Grout cleaners are products that you must have handy around the house because one common problem found with bathroom and kitchen ceramic tile grout is that it can become grimy, mouldy and unsightly over time.

It gets grime and stains with the constant splash of water (or soapy water), oils and food against it, and if a grout sealant has not been used previously, this situation comes up quicker than you may expect.

With the right grout cleaners and a bit of elbow grease, you can get your grout looking fresh and brand new in no time at all.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH GROUT

Tile grout gets dirty in many different ways. In the kitchen it could be a combination of food stains, oils, or even general traffic within the house. In the bathroom it is mould grime and mildew that has to be contended with.

For some stains, cleaning grout successfully only requires the use of simple household items that can easily serve as grout cleaners. Items found at home such as vinegar or baking soda are very ideal for the task.

• Mixing vinegar with an equal amount of water and spraying the mixture onto the grout, then scrubbing with a small stiff brush (or a hard toothbrush) will suffice. The scrub strokes must be in small circular motions, rather than an up and down movement. Circular scrubbing motions will remove more debris from the grout. Spray the mix onto a small length of grout at a time and scrub with a stiff brush.

• Make a paste of baking soda and a bit of water, to clean the grout with. Dab some paste on the grout lines. Leave the paste on for a bit of time, and then scrub gently with a soft brush.

After scrubbing, rinse well with water and mop up the moisture with a very clean sponge or with paper towels.

Using powder-based cleaners as grout cleaners also works well on ceramic tile grout. Other products such as Lysol, Mr. Clean or such similar products also serve as great grout cleaners. The cleaning tool, also a small stiff brush, and the circular brushing motion is still to be maintained as mentioned above.

Steam cleaners are also great as a form of grout cleaning tool. The pressure of a steam cleaner loosens debris and stains that cleaners can't dissolve.

If you have difficult to clean grout lines, or you have unsuccessfully attempted to clean grout lines,  the next step is to try out commercial tile and grout cleaners. These grout cleaners are readily available wherever home cleaning products are sold.  It is important to buy grout cleaners that have a pH balanced cleanser so there won't be an eroding action on the grout with continued cleaning. Spray on the cleanser and let it stay on the dirty grout lines for a few minutes. Then you can scrub, following the instructions found on the package.

For really stubborn and seemingly impossible grout dirt, stronger grout cleaners such as:

• oxygen bleach powder
• hydrogen peroxide
• chlorine bleach

…...are the best products to use.

These products should be well diluted before use and instructions on the packages must be strictly adhered to.

You can find heavy duty grout cleaners at hardware stores online or offline, or at janitorial supply outlets.

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