Ceramic, porcelain