Cleaning the grout stains is an uphill battle. It’s a challenging and messy task. There is a wide range of grout cleaners available in the market. However, some products that are readily available at your home can also clean those dirty and tough stains. Some include vinegar, baking soda, lemon, bleach, and salt. They will help clean the grubby grout lines without digging a hole in your pocket.
Here are some simple and easy recipes for homemade grout cleaners to give your old and grimy tiles a new-fangled touch.
How To Clean Grouts
Cleaning the grouts of your bathroom tiles is the most difficult as they often have many mould spores. If mould is not removed 100 %, it will quickly grow back. Therefore, leaving the product on as long as possible is essential so it looks clean and eliminates all the spores. It’s often a good idea to go over the grouts with an old toothbrush to dig deep and kill everything.
Also, in the case of bathroom grouts, you’ll want to make sure the grooves aren’t too deep. The deeper the grouts, the easier for bacteria and mould to grow. So once you have eliminated all mold spores, you can refill the grout so that it doesn’t grow back the way you had it.
In the case of mould, you’ll want to use a recipe with vinegar and ammonia, as bleach takes too long to kill the spores.
Regarding the grouts on your floor, it’s a lot easier to clean them as it will mainly be dirt. In this case, bleach is an excellent option because it will bleach all the dirt and make it look crispy and clean.
Recipe 1
Ingredients
- Ammonia – 1/3 cup
- White vinegar – ¼ cup
- Baking soda – ½ cup
Method
Take all three ingredients in the given proportion. Mix them properly and apply the mixture to the grimy grouts. Allow it to settle. After 20 minutes, use a scrubber to clean this solution and wash the floor with plain water.
Note – A strong grout cleaner can make the floor dirt-free. But don’t use this solution on travertine tile, limestone or marble.
Recipe 2
Ingredients
- Baking soda – ¼ cup
- Vinegar – ¼ cup
- Salt – ¼ cup
Method
Take a small container and mix all the above ingredients properly. Apply the resultant mix on the ground (grouts). Let it sit for 20 minutes but don’t allow it to dry. Later, wash and scrub the paste with lukewarm water.
Note – Not recommended for limestone, marble, and travertine tile.
Recipe 3
Ingredients
- Baking soda – 3/4 cup
- Bleach – ¼ cup
- Water
Method
Combine bleach and baking soda in a small container. Add water to make a paste. Now, apply it on the filthy grout lines. The bleach in this mixture will remove all the dirt and give your tile a new look.
- Alternatively, you can add lemon juice instead of bleach.
Note – The above recipe is mainly for light/white coloured grout lines, so don’t use it on the coloured ones as it can fade its original colour.
Recipe 4
Ingredients
- Baking soda – 3 cups
- Water – 1 cup
Method
Combine baking soda and water to form a paste. Now, apply it to the dirty grout. Allow it to stay for a couple of minutes. Afterwards, rinse it.
Recipe 5
Ingredients
- Hydrogen peroxide – 1 part
- Baking soda – 3 parts
Method
Mix both ingredients and apply them to the grouts. The hydrogen peroxide in this recipe can bleach out the dirt and give your floor a clear appearance. Wait for a couple of minutes before rinsing with the lukewarm water.
Note – Don’t use this solution on the coloured grouts. However, it can be tested on the marble.
Recipe 6
Ingredients
- Bleach – ¼ cup
- Alcohol – ¼ cup
- Water – 1 cup
Method
Take a big bowl and mix all the ingredients in it. Shake the solution properly and apply it gently on the grout lines. Let it get drenched and wash off after 30 minutes. The bleach in this recipe will kill all the germs and fungus, and the alcohol will sanitize the area.
Note – Avoid its usage on coloured grouts.
Recipe 7
Ingredients
- Chlorine bleach
- Water
- Spray bottle
Method
Mix chlorine bleach and water equally and add this solution to a spray bottle. Now squirt the solution directly on the dirty grout lines. Allow it to sit for an hour. Wash off with clean water.
Recipe 8
Ingredients
- Liquid Castille soap/dish soap – 3 tbsp
- Baking soda – ½ cup
- Washing soda – 2 tbsp
- Borax – 2 tbsp
Method
This recipe is the best for tough stains. Mix all the ingredients and apply them to the grouts. Wait for 15 minutes. Scrub with a brush and rinse off with plain water.
Recipe 9
Ingredients
- Hydrogen peroxide – ¼ cup
- Baking soda – ½ cup
- Liquid dish soap – 1 teaspoon
Method
Mix all the above ingredients in a container. Now, spread the mixture on the dirty grout lines and wait 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, scrub it and rinse off with the clean water.
Recipe 10
Ingredients
- Oxygen bleach – 1 cup
- Lukewarm water
Method
Mix oxygen bleach in a bucket full of warm water. To saturate the grout lines, pour the solution on the dry floor. Leave it for 30 minutes. Scrub the solution using a brush and wash it off with plain water.
Guidelines for Cleaning the Grout
Before using any of the above remedies, consider the below-mentioned tips to get the best results:
- Don’t use wire brushes, which can damage the grout and tile.
- Wear gloves while cleaning the grout lines to protect your skin from harmful chemicals.
- Before using any recipe, test them on a smaller area to know its outcome.
- Whenever any stain occurs, clear it immediately.
- Do not try to clean the cracked grouts.
What you need for your DIY Grout cleaner:
Two cups of water 1/2 cup of baking soda 1/4 cup of white vinegar 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice-abrasive a Scrubbing sponge mix of water, vinegar, and lemon juice. Slowly add the baking soda to the liquid mixture while stirring. Fizz This will cause it to fizz up with bubbles. Go over to the area with dirty grout. A plastic spatula spreads the mixture along one section of the grout lines. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then use your scrubbing sponge scrub on the areas with grout. Good idea to test a small space; this will help you ensure that the mixture doesn’t have a strange reaction to your tile. Also, a toothbrush is another handy tool for this project.
Move to the next section of the tile and repeat the process. Once you’ve covered the entire area, use a wet mop or rag to clean up all the floor mixtures. At this point, your grout will still be wet and will, therefore, still look somewhat dark. But once it’s dry, it will look cleaner. I like using Your homemade recipes on ways to clean grout. I did try many of the different DIY recipes myself. It did get some great results. I am delighted overall. Some stains and debris deeply absorbed by the grout were removed entirely with recipe #3. I think the bleach had the strength to go deeper into the dirty grout.
Still, I could remove the upper superficial stains with many other recipes. I strongly recommend these methods if you want to try homemade remedies for grout cleaning. What I especially like is the orders are not harsh on my senses.