floor is like new. Thanks for your website and getting me hooked.
I have hospitality business, at our properties, toilet bowl cleaner is the most cheapest option among the rest chemicals and it does work, you can also clean your toilet tank flawlessly using toilet bowl cleaner. the key is after applying the chemical, you need to wait about minimum 5 minutes, then use a harsh sponge or hard brush to scrub it. you will love the result
I use an allperpose homemade cleaner that uses vinger peracetic acid wich is an oxygen bleache, enzumes,salts and soape. I make this by mixing enzymatic oxy clean wich has peraceric acid, 5 enzymws and soap wich is mostly for steins som baking soda, alcohole and lots of viniger . After the reaction is don and theres no kore bobles I pore it into a spray bottle dose the grout let it sit for 10 minuts then scrub with a spong like mr clean and wipe or mop away it will quickly get rid of most of the dirt and blakness gun inside the grout withot wikening the grout . But if left to long will corode the grout just like kost accids and bleach.
I’d always heard that using strong chemicals can wreak havoc on grout – which is very porous. You may even destroy the sealer that was put on the grout during installation – thus making it more difficult to keep clean. After I thoroughly vacuum and wash the floor, I sit on the floor with a bucket of neutral ph solution with a toothbrush – and scrub, then wipe clean with a cloth so there is no pooling. I only do it about 3, sometimes 4 times a year – it’s not fun, but clearly I’m still perusal articles to find a better way. I would not recommend any of these products, however.
I’m 56 years old I have tried just about everything and the only thing that works is this: get a bucket have to bleach half Oxy why let it bubble get a large bucket effect it has several buckets hot water Oxy a rubber brush with a stick on it that you can use to walk on a cleaning roller brush that works I swear your krauts going to be white after this you Gotta leave it overnight
All of these work. Especially if you scrub them. Take it easy on yourself and grab a drill and attach a scrubber head (diy’s on YouTube) and have at it. The Clorox is amazing for nasty shower mold, yea that black ick in the corners you keep ignoring. But the smell lingers and is very strong. Can’t say anything for the oxiclean but I assume it’ll be comparable to the baking soda paste. My bf tile hadn’t been scrubbed in 9+ years. Used baking soda paste and the drill+scrubber. Now it looks almost new.
When using Oxyclean crystals you need to dissolve them in hot water and let it sit longer than 15 minutes to do grout. I leave it overnight. I use Oxyclean for almost everything. It is economical and for most things it eliminates the need for scrubbing. eg. for glass bottles or vases that are forgotten and get super ugly inside simply and a little Oxiclean and and hot water. Leave it overnight and rinse off in the morning. It is fantastic for kids toys and doesn’t leave an residue. One of my favorite things is putting it in the sink drain to get that coffee and tea stain off the drains. It is also great for actually cleaning the sink. I could go on but you get the point…
Be so careful with these products so you don’t “etch” your tile floors. Once you do that, you will need to hire a contractor to buff the floors back to their original shine. Even a drop of full strength vinegar on a tile floor will etch the floor and you end up with damage that has to be repaired. I’ve done this myself, so just warning others.
First, let me say I have tried many different ways to clean my nasty Tile floor, and to tell you the truth I gave up and was ready to tear the floor out. The grout joints are sandedwhich make them harder to clean, much larger, and in worst condition than yours. I went right to your winner the Clorox Bowl Cleaner. I lined my grout joints with Clorox Bowl Cleaner, got my bucket and cheap sponge with the ruff back, and waited fifteen minutes to start cleaning. I about craped Clean GROUT JOINTS . Thank you for the article.
OxyClean can work, but the paste must remain moist the entire time (hassle). I do NOT recommend bleach. Tiles are all different. Bleach is caustic & will etch some types of tile/stone, making edges look dull & open to further staining. Bleach will literally eat away your grout with repeated use!! If you must use bleach gel, use clear, NOT blue tint! Grout is porous, tint can stain. Shout gel has enzymes & can do a shockingly good job removing stains from grout without the problems bleach can cause. OxyClean makes a liquid laundry stain remover which works well with repeated use. But a steamer is really the way to go. No damage! Afterwards, sealing grout 1x/year will keep dirt from redepositing. When you mop, use DAMP not wet microfiber mop. Makes a HUGE difference. Tips came from a pro hard-surface cleaning contractor. HTH
I have never seen baking soda ‘with H2O2 and Oxi clean advocated as “soak and wipe” grout cleaning. Every reference I’ve seen advocating their use as recommend at least some scrubbing after soaking with either a toothbrush or stiff grout brush. It makes no sense to compare them as a soak and wipe cleaner. Even the toilet cleaner would have probably cleaned more with a little scrubbing.
