DIY Grout Cleaner
I like the look of tile but I hate cleaning the grout. I hate that tile is high maintenance with serious scrubbing sessions to keep grout grime at bay. But, let’s be honest here, scrubbing is a part of cleaning and you’re never going to really get away from it. Sad but true. I know people have their “no scrub solutions” that look like they turn out pretty well. However, without scrubbing, or rinsing, the dead germs and dirt are still on that surface making it dirty and more susceptible to becoming dirty again. This is the knowledge you get from working in the cleaning industry. Back to cleaning grout, there is a simple and safe way to clean it with… let’s call it light scrubbing with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is safe to use on grout, as it is a neutral cleaner that won’t eat away at the grout like vinegar can. Mixed with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide forms oxygenated bleach, and that chemical reaction safely cleans the surface. Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda has the benefits of chlorine bleach without all of the harmful side effects.
Let’s take a before look at my poor grout.
Yellow discoloration and a little bit of pink mildew. YUCK! This did not happen overnight, just in case you were wondering but took about a month. I’ve wanted to try out a homemade grout cleaner for a while now and I’m excited to share this one with you. Mixing up the homemade cleaner is easy.
Make the homemade grout cleaner by mixing hydrogen peroxide with baking soda into a runny paste.
I say runny paste because it’s easier to scrub into the grout lines. Thick paste always clogs my toothbrush and makes it harder to get the solution where I want it. You can do whatever floats your boat; those are just my preferences. Let’s check out the after.
Do you hear the Hallelujah chorus too? This worked better whitened better than I expected. I usually wipe down the tile and grout with whatever I’m cleaning the tub with, but clearly that’s not enough. I loved this solution because I didn’t have to scrub hard or a lot to get these results. I scrubbed this tile in the morning and took the picture in the evening when the grout was dry. That’s when you’ll see the biggest difference.
Happy Cleaning!
How do you keep your grout clean?
Angela
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Will this harm man made marble ?????
This cleaner will not harm marble. The hydrogen peroxide is about the same Ph as water and the baking soda is a base and a mild abrasive that won’t etch marble.
Glad I saw you on the linky party today! I need to do this SOOO bad 🙂
I will have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
Let me know how it works for you.
I use those mr clean magic erase sponges. Wet it scrub a little…gone!!
I’m gonna have to try this idea again, I’ve tried it in the past with little luck. But that’s probably because I was trying to clean grout that was already clean. 🙂
Angela, I used the eraser too. Worked like a dream but got cramps in my arms….no good. I’m going to try yours next time I see some grunge. Been using shower spray to keep it fresh longer! NO MORE ARM CRAMPS! Thanks!
Oh my goodness, I just saw the best grout cleaning tool today, here. I still stand by the cleaner but that tool looks like a Godsend.
After cleaning with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide do you rinse it off or wipe it with a clean wet cloth?
Yes! Otherwise you’ll have a nice haze of baking soda. 🙂
So do wipe the grout paste off with a dry or wet cloth? And how long do you let it sit on the grout?thanks!
You stated baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in a paste will clean grout. Will it clean black grout as well, or bleach it out? My tile in both baths and my kitchen have dark tile and black grout. Can this solution be used to clean dark tile?
My floor and bathroom tiles are black, and the grout is dark gray. Will this work on dark colors? – or might it bleach them? Thank you!
Once the grout is clean is there a wax or similar that can be applied to stop it from absorbing more dirt?
Thanks for MANY great tips Angela, this one happens to be my favorite. After cleaning my grout as you instructed, I used a product called “Rejuvenate” on my tile floor. It makes the tile shine and the grout stays cleaner longer with a protective coating that’s not slippery. It’s been 2 months and they still shine. Thank you!
I used straight peroxide and baking soda to clean the grout in my ceramic tiled kitchen. I left I thin paste on the tile grout for about 15 minutes and it bleached the grout too much but also where the mixture got on the tiles it bleached the color out of the tiles. You should post a warning about using hydrogen peroxide. I have ruined my floor And I’m heartsick about it