Best Methods to Clean Stained Grout
Finding common tips and advice online from just about everywhere is not the solution to cleaning your grout. The best advice is to talk to a Professional Tile and Grout Cleaning Service that sees stained grout every day.
Professional grout cleaning companies use indoor safe machinery designed for effectively cleaning tile and grout! Hot steam and suction with a specially designed tile and grout cleaning tool that does all the magic on your floors. Most truck-mounted operations are over $100K in tools and machinery so you getting the best that can be offered.
Tile Last Forever
Tile is a hard surface to last forever no matter what the makeup of the material. The grout seems to be the biggest concern of many due to its porous composition. Dark stains are nonappealing and automatically have you trying every chemical on earth to remove nasty staining.
What Areas Have the Most Stained Grout
The most common areas of stained grout are in the kitchen followed by bathrooms where mold and mildew slowly invade…Shower stalls are home to even more mold and mildew, especially with little to no service by homeowners.
Don’t Believe all the Hype
Elbow grease is discussed frequently on “cleaning websites” however elbow grease is not the cure-all. Using household products like Clorox, baking soda, vinegar, and more over time will stain your grout and either permanently discolor your grout or disintegrate it with more attempts/use.
The best method is to stay with water only avoiding products. The safest product I have come across over the years is blue dawn dish soap. This soap is an all-purpose product and leaves no residue. Consumers Report rated this product #1 many years ago.
Blue Dawn Dish Soap
This blue dawn dish soap and a microfiber padded mop are your daily cleaning solution for cleaning tile and grout.
This cleaning method is simple to use/apply by starting in the deepest area of your home and working back and forth strokes (1 drip of blue dawn and water mixed in a 32-ounce spray bottle) from one end to the other. Then back to where you started and rinse only with water. Preferably as hot as your sink water allows. Rinsing your pad out from dirty water could be done at your outside hose bib if you don’t like using your inside sinks for dirty nasty water…
You can purchase brushes to help assist with the dirtiest of tile and grout but I also recommend only use in the worst-case scenarios as you can actually make your grout worse or even permanently discolored. Blue Carlisle brushes are the best pole brush you can buy. The beveled edges are perfect for a range of grout widths. Nylon brushes can be purchased at places like Walmart and Harbor Freight.
Grout Cleaning Products to Avoid Staining
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide
Magic Eraser (OK on Tile)
(Any) Grout Cleaner Products on Retail Shelves
Oxi Products
Grout Whitner
Steel Wool (Steel Wire Brush OK)
Chlorine Bleach
Power Scrub Brushes (Grout Dancing Brushes)
Steam Mop
I put a steam mop on the list because it typically makes your floors filthier than it was before you started cleaning. Difficult contraption you have to carefully use and change the pad frequently. Often sold with proprietary chemicals (Bad News) Size of the apparatus is way too small. I’d recommend steam mops for wood floors only.
Yes there are different Types of Grout
Grout can be sanded grout joints and, unsanded, or epoxy. The most common is sanded grout. Sanded grout is rough textured and the most forgiving of grout stains. Unsanded is typically found in shower stalls, and natural stone and stains easily, due to its “creamy peanut butter texture, and ⅛” grout joints…” Epoxy grout is usually found in commercial environments like kitchens and lobbies. Epoxy Grout usually requires little grout cleaning service as the grout just doesn’t crack or break up like the other grout types. You would think “epoxy grout” should be utilized everywhere however it is high priced and difficult to find installers who have experience with the application. Epoxy was always a 2 part application whereas now I am told it is easier in a new 1 step application. Ask about epoxy with your installers and tile shops.
When in Doubt call For Professional Help
Tackling dirty, stained, black-colored grout can be depressing and frustrating…Why handle it yourself? Hire someone who cleans tile and grout every day and makes easy work of your project. At best you’ll have aesthetically like new grout again, and a healthy fresh environment. Can’t go wrong! Why ruin your expensive flooring? Expect annual professional service as the norm!
Preventing Grout Stains is Simple
No shoes of any kind inside the home
Socks Only
No Bare Feet
Stick with products closest to Water
No outside Products
Follow these rules of maintenance when caring for tile and grout and live a happier and healthier lifestyle.