Tiled areas around your kitchen and bath can be the biggest culprits of making the rooms look dirty and usually it’s a problem with dirty grout.  It seems like it is a constant struggle sometimes to keep your grout clean.

Mold and mildew are the biggest problems in bathroom and typically it’s grease, grime and food stains on the kitchen tiled areas.  Your work is compounded, if you have ceramic tile floors throughout your house, because foot traffic can consist of different kinds of things such as dirt, tar, oil and other nuisances.

Grout looks so unsightly when it gets dirty, but most people have no idea how to get it looking new again.  Starting with the mildest cleaner and moving up to harsher ones is the best process for cleaning grout.

There are a few suggestions if your grout is starting to look dirty. Run very hot water over the grout in the bathroom before you begin cleaning. Soap scum will usually disappear with this step unless it is heavily accumulated. If you boil vinegar and put it in a spray bottle, you can spray it on the dirty grout to get rid of hard water stains. For stubborn grout dirt, scrubbing a mixture of baking soda, water and a very small amount of bleach on the stains using a tooth brush, works quite well.

The next step to try for cleaner grout is commercial grout cleaners, if you don’t have any results with these basic ingredients. Ones that have a neutral ph are the best ones because you don’t want to damage the grout.

Chlorine bleach is what many people prefer to use on the shower tiles, or on very dirty floors. Be careful that it doesn’t remove the color from your grout and avoid getting in on other furnishings or carpeting.

Hydrogen Peroxide can also be effective in cleaning grout, but oxygen cleaning powder does a better job on really dirty tiles. Adding oxygen has shown to improve your chances of removing stains and it is safe to use on carpets and other fabrics, as well.

Using a mop, you can mix oxygen cleaning powder with water and clean floor grout, and larger tiled walls can be cleaned with a mop in some cases. A small brush may be easier for cleaning grout on walls, depending on the size of the tiled area and the room. Soaking for 30 to 60 minutes will make your grout look like new again- just be sure to rinse the area with clear water.

For really dirty grout, a steam cleaner might be the easiest way to clean your grout and there are professional companies that are willing to do this for you, as well.  Many times, steam has the power to get out the stains that other methods don’t.

Dirt doesn't stand a chance of ruining your beautiful grout, if you try some of these methods.  You don’t need to fret over dirty grout ruining your beautiful tile- it’s just a matter of finding the best method for cleaning it.