October 26, 2020
How to Clean Grout
Grout can be so frustrating to clean and keep clean. Most issues with grout are due to not keeping up with the cleaning – the dirt builds up quickly and it can be difficult to get it back to clean.
There are multiple ways to clean grout safely and effectively, keep reading to discover the best methods to clean your grout. These methods work better and are much safer than some of the grout cleaning techniques swirling around the internet like using toilet bowl cleaner – yikes!
You can see my methods for cleaning tile flooring here – I like to think that you can get grout clean when you are cleaning the floors, but grout needs a little love sometimes too.
OXYGEN WHITENER
- Oxygen Whitener
- water
- castile or dish soap for extra cleaning power
My favorite method for cleaning grout is to use Oxygen Whitener with water to make a paste on tile and grout. I wet the tile, sprinkle with Oxygen Whitener, let it bubble a bit, scrub, and rinse thoroughly. Sometimes I’ll add a squirt of castile soap to the paste to up the cleaning power. Rinse and repeat if necessary. The shower in our bathroom has a creamy light gray tile (not my favorite) and our water leaves a little orange hue within a week after scrubbing – this works really well to combat the orange.
One of my favorite DIY recipes to help brighten grout is a simple combination of cream of tartar and lemon juice. This method takes a little more elbow grease but it works really well to remove some of those surface stains in the grout as well as naturally lighten the grout. This works especially well on colored grout. Here is what you need:
CREAM OF TARTAR + LEMON JUICE GROUT CLEANER
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- lemon juice
Combine the cream of tartar with the lemon juice to make a thing paste the consistency of runny toothpaste. Apply to the grout and use a small stiff bristled cleaning brush to scrub the grout. Rinse and wipe dry. If you don’t have lemon juice, try a little water to make a paste.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Put a sprayer on top of a hydrogen peroxide bottle and spray white grout to rid it of mold and mildew. Reapply if necessary, scrub and rinse. This is a great way to combat stubborn stains on white grout.
You can see my all of my cleaning favorites here and in my Amazon shop under ‘cleaning favorites’.
Sherrie Says
Thank you, I am going to clean my grout this weekend. This is very helpful
tina Says
wow, this sounds really good to have and to do. however, is this just for floor tile or can this be used in the bathroom too?? I think that i missed something somewhere.
Clean Mama Says
Post authorBoth!
Mary Says
Thanks for such an in-depth and helpful article! Is this only relevant for light grout? We have white tiles with dark grey grout and I love the contrast so I definitely don’t want to lighten it if possible!
Clean Mama Says
Post authorThis is for any grout 🙂
Trish Silvera Says
Between using the oxygen whitener or hydrogen peroxide (I have both) , which would you recommend for tan coloured grout. I don’t want to lighten it. Thanks !
Clean Mama Says
Post authorOxygen Whitener 🙂
Jackie Says
Will baking soda with lemon juice work in a pinch?
Also, if I have travertine tile, do I need to be concerned with acid getting on the edge of it when I clean the grout?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorI wouldn’t use the lemon juice on travertine.
ShellyM Says
Orange buildup, might be soap! I noticed our shower stayed cleaner longer after we switched to body wash. As bar soup is a solid at liquid at room temperature, it makes sense that it can harden once it dries on the shower walls. The color can be from different bacteria present in the bathroom, not necessarily from the soap itself.
Rachel Says
Can I use the OXY clean on grout that is surrounded by marble tiles?
Clean Mama Says
Post authorYes!
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