How to clean tile grout, starting gentle and working up
To clean tile grout, start with the mildest thing that works: scrub with warm water and a stiff nylon brush, then a baking soda paste, then an oxygen bleach soak for stains that stay. Rinse well, dry the tile, and once the grout is fully dry, seal it so it stays clean longer.
Grout is porous. It soaks up soap, body oil, hard water and dirt in a way the tile next to it doesn't, which is why the lines go gray while the tiles still look fine.
What kind of grout do you have?
It changes what you can use on it.
- Cement grout, sanded or unsanded. You'll find it in many older bathrooms. It's porous, it stains, and acid wears it down over time. It needs sealing.
- Epoxy grout. Harder, slightly glossy, and much more stain resistant. It doesn't need sealing and tolerates a wider range of cleaners.
If you aren't sure, treat it as cement grout. Gentle methods won't hurt epoxy.
What do you need?
- A stiff nylon grout brush, or an old toothbrush for small areas
- Baking soda
- Oxygen bleach powder
- Hydrogen peroxide, the brown-bottle kind sold for first aid
- A spray bottle of warm water
- Microfiber cloths
- Rubber gloves
- Grout sealer, if your grout is cement
Leave the steel wool and wire brushes in the garage. They scratch the tile edges and dig grout out of the joints.
How do you clean grout step by step?
Work through these in order and stop when the grout looks right. There's no reason to reach for something stronger than you need.
- Warm water and a brush. Spray the grout lines with warm water and scrub in small circles. Wipe away the dirty water as you go. Surface grime often comes off at this stage.
- Baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with just enough water to make a paste, work it into the lines with the brush, let it sit five minutes, then scrub and rinse.
- Hydrogen peroxide. For light stains, mix the peroxide into the baking soda instead of water. It lifts discoloration and is fine on sealed or unsealed grout.
- Oxygen bleach. For deeper stains on white or light grout, dissolve oxygen bleach powder in warm water as the label directs, apply it to the lines, and let it sit 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub, then rinse well.
- Steam. A steam cleaner with a small brush tip loosens grime with heat and water alone. Keep it moving so you don't soak the grout.
- Chlorine bleach, sparingly. On white grout with stubborn dark spots, a diluted bleach solution works, but repeated use wears grout down. Open a window, run the fan, and rinse thoroughly.
Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners. The fumes are dangerous. Rinse one product off completely before you try the next.
A shower surround takes about 30 to 45 minutes this way. Floor grout with years of buildup can take longer, and it's fine to do it in sections over a few days.
What about vinegar?
Diluted vinegar can brighten sealed grout, but it's acidic, and acid slowly etches cement grout and strips sealer. Use it occasionally, never on unsealed grout, and never near marble, travertine or limestone. Baking soda and oxygen bleach do the job without that tradeoff.
Is it dirt or is it mold?
Dark spots that wipe off with a brush and come back in the same damp corners are usually mildew growing on the surface. Oxygen bleach or a diluted bleach solution, followed by better drying and ventilation, handles that.
If the black is under the surface, behind caulk or in grout that's cracked and crumbling, cleaning won't fix it. That's a regrouting or recaulking job. If it's spreading across a wall or ceiling, call a remediation professional.
How do you keep grout clean?
- Seal cement grout after a deep clean, once it's completely dry. Reseal when water darkens the lines again.
- Squeegee the walls after showers so water doesn't sit in the joints.
- Run the exhaust fan during every shower and for a while after.
- Do a light scrub every week or two with warm water or a mild cleaner, so you never need the strong stuff.
For the tile itself, see how to clean bathroom tiles. For the shower as a whole, see how to clean a shower properly.
What a house cleaning covers
Standard House Cleaning, RoutineCare, cleans the tub, shower and tiled walls, along with the bathroom floor.
On Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, the tub, shower and tiled walls are scrubbed with the soap scum and grout treated, and the bathroom floor is done at the edges and behind the toilet. Every item on the list is cleaned whether or not it looks like it needs it.
Mold and mildew remediation beyond surface cleaning isn't on any of our cleaning checklists.
FAQ
What is a good homemade grout cleaner? A paste of baking soda and a little water, scrubbed in with a stiff nylon brush, handles everyday grime. For stains that stay, an oxygen bleach solution left for 10 to 15 minutes before scrubbing does more without the fumes of chlorine bleach.
Can I use vinegar on grout? Only on sealed grout, diluted, and not as a weekly habit. Acid slowly eats into cement grout, so on unsealed or worn grout stick to baking soda, oxygen bleach or a pH-neutral cleaner.
Can you use steel wool on grout? No. Steel wool and wire brushes scratch the tile edges and pull grout out of the joints. Use a nylon brush or an old toothbrush instead.
How do I know if my grout needs sealing? Put a few drops of water on a grout line. If the grout darkens right away, it is soaking water in and needs sealing once it is clean and fully dry.
Does a house cleaning include grout? Standard House Cleaning cleans the tub, shower and tiled walls. Deep Cleaning scrubs them, with the soap scum and grout treated.
Book a cleaning
We clean homes across South Jersey and Central Jersey. Book online at tinascleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (609) 831-4455.
