How To Clean Your Tile Grout

There’s nothing more satisfying than having your bathroom, renovated or not, look amazing. At the end of the day, you want to be proud of a space you’ve created. So, it’s frustrating when you have a build up of grout that puts a damper on your space.

Regardless of the colour you've chosen for your grout, cleaning it can be a tricky one but it doesn’t have to be. We’re here to help you manage, clean and keep your bathroom looking in top condition.

Why is keeping your grout clean so frustrating? Because it’s porous, which makes it easily susceptible to staining especially with lighter grout.

It’s important to clean your grout regularly as the damage caused by stains, mould and mildew may become permanent. This is because the build-up of these issues eventually eats through your grout which causes it to crumble off the wall and in turn make your tiles become unsteady.

You shouldn’t be discouraged tackling grout beacause it is manageable. The first thing you will need to do is give your grout a good scrubbing. This ensures that you’re opening up the pores of grout and getting all the grime from the surface, so you can target the issues that lie deeper.

Top Tip!
Steam cleaners that have a nozzle and target smaller areas will do an incredible job at this and saves you time scrubbing yourself.

However, if this isn’t an option for you, taking it back to basics will do as good a job. Get some warm water and a toothbrush and start scrubbing!

If your grime is deep-rooted and the discolouration has taken a turn for the worst, the most effective method in removing the build up would be bleach.

If you decide to take this path, make sure your room is sufficiently ventilated and you wear protective gear such as gloves, goggles and a mask. Start by mixing 2 parts bleach with 1-part water and scrub your grout till it’s clean. Leave this for 30 minutes so the bleach has adequate time to break down the build-up of grime. After the 30 minutes, use a brush dampened with warm water, and scrub again to remove the bleach and any stains left behind.

Keep note, over time the extended use of bleach may break down your grout quicker, so maintaining its lifespan is important.

Top Tip!
We recommended treating small stains as they appear.

A more milder option would be to use lemon. This method is both safer and natural. Mixing lemon into vinegar and baking soda is the safer alternative to bleach. Mix enough baking soda with vinegar to form a paste, add some drops of lemon, and approach the grout ready to scrub. This method might not be as effective as bleach, however, it will maintain your grout over time and is a gentle alternative.