How to clean grout with a homemade grout cleaner? My grout isn’t sealed so straight vinegar will damage it. Is there something else I can try?
Annabelle Turner, Farmington
I’m glad you asked about floor grout cleaner or cleaning grout in the shower. I learned the hard way about leaving undiluted vinegar on grout for too long. You certainly don’t want to have to replace the grout you just installed.
If you’re looking for how to best clean grout with a DIY grout cleaner, there are other ingredients you can use that are even more effective than vinegar would be. For example, check out this gentle but efficient recipe.
For the simplest and most successful way for how to clean bathroom tile grout or grout in the kitchen or on the floor, mix one-half cup of baking soda with 20 drops of essential oils. Specifically, use five drops each of lemon and lavender. Then add ten drops of tea tree oil.
Stir that a bit and pour in three tablespoons of liquid Castile soap to make a wonderful grout cleaner. By this point, you’ll have a paste. The best way to clean tile grout with this recipe is to use a brush to scrub the grout with the paste. After you give it a good going-over, let it sit for a few minutes so that the solution can soak into the grout and work its magic.
When you come back to it, use a wet brush to scrub again. It will foam up this time and release the embedded dirt. Plus, the anti-microbial properties of the oils will sanitize it at the same time.
In the end, use a damp cloth to wipe away the residue. Then rinse well. This solution is also how to remove grout from tile that may have accidentally spread there during the grouting process. Your grout should look a lot better than it did when you started, and the chances are that it will smell quite nice, too.
You may find it necessary to repeat this process a few times if your grout is badly stained or if you have mold embedded into the grout lines. You should be able to remove stains with this recipe, a little time, and some elbow grease. Take care of cleaning grout and removing grout from tiles with a single recipe that includes ingredients you already have at home.
There are other recipes for homemade grout cleaner on this page: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/homemade-grout-cleaner/ But chances are some of them could harm your grout if it isn’t acrylic or isn’t sealed. Be careful if you use lemon juice, but the one that has hydrogen peroxide might be safe. You can dilute it with baking soda and dish soap.
Make up a spray of peroxide and your favorite essential oil (tea tree oil is ideal) and water for a no scrub grout cleaning solution. Spritz it on and leave it. Your grout should be bright again in no time and smell great, too!
If your grout is sealed, you can learn how to clean grout with vinegar and baking soda to restore the grout to its original brightness. This solution is great to remove stains and even mold or mildew from light-colored grout that has had a sealant applied to it.
Vinegar and baking soda also make a good overall cleaner for bathroom surfaces like the tub, shower, countertops, and sink. Make a paste of the two ingredients or add to a spray bottle to spritz stains away.
In short, I hope this helps you discover the perfect cleaner for your grout.