Hi. So, in my kitchen and 3 bathrooms I have tile floor. I hate it. I am renting, but if I owned, I would get rid of it. I mop about once a week with a shark steam mop and I sweep daily. My grout looks terrible. I can not figure out how to get it clean. The kitchen has a dark grey color and the bathrooms are white. I can't spend too much money on this and I don't have bleach in the house. How can I clean the grout so it looks nice again? My oven is broken and my landlord will be here this week to take a look at it and so I would like to clean it before she comes over.
Thanks!
thanks Michelle, I don't want to be stripping anything. I just want to clean it. We won't be living here for that much longer (landlord will be selling in the spring), but I just can't stand looking at all the dirt that I can't get to with the broom and mop.
Thanks
I've use white vinegar and water. straight vinegar if you can tolerate the smell. Wait like 10-15 min. Grout is very porus and dirt clings to it, so you might need to use muscle. I never understood why floor makers make the grout lighter than the tile.
Back to Home Depot but this time for a product called Krud-Cutter. I have tons of tile and grout and this stuff is amazing! Simply pour it on the grout lines full strength and leave it there like that for five minutes. Then take a toothbrush after the five minutes is up and scrub the grout back and forth, side to side. The dirty will be just floating to the top and before it seta back into the grout itself, take a damp rag and wiped the crappy and dirty cleaner away! I am telling you that dirty grout that used to be white but is now gray has been totally restored to white again with this Krud-Cutter stuff! I keep a gallon bottle in my house at all times as this stuff will clean anything to the bone! No noxious fumes or major issues with using it, either. Go get this and follow my directions. If this doesn't clean the grout, the only thing that will is a boatload of money for Stanley Steemer to come in and do it for you with their high pressure steam cleaners.
There is an acid wash that can be done to grout to bring them back to white. We had a tile guy do that do our office floors adn they look fabulous. Remember though afterwards get them sealed with a clear sealant. This will keep them clean. They were probably never sealed prior and sucked in every all spills.
I found a product that is a grout stripper at Home Depot, a while back. You will then need to re-seal the grout to protect it. It worked pretty well on our 1920's bathroom tile!
Added: I would get the landlord's permission before doing this, just in case....
7 cups of water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup ammonia (or lemon juice), 1/4 cup vinegar.
I have not tried this, but have read that it is the best way to get grout clean! Good luck!
I suggest you deep clean it then wax the floor with something that will seal it. I am not that familiar with tile but I know people who have gone to the lengths of using tools to remove it by scraping it out with a tool much like a screwdriver. Once they get it out they put in new grout then seal it.
It looks like new.
We too are in a rental and we had nasty grout. I sprinkle baking soda over the grout and then put vinegar on top of it. Then start scrubbing! I use a nail brush because it has stiff bristles. It will take some elbow grease, but it gets the job done. Good luck!
The grout cleaner mentioned does not strip thr grout. You asked how to clean it. That's how. Then use a grout sealer so that it stays clean. This process is not time consuming or expensive.
We just moved into a house that had disgusting tile in the master bathroom and on the kitchen counters. We did find a couple of things on the internet that worked fairly well: make a paste with bleach OR vinegar OR hydrogen peroxide (just 1 of those) + baking soda. Apply a thick layer on the grout and cover with plastic wrap. Leave for several hours then use a brush/toothbrush to scrub into grout. Wipe clean. That was the best homemade solution we found.
