Easy Floor Tile Grout Cleaner
Don’t you just hate some parts of cleaning? What’s your least favourite chore?
Mine is cleaning tubs and showers. And cleaning grout.
Cleaning grout has got to be the worst job ever. Down on your knobby knees, staring at a dirty floor all by yourself. It’s a lonely job keeping a house clean! 😉
But it’s got to be done whether we like it or not. So let’s try to make things a little easier on us hardworking gals (and guys), mkay?!
By now, if you have ever spent any time on Pinterest, I’m sure you all have seen the ever-popular-shower cleaning solution of Dawn & white vinegar? If you haven’t it’s a miracle really…it’s there every time I peruse…BUT I do have to say that it is AHMAZING. Ah. Maze. Ing. Honestly, we have never used a better shower cleaner. Ever. Ever. It works and it’s cheap. Love it.
So on to the tile grout…
Over the holidays while I was getting ready for all of our guests to come over, I had a look at my tile floors and they gave me the chills. Ugly. Dirty grout. Dirty dirty grout. How on earth are you supposed to clean grout? I don’t clean ours regularly. I mean, I wash the floors, but that’s the extent of cleaning the grout gets most days! But this time was different, my grout was gross.
And honestly there is no easy way to clean grout that doesn’t require some good old fashioned scrubbing! But I have discovered that the same solution that we use to clean our showers, also cleans grout. Really, really well!
Here’s how it all looked (and this grout in our mud room had not been properly cleaned for at least 2 years. I kid you not):
What You Need:
- 1 cup Dawn Dish Soap
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 empty spray bottle
Here’s How To:
- Put the vinegar in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Add the Dawn soap to the spray bottle.
- Add the hot vinegar to the spray bottle too.
- Close the lid tightly, and lightly shake it to get it all mixed together.
- Note: Don’t use too much of the solution, or you will be wiping it off of your floors for days! Remember, a little goes a looooong way here!
- Lightly spray the solution onto your grout (you don’t need to cover the tiles, just get it in the grout).
- Let it sit for a few minutes.
- Using a brush of some kind (I use an old toothbrush), give it a scrub. You won’t have to scrub too hard or for very long, because this cleaning solution just lifts up all the dirt – it’s amazing!
- Wipe off the cleaning solution with a wet cloth, then wash your floors well with plain hot water to get rid of any soap residue.
- Like I mentioned before, don’t use too much of this solution!! Or your floors will have a soapy residue left on them! Use the solution sparingly.
- I realize that this method likely isn’t practical for large tiled areas! I use it in my bathroom and mud room, so the size of the rooms are manageable.
- You can use this solution in your shower or tub too! Just spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub off. It’s the best. I always have a bottle made up and ready to go.
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I hope you found this grout cleaning tip useful!
If you are interested in more kitchen tips and organizing here are some previous posts that I have written! Just click on the titles…
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OMG! I had no idea that I can use so simple products in order to make a tile cleaner. Thanks a lot for sharing! Barking Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Awesome tip and job Ill give it a try and recommend this to customers.
http://www.2ndgenerationcarpetcleaning.com
CAUTION – while this method DID clean the tile it was a frightful mess trying to clean up the suds from the Dawn. I spent more time trying to wipe up and thoroughly clean the soap residue up than cleaning the grout. Perhaps the ratio of Dawn to Vinegar should be smaller (?) Also, the residue of soap on the floor, it seems to me, is going to ATTRACT MORE DIRT. I cleaned and steamed and rewashed the floor countless times and it still feels filmy. I bought a tile and grout cleaner/sealer and in less time than it took to do a five-foot section with the Dawn/Vinegar, I did my entire kitchen – with much less scrubbing. The $9.00 purchase was SO worth it.
Do you think this would work in a larger room as well? The grout needs cleaning @ the business I work in & we only have professionals come do it once a yr. I’ve got a few slow nights so, am trying to ready myself for the task.
Yes it would work, but as I mentioned in my post you there are a few things you should be aware of first:
1. You shouldn’t use too much of this solution or your floors will have a soapy residue left on them!
2. This method likely isn’t practical for large tiled areas! I use it in my bathroom and mud room, so the size of the rooms are manageable for the clean up after.
So for a large area, I would exercise caution.
Jo-Anna
Ditto to what Patty Keller said. Getting all of the soap off is going to take forever, and I used it sparingly and only on the grout. I’m not sure it was worth it.