It’s easy to forget about cleaning the grout in your home, especially with how crunched people are on time. It’s also one of the places that can gather dirt the quickest because of its porous materials and the fact it is a natural crevice in the service. If you don’t wash the grout regularly, there’s a good chance it has already changed color and you may have forgotten what the original color looks like! Here are a few tips for regularly cleaning the grout in your home:
Clean the tile
The first step is to clean the tile and the entire surface of the area. Before putting any cleaning solutions on the surface, you need to sweep or dust to remove any loose dirt and dust. You can use a cleaning product from the store, or you can make a simple cleaning solution out of warm water and dish soap. Use the solution with a mop or a sponge to scrub the surface. Once you have scrubbed the whole surface, let it sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, remove all of the dirt with a wet sponge or mop.
Cleaning the grout
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Cropped photo of hand in rubber glove cleaning joints between bathroom tiles with steam cleaner[/caption]
When it comes to cleaning grout, you don’t want to use anything with harsh chemicals that might break down the surface and sealant and shorten the lifespan of the grout and tile. You want to avoid using bleach. You can use a neutral tile cleaner from the store to clean grout if you don’t want to make your own cleaning solution. You should have the ingredients in your own home to make a cleaning solution for your grout. Here is what you’ll need:
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Dish Soap
- Hot water
Mix together ½ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp of dish soap. This will create a sort of cleaning paste to apply on to the grout
How to clean the grout
Once you have your cleaning solution ready, wipe all of the dirt off the grout with hot water and a towel. Then use a spoon to apply the cleaning solution to the grout and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how deep of cleaning is needed. Once the cleaning solution has settled in, use a brush to scrub all of the dirt off. You’ll want to scrub hard to make sure you break up any first and grime that has set into the grout. Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the grout, wipe it clean.