I had very small areas with mildew in the shower & it annoyed me. I poured bleach & toilet bowl cleaner on it. It got rid of the mildew & the grout!!😅. The areas had a frying sound. I had to buy some grout today to “diy” the shower floor. I don’t even have a spade or the tool used to spread the grout. I have my work cut out for me😥
As a professional I would tell you that preventing your grout from becoming dirty in the first place. Most of what accumulates in the grout are the cleaning products you use to clean your floors with. Most have dyes and waxes in the products. Don’t use Mop & glow, Mr Clean, Fabulosos, Pine Sol, ! Best thing to use is a steam mop once your grout is cleaned. Hire a professional to clean your grout then use a steam mop
We have tile in our kitchen (hate it) and it is the same as how your grout has gotten so one day I was complaining to family about it and my husbands aunt says “why don’t you just paint the grout black, then you won’t have to worry about it anymore?” And I’m 🤨 seriously? Got a laugh out of that one.
I refuse to allow any bleach product in my house. I almost died when a small amount of bleach accidentally came in contact with another cleaning product and released highly dangerous vapours. I am concerned the way this article allows the bleach to come in contact with the mixture of hydrogen peroxide etc.
So trying not to be harsh but why follow you if you haven’t cleaned your kitchen in 2 years! Toilet bowl cleaner is harsh and very BAD for the integrity of your grout. That’s why its used for toilets. You are stripping away the grout sealant (which prevents moisture buildup and mold/mildew growth). AND regrouping is WAY more laborious than just mopping your floor regularly.
I use toilet bleach to clean my grout. I stupidly went for the white grout as I had chosen the white tiles with the sparkly bits in so thought that would be nice. It was for about 2 weeks. As I have used it for my whole living room the area to clean is so big and such a pain. But toilet bleach is great. I know if u add white vinegar to bicarb and that also works really well
it never stops amazing me how can something simple become so complicated and that people actually need be told how to do this. However I do know some people that need help. One told me she only cleaned her tiles with vinegar to keep them in the best shape. I come from a country where hard floors have been used always and we scrub and wash the crap out of them with no second thought. I got sick and tired of looking at my vinegar friend’s disgusting grout, got dishwashing soap and clorox, sprayed all the grout in her kitchen and with a brush cleaned it up. No pastes or concoctions magic. She almost passed out, because that is “not what the installers told her” . Come on people is ceramic not a rose; unless you pour acid on it it will be ok, Clorox away!! you will be able to do a whole room in no time.
I have the exact identical tile down to the color I use shower tile spray with bleach from dollar tree and a long handled scrub brush and I spray and give it a few scrubs and it works instantly- I do a section about 9-12 tiles wide and then rinse with my mop. Goes very quickly then seal your grout after it’s cleaned. Super easy and affordable.
I got a bottle of grout paint and used a tooth brush and just painted it all my kitchen. It was amazing. Looked like they installed a brand new kitchen floor. And they have different colors for your taste. White, cream color, grey…so u go once and that is it. No cleaning after soaps or anything. You should try! I got it in home depot
Thank you for this information. From the replies in your comments I learned that bleach will ruin the grout eventually. I think I will try the vinegar with baking soda as mentioned in a comment. I have a question: do you reseal the grout after you’re done? I’m getting mixed information on this issue. Thank you so much.
Clorox, Clorox, Clorox. I use Clorox Bathroom Bleach Foamer cleaner for my bathroom shower tiles — which can get pretty disgusting. It’s miraculous. Spray it on, leave it for a few hours or overnight, rinse and ta-da clean, sparkling clean shower. I used to pay a handy man $100 to clean it and he used some industrial strength cleaner. This is probably gentler for the title grout but works! Give it a try. Really. It works!
Anyone ever try OilEater degreaser for kitchens? I swear by it. Spray on. Let sit 5minutes. Wipe off. Works on range hoods, stoves like a dream. You can find it online. I ran onto it at Auto Zone for my car. Tried it in the kitchen and never looked back. Wow. It will also strip wax on floors so be careful when using on painted surfaces or things like olde metal blinds. Can take the paint off. Just test first. Not to say that I don’t use on walls that are painted but I apply and wipe off right away. Being a house keeper for 10 years makes you try everything that could make your job easier!
I appreciate the comparison. I think however the ration of baking soda to peroxide was off. Peroxide is going to be the “bleaching” element of that mixture. The peroxide I think is supposedly supposed to act in the same manner as the Clorox. Regardless I appreciate the comparison. Hadnt thought to use toilet bowl cleaner. May have to try that.
