Grout might make your bathroom or kitchen backsplash look beautiful, but it's a magnet for dirt, and getting it clean can feel overwhelming.
Thankfully, there are plenty of do-it-yourself solutions, hacks, and store-bought cleaners that can help you get your grout back looking fresh without a ton of effort. Set aside a couple of hours, grab some rubber gloves, and get scrubbing—efficiently, of course.
Oxiclean is a laundry additive that's designed to get spots and stains out of clothing and other fabrics. It's also a great household cleaner that can break up dirt, making it easier for you to wipe away tough grime like the kind that works its way into your grout.
Simply mix some Oxiclean with water to make a paste and apply it to your grout. Let it soak for a couple of minutes, and then scrub it away with a bristle brush or damp cloth.
Even if your grout is exceptionally tough to get clean, baking soda and vinegar are almost certain to do the trick. Sprinkle baking soda generously over dampened grout, then spray white vinegar on top. The bubbly reaction will break up tough-to-clean dirt while it fizzes.
After leaving the solution for a few minutes, wipe the grout with a clean, damp cloth. Some areas might require a little muscle, but the process should be much easier than with soapy water or tile cleaner alone.
Shaving cream is an unlikely choice when it comes to cleaning your kitchen or bathroom, but it's an effective one. To get the tiles sparkling clean with just shaving cream, apply it to your grout directly, let it sit for three to five minutes, and rinse it away with warm water.
Either on its own or as an ingredient in a baking soda paste, hydrogen peroxide is a great way to get tough dirt and stains out of your grout. Apply it to the tiles directly and scrub it with a toothbrush, a bristle brush, or a grout scrubber. Then, just wipe up the sludgy leftovers with a clean, damp cloth.
Sometimes steam cleaning is the best way to get rid of tough stains on hard surfaces like tile and grout. Use a steam mop or a handheld steam cleaner to apply that hot moisture to your grout. Depending on the severity of the stains, you will either need a microfiber cloth or a stiff-bristle brush to scrub away the loosened muck.
If you have sealed or epoxy-based grout, it might be possible to get it clean with warm water and a grout scrubber.
You can purchase a grout scrubber online or at a nearby hardware store. To clean the grout, just spray it with warm water and scrub it in a circular motion. If your grout has a lot of built-up dirt, you may need to wipe away the mess with a dry cloth after.
Mix one teaspoon of powdered laundry detergent, 1/3 cup of liquid bleach, and a gallon of hot water to create a safe, all-purpose cleaning solution that will work wonders on your grout and leave your bathrooms, kitchen, and other tiled spaces smelling incredibly clean, to boot.
Just be sure to wear gloves while cleaning to avoid coming in direct contact with the bleach, and wear old clothes to avoid staining your clothing. Bleach mixed with some water is also a suitable grout cleaner.
Once you've taken care of tough stains on your grout, clean it regularly so the build-up doesn't happen again, and each wash is a quick task.
Do a superficial scrub with white vinegar once a week to take care of dirt before it gets too stuck on, and when the time comes to do a deep clean, the job will be much easier.
To make cleaning easier, consider sealing your grout once it's clean. Unlike untreated cement grout, which is porous and attracts dirt and dust, sealed grout is easy to dust and wipe clean. It also does a better job of resisting grease, grime, dust, and dirt.