Shiny and clean looking tiles are the thing which every sophisticated dweller aspires and dreams of having in their homes, offices or shops. The secret of this glitter in the tiles is a clean grout. Tiles are having dirt and stain resisting properties but the porous and semi-rough linings between the tiles absorbs dirt and spills and hence gets stained easily. Speaking about home, spills are the main reason of dirty grouts in kitchen and soap, mold and mildews make grout dirty in bathroom. Cleaning grout is neither any difficult nor mammoth task to be accomplished and you yourself can do that using homely techniques.
Articles or Items required
For this task you require hot water, a cleaning solution, vinegar, a small scrub brush or toothbrush, electric toothbrush if extra scrubbing is required and a hand spray bottle.
Procedure
You have to wipe down the line of grout with hot water and then the cleaning solution is to be sprayed over it. Now mix water with vinegar in 1:1 ratio in the spray bottle and spray that evenly over the grout. Using the small scrub brush or toothbrush or the electric toothbrush, scrub the grout gently. Use of metal brush is to be avoided as it might bring grout particles out of its place and make the grout level uneven. After getting the desired clean looking grout on scrubbing, rinse the grout thoroughly with hot water.
Special Cases
- For stubborn grout stains, a paste is to be prepared out of baking soda and water in 2:1 ratio. The paste should be applied to the stain and is to be let sit overnight. After that it is to be scrubbed with nylon brush and then washed off with hot water.
- For coarse and porous tiles like marble, vinegar cannot be used as it might stain up the tile. In this case, a less acidic solution is to be prepared out of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda in 1:2 ratio followed by scrubbing of the grout using a soft brush. Once the desired shine is attained, it is to be washed off with hot water.
- For light grout stains, sandpaper can be used to remove those. The sandpaper is to be folded in a way so that the creased edge forms the outer wall and then the grout is to be gently scrubbed by it. After this the grout is to be rubbed with a pencil top eraser or normal eraser. Henceforth, the grout is to be washed thoroughly by hot water.
- For stains since a long period, a mix of Epsom salt, baking soda and cleaning solution in ratio of 4:2:1 is to be done and applied on the grout and rub it with clean cloth. After cleaning is done, rinse the grout with hot water.
Important points
- Once the cleaning is done, the grout should be allowed to air-dry for 24 hours.
- Silicone-based grout sealer can be applied over the grout to prevent further stains.
- In case of high-traffic and footfall areas, these grout sealers should be re-applied every eighteen months.
- Clean grout improves the look and extends the life of the tile.
