How to Clean Tile Grout

However well ventilated you keep your bathroom, the warm and wet atmosphere can allow mould and dirt to start building up on surfaces. Keeping tiles and other hard surfaces clean is simple, and there are lots of cleaning products which will help you do this – and even products that you wouldn’t necessarily think could be used for cleaning.

One of the trickiest places to keep clean is the grout between the tiles. Many homeowners think that once the grout starts getting grotty or develops mould that there is no other option but to replace it all. This is a time consuming and messy job, but can be avoided with some simple tips to clean your grout and get it looking as good as new.

Over the Counter Products

There are some products on the market which promise to remove mould and mildew from bathroom surfaces, and these can work wonders on grout too. They have the dual action of killing off any mould spores in the grout, and bleaching it to return the colour back to its original white. The downside to these products are that they can smell very strongly of chemicals, can be expensive to buy, and they are not particularly kind to the planet.

If you are short of time though they are worth a try, but always follow the instructions on the back of the bottle about opening windows or using gloves if recommended to do so.

Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda, also sometimes called baking soda, has a huge number of uses around the house. When mixed with water, bicarbonate of soda forms a paste which is slightly alkaline, and this makes the ideal thing to kill off any bacteria and clean out your grout.

Use an old toothbrush to work the paste into the grout, and scrub gently. If you think that there is also mould growing in the grout, mix the bicarbonate of soda with some bleach to make the paste instead of water, and wear gloves to protect your hands. Remember to rinse well once you have finished going around all of the grout.

This is a cheap way of cleaning the grout which will not cause environmental damage either. Here are 51 more ways to use bicarbonate of soda.

Vinegar

The other product which is invaluable for cleaning around the house is plain old white vinegar, exactly the same as the stuff you put on your chips. Vinegar is an acid, and this natural property means it will kill off any bacteria and germs growing on your tiles or grout.

Mix your vinegar up with a little water and put it into a spray bottle. Spray it generously all over your tiles and grout, and leave it to work for 15 minutes before wiping the solution away. As this is a “less effort” way of cleaning your grout, it’s worth trying the vinegar first before scrubbing with bicarbonate of soda.

If you don't have any vinegar, you can get the same sort of results by using lemon juice instead.

Cover It Up

Something like this Wickes Grout Whitener works well for cover up.

If after trying vinegar, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and the commercially available products, then the final option before replacing the grout completely is one of the grout reviver products on the market. These clever inventions cost anything between £2 and £12, but the cost is far less than replacing the grout.

Grout reviver comes either in a tube like toothpaste or with a small brush to apply it and you just paint it over the top of the existing grout and leave it to dry. Most of them also have anti-mould properties to them and this sort of product is definitely a good way of brightening up the grout as a quick fix.

Stopping the Grout Getting Dirty Again

Once you’ve cleaned up your grout and got it looking as good as new, try to stop the mould or dirt from building up again. Always keep the window open when you are having a bath or a shower as mould loves the warm, steamy environment. If it’s the middle of winter, open the window as soon as you have finished bathing. Try to wipe away any excess water on the tiles or the grout if possible.

Using any household or bathroom cleaning spray on your grout regularly should stop it getting dirty again in the future.