Try Clorox Clean Up Cleaner + Bleach. It’s the one in the green bottle. Spray it on an area about 9sf and by the time you put on gloves you can wipe off the grout with a wet microfiber towel. I use clean, warm water in a bucket. It’s so, so easy! And there’s no blue dye to clean up like the toilet cleaner. I’ve experimented by letting it “soak” thinking it might work better but nope it only takes elbow grease and time that I don’t have.
This Old House had a tip on grout cleaning. Fill grout with white vinegar. Mix water, baking soda, and a couple drops of dish soap. Pour on vinegar and brush with a stiff brush. Wait 5 minutes. Clean off with a clean, damp sponge. Seal grout at least once per year. This works really well. Cleaning/sealing my grout is on my to-do list.
I actually have been cleaning my tile floors with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide for years. I use a bucket and long handle scrub brush and from Home Depot and the grout comes out way better than your little test spot. I have had dogs and little nieces and nephews running around and didn’t care for using chemicals on floors. And I have even done this process on my tile counters.
white vinegar baking soda and dish soap is all you need. let the grout soak with white vinegar for a few minutes. do not dilute the white vinegar. wipe it dry afterwards. next you mix baking soda with water and a small drop of dish soap and stir in a cup. the baking soda will add some grit and help scrub it clean. pour that baking soda water and palmolive mix onto the grout line as you did with the vinegar prior and just scrub with a stiff brush and scrub the joints. with those hard to clean problem areas that have been neglected over the years its ok to use a carbide blade scrubber ( the same kind you would use for removing the grout all together) BUT scrub LIGHTLY. with the carbide blade. clean and dry with a sponge. DO NOT FORGET TO SEAL THOSE JOINTS AFTERWARDS WITH GROUT SEALANT. you can get the kind with a small brush applicator at the end of the tip at your local home improvement store. you should wait 3-4 hours for the sealer to dry before adding a SECOND COAT. This should be done every year.
You want a real thorough method recommended by someone who lives in Florida? Eagle bucket half a cup of Oxsee white I said white! And add a spot of bleach in with the Oxsee sounds awful but it works and get a stick brush that has a battery on it just just google stick brush in Amazon get the battery operated cleaning brush and I never ever had black grout when I lived in a certain apartment in Tampa years ago
Not sure if this is true or not but I seen someone saying that the toilet bowl cleaner isnt good to use because if you use it to much it will start to dissolve your grout and get under your tails and mess your floor up, its probably best to just use the baking soda and peroxide I was going to use the toilet bowl cleaner for my moms floor but after seeing someone say it’s really bad to use idk
It would speed things up to put your solution in one of those squeeze bottles from the dollar store (like hairdressers use to color roots and folks use with kitchen oils to control the amt poured into the skillet). They’re cheap and you can easily shake it to keep your emulsion at the right consistency and the small tip makes application easy and accurate.
Nice alternative!- I use liquid gel toilet bowl cleaner- just trace all the grout- wait til it changes to a hazy color then wipe with a wet rag while gloved to avoid contact – fast, no scrubbing-just wiping, and easy on the arms and back for those of us with joint/posture issues- thank you for sharing
One more grout tip. The best gift I gave myself where my grout is concerned is that after I used this method to clean my grout I went to Home Depot and bought a bottle of Polyblend Grout Renew. It’s a grout sealer and stain all in one. Essentially you can make any grout any of the colors available. Light to dark color, or dark color to light. Doesn’t matter. I simply followed the instructions on the bottle and my grout looked brand new. I have two ceramic tiled bathrooms and have done both bathrooms twice off of the one bottle of Grout Renew that I bought. I probably went four or five years between applications. I find that the grout mops clean much easier between applications and I haven’t had to scrub the grout like that again.
I use a pump spray pressure bottle at 10 litre capacity. I setup a small electric fuel pump to a little battery ( 12 volt) rechargeable pack. I put about 4 litres of white vinegar and a litre of water. I spray on grout joints then move to main bathroom and same thing. Spray the joints. Then immediately go to master bedroom and flush out the mould with the higher pressure. Once done I go to main bathroom and same thing. Done and dusted! Cheap and easy. You can use just a 10 litre pump up sprayer. You just have to keep pumping! If I’m in a rush? I use the battery powered unit. Like a mini water blaster. No scrubbing. The Acetic acid kills mould and cleans the grout perfectly. I’ve never tried borax. I’ll have to try it.
