How To Clean Floor Grout Naturally

How to clean tile grout naturally

Clean tile grout with these natural methods that will eliminate even the most stubborn stains.

Mar 23, 2020 4:00am

Find out how to clean tile grout and get to work on making your tiles look as good as new. Photo: Armelle Habib / bauersyndication.com.au

Cleaning tile grout is not exactly a fashionable subject, but it's an essential cleaning task that can dramatically improve the look and feel of your home.

Like with any type of household cleaning, the fewer harsh chemicals you use, the better. Luckily, removing stubborn stains from tile grout can be achieved with all-natural methods that utilise cheap ingredients which can be found in your pantry.

So, exactly how do you clean tile grout? We asked Elke Keeley, the co-founder of cleaner booking service UrbanYou for her advice.

How to clean tile grout

Grout is typically light in colour and porous in composition, so is prone to staining. Spills in the kitchen cause staining, and soap and mould in the bathroom make it difficult to maintain clean grout.

Fortunately, cleaning grout effectively is possible using common household products and a bit of hard work.

Here are some top tips to environmentally clean your grout based on the level of staining:

Mild

Simply spray warm water on the grout lines and scrub in a circular motion with a small nylon brush, then let dry.

Tough

Fill a spray bottle with a half-and-half solution of vinegar and warm water. Spray on the grout, let it stand for five minutes, and then scrub with a stiff-bristled brush using a circular motion. Do not use this method if your tiles are made out of natural stone as the vinegar can be damaging.

Stubborn

Stains just not budging? Make a paste of baking soda and water, cover the grout lines with the paste, and then spray on the vinegar solution. Once the mixture stops foaming, scrub with a brush and rinse with plain water.

Hardcore

Bring out the big guns for these deep embedded grout stains. Make a paste with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (available in most chemists). Cover the grout, leave for five minutes then wash off with warm water.

Extreme

As a last resort try mixing two-parts baking soda and one-part bleach to make a thick paste. Spread this paste onto the dirty grout and wait five minutes. Scrub the grout using a stiff-bristled brush, and then wait another five minutes. Then, rinse the paste off using warm water. While mixing bleach with other chemicals is not considered safe, many find this combination helps improve the cleaning properties of both the bleach and the baking soda.

Photo: Alexander McIntyre

How to keep tile grout clean

Now you know how to clean tile grout, here are some techniques for ensuring it stays spotless.

Spray tiles with vinegar and wipe down once a week.
Regularly dab alcohol into the grout lines to prevent mould.
Vacuum floors before mopping to avoid dirt soaking into the grout lines.
Apply grout sealer to new grout, 10 to 14 days after it cures. This provides optimal protection against stains.