The floor grout. Despite its unpleasant name, the grout between your tiles keeps them durable and attractive. However, when the floor grout gets discolored, dirty, or moldy, that’s when it becomes a real problem. In this blog, you will learn how to clean floor grout without scrubbing.
You scrub and you scrub, but there doesn’t seem to be an improvement. You feel like your hands are about to fall off. So don’t do that! There are several ways to remove grout without feeling like your hands will fall off.
Do You Need to Scrub?
Before we begin, we should probably clarify something. You’re probably going to have to scrub a little if you want the grout completely clean. However, by cleaning the floor in a certain way, you don’t have to scrub too much.
To reduce the amount of scrubbing, you need a certain cleaner, be it homemade or store-bought. Let’s discuss some ways to clean it.
Don’t Let it Get Dirty in the First Place!
You should be wiping your tiles every day if you want to prevent buildup. Grout, due to its sandy nature, gets dirty easily. Depending on how much mess and how much traffic your tiles have, you may need to do it daily.
Of course, this is a little bit of Captain Hindsight speaking, isn’t it? Okay, let’s discuss some ways to clean without having to scrub. Too much, anyway.
Use Grout Sealer
This is another preventative measure that you can use if you do not want to scrub. You can find grout sealer in most floor cleaner aisles or online. This prevents buildup from happening.
Obviously, this is not a permanent solution; you will have to apply it every once in a while. However, it is the best way if you want to have a no-scrub solution. Every technique will require a bit of scrubbing.
Baking Soda and Peroxide
Every DIY cleaner seems to use baking soda. Nowadays, who actually uses this soda to bake with? Some hydrogen peroxide, which you can find anywhere for cheap, and some baking soda can make all of the difference, creating a solution that gets rid of stains.
In order to do it, you just need one part baking soda and one part hydrogen peroxide. You can add a bit of dish soap if you want to give the cleaner a bit more oomph, but it’s not required. It’s a good addition if your tiles are greasy, though.
Mix up the ingredients and spread them over the stained areas. Leave it there for 10 minutes, and with a little bit of gentle scrubbing, it should go away. It’s as simple as that. If you have these two ingredients in your home, give them a try.
Lemon Juice, Baking Soda, and Vinegar
Vinegar is another kitchen item that has a lot of cleaning potential. And we all know from elementary school science class what baking soda and vinegar can do. If you have stone tiles, you should not use vinegar. However, you can use it on other tiles.
This cleaner requires several ingredients, but it’s not that complex. You need hot water, baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, and a spray bottle to hold everything.
Simply mix 3.5 cups of water with ½ cup of baking soda, ⅓ cup of lemon juice, and ⅙ cup of vinegar. Then, put it in a spray bottle if it’s not there already.
Afterward, spray your cleaner on the grout that needs cleaning. Afterward, wait. This can take a while; usually an hour. Afterward, scrub gently, and you should be good to go.
Bleach
Bleach is one of those “big guns”. It’s something you shouldn’t have to use if there’s a mild stain, but if your grout has had some build-up, or there’s a stain that just won’t go away, some bleach can make it go away.
Another product you can use is oxygen bleach, which is better known by the brand name OxiClean.
This one can be less overpowering, so it may be your first choice. Whichever you pick, pour it undiluted onto the stain.
Be sure to open up the windows and wear protection beforehand. After a couple of minutes, wipe it down ASAP with some hot water. Leaving bleach on your tiles for too long can ruin your tiles.
Cleaners Made from Alkaline
In case you don’t know what an alkaline cleaner is, this is a cleaner that is designed to remove mildew and mold from your grout. Usually, a store-bought alkaline cleaner will tell you outright if it’s designed for this purpose.
Being a store-bought cleaner, this can have harsh chemicals, so always read the directions. You may have to dilute the solution beforehand or wear protection. Also, purchasing brushes designed to clean grout is another solution you may look into.
There’s no big secret here; just read the instructions and try not to deviate from them. If you do, you may have more problems than just the grout on your tiles.
Steam Cleaner
Finally, you can purchase a steam cleaner. These are a little bit pricier, but they can clean your floors without any cleaners or having to mix up ingredients. One of the best ways is through a steam mop, which can do all three tasks: clean, wet, and dry your floor. Speaking of which…
Always Wet and Dry Your Floor Afterwards
After applying the cleaning solution, rinse the tiles with some warm water and then dry them with a towel. This way, you apply the finishing touch and get your tiles as clean as they can be. Plus, if you have a harsh chemical, water can wash it away and prevent damage.
Watch this video to learn how to clean floor grout the right way.
Conclusion: How To Clean Floor Grout
Cleaning your grout can be a challenge, and any cleaning solution is going to require a little bit of scrubbing. But a good cleaning solution is the difference between scrubbing for hours and a light scrub that requires little to no effort.
Anyway, we hope this post has made cleaning your tile grout much easier. Good luck, and here’s hoping your grout stays clean and fresh for as long as possible.