💗😊💕great job, Andrea👍 I too have had an eyesore over my white tiled bathroom floor. And it’s diff to get down on the ground and scrub. Anyway, I was blessed with a surprise last month, I had come across a Bissel stream cleaner pot for only $40.00 CAN at Canadian Tire and I gladly paid for it. My previous one Scuinti (I think) locked up with pressure since it appears that I forgot to empty it before I put it away, lesson learned. Anyway, I got this to clean crevices in the bathroom, but when I got it, it came with a niffly brush, I was so surprised, it was a grout cleaner!!!NO WAY!!! Well I proceeded to clean my bathroom floor with it and just used a towel to wipe up the gunk….It cleaned it up so well and just with steam and some elbow grease…..I don’t have a very big bathroom, though it’s a bit long…..anyway, only downside is I was sore for a day or 2 after from scrubbing/hunched over. Funny how something that bugged me for so long was so easy to fix in the end. Likely if I do it once a year, it won’t be as time consuming as if I left it for years and years like last time. Glad I found you on YouTube. How exciting that you are pregnant. Ah, mine are all grown up😊💕💗
I usually just sprinkle the dry on the grout lines then spray the water on to make the paste. A bit less time consuming. Also found the baking soda also works better if you do the same that way and the scrubbing is important to get desired clean since its the abrasive quality of the two products the are the main components.
My hubby and I are senior citizens and we find kneeling nearly impossible. We use half and half white vinegar and water, leave it on for 5 mins and use a long handled grout cleaning brush (son no kneeling) to go over the grout and then mop the floor with water. A tad smelly but it subsides really quickly. 🙂
Don’t get offended by my comment for its well meant, please don’t! I gave you thumbs up because you have good ideas which saves us housemothers a lot of money. However, nowhere in the world a woman cleans with rings on their fingers and much less those rings. Take them off when cleaning and put them on when you after the cleaning and talk to us. Also you used gloves to put on the solution you mixed, but didn’t put them back when scrubbing the grout. I looked at your article because i wanted to see no nonsense old fashion ideas of housekeeping here in America. I liked it and give you a 9 points. I don’t give 10 for the reasons above. THANK YOU for showing us cheap solutions and ideas on how to keep housework effective, cheap and good. Thanks! Blessings and stay safe ! Martha Stewart eat your heart out !!
Great article, I going to try this and I have a HUGE shower with all ceramic tiles, wall, floor and sitting area ( like a sauna)…im going to use an old mustard bottle to put it on with, and get a grout brush. Thanks for the info! Once I get it clean, im going to keep it clean, I plan on Regrouting it and painting it next spring.
Why don’t they make grout lines narrower and out of something that doesnt absorbe dirt! I just don’t get it! Boo to keeping grout clean! Thank you for this article. I got a scrubbing rechargeable grout cleaner on a pole that helps from Amazon. (a small round brush set) I have trouble getting on the floor to do it.
Uh oh. sounds like your tiles are hollow. could mean that your tiles are not adhering to the base floor and are floating. could be a matter of time before they start to break from the grout. same thing happened to my house, had to pull up all the loose tile. you can check by tapping on each tile with the handle of the screwdriver and if it sounds hollow, you may have future problems.
Love it ! Omg my parents have a long ceramic floor that looks great but would take me forever- good thing it not bad at all more like spots. Definitely, going to do a few stubborn spots of folks bathroom floor grout. My Father can’t be around any cleaning chemicals or scents so Borax is great ! My skin is very sensitive to Borax will wear gloves! I will close the bathroom door as I can hear my Father now as he walking by seeing me on my hands knees scrubbing with that little brush. First I better not be using anything that going smelling as a breathing medical issue. Trying this after I get a grout brush from Amazon Prime! This RN is thinking this is serious nesting OCD down on your hands and knees like that .
Another way to clean grout – lightly pour white vinegar on grout, then mix some baking soda and a very small amount of dish detergent in a cup of water to make a grit. Pour the mixture over the vinegar and scrub with a grout brush. Do small sections at a time. Let that sit for a five minutes, then scrub again. Then wipe the area with a sponge. Always be sure to seal the grout after cleaning.
Any thoughts about using a clear grout sealer to prevent future stained grout. Grout sealer is used after tile install by masons. Have you ever used pH up for cleaning? I substitute pH up at half the rate of oxiclean in my laundry. I have hard water from my well. pH up works oxiclean except way cheaper. Also I use the dollar tree rug cleaner to pretreat grease on my work clothes. I didn’t refill my propane tanks so I cold water wash all my laundry and it’s difficult to get clean clothes with cold water only. But the way congratulations on your pregnancy! 😊