So I spent my afternoon yesterday cleaning the white grout of my kitchen tiled floor. I was tired of it being so dirty. Over the last year, I have attempted different products to clean the tile.The ones I did not try where the ones that are specifically meant for grout, as they are expensive, and usually have a lengthy instruction section.
I wanted something that was easier. So I found a recipe on Pinterest for a home made grout cleaner.
I am ashamed to show this picture of the grout before I cleaned it. It basically looks like brown grout. This is essentially due to our family dog who spends her time in the kitchen when we are not at home, and of course, being the kitchen with high traffic.
This is 5 years worth of accumulated dirt. With regular cleaning as well as numerous attempts over the years to actually get the grout clean. I have been able to get some of the dirt off, but never really white.
So the mixture is 3/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup of bleach. I used regular bleach with a mountain scent. Javex, as this is what I had on hand. I mixed the two together in a plastic container. The mixture will be a pasty consistency. You will find that the top tends to always stay kind of watery, but the bottom tends to stay thicker. Therefore; you will have to constantly mix it as you use it.
Since I used Javex with a scent, I didn't find the smell too strong. I then used an old and a new toothbrush. We usually always have Dollar store toothbrushes in the bathroom, as there is always a guest that comes for the weekend and forgets their toothbrush. REMEMBER that bleach will stain your clothes, you either put on old clothes or be very careful when cleaning.
I put on rubber gloves, so that my hands were protected. I used a spoon to pick up a bit of the mixture and run it along the grout line. I didn't have to let it sit.
I just started brushing the grout with the toothbrush. I found that if you hold the bristles of the toothbrush in between your fingers that you will get better results. This helps keep the bristles from spreading and then not really scrubbing.
You will see the white mixture turn brown as it cleans the grout, and then voila, the grout will be white again. Don't forget to wipe the area clean again.
Here is a picture of the same area after I cleaned the grout.
BEFORE AFTER
The picture below is another area which the right side is cleaned and the left side isn't.
Unfortunately, this method of cleaning is very much what I call a Cinderella style of cleaning. You have to get on your hands and knees and scrub to achieve this. This is what I get for picking a white tile and white grout for the kitchen. Needless to say the other flooring that is tiled in my house is black with black grout. (hides the dirt very well).
I have only tried it on white grout. I don't know if the bleach will remove any of the colour from a coloured grout (like beige or grey grout). I also don't recommend it on natural stone, as natural stone is porous and the bleach may damage it. I would try this method on an area where you won't see it. Perhaps you can remove your toe kick under the cabinets and try on a tile and grout under the cupboards.
Happy cleaning.
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