A DIY Tile & Grout Cleaning Guide

You need to know how to clean grout to avoid any damage and maintain hygiene. One of the best ways to do so is to get the best and most powerful cleaning solution. This makes sure that your grout looks fresh and brand new always.

Understanding Grout

First, it is important to know how do tiles and grout collect dirt. This can be very useful when choosing appropriate grout cleaner. For instance, most of the stains in the bathroom are caused due to mold or mildew. When it comes to kitchen, a combination of mildew, food stains, steam, and general household traffic causes stains. Regardless of the cause of stain, you must start off with cleaning with acidic solution. This will help move harsher chemical cleaners up and make it easy to clean grout properly.

The Options

Choose household products as per the stain type. Remember that tougher stains and mildew demand heavier chemicals. So do some research before buying a cleaner.

Household Cleaning

Baking soda and vinegar works really well for certain stains. You may try either a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Also try to prepare a paste of baking soda and water. This mixture can be used to clean the grout. You must spray or dab the mixture on a small area of grout. Thereafter, scrub it in using a stiff brush. Make sure you scrub in small circles. Avoid straight up and down motion to remove more amount of debris from the grout. Once clean, rinse well with water. You must mop up any moisture that is left using a sponge or paper towels.

Use Brush

It is important to use a stiff brush to scrub the tiles. Avoid using old toothbrushes as they are too soft. Remember that even small spaces demand a heavy duty brush. Metal bristled brushes should also be strictly avoided. These can wear away the grout producing serious damage to tiles.

Test

You must always test your grout cleaner on a small, inconspicuous tile area. This is crucial to make sure the cleaner won't damage or erode the grout. This is especially important in the event the tile grout is damaged, worn out, or old.

Maintain Clean Grout

Once the tile grout is clean, it is important to maintain its look. One of the best things to do is apply a coat or two of grout sealer. Varied types of grout sealers are available for uses on the market these days. These are applicable on floors, kitchen tiles and bathroom tiles. Make sure you buy the correct type for the kind of tiles and grout you would be applying it to. It is also important to reapply grout sealer at least once in a year.

Following the above mentioned tips will help you keep the tiles and grout clean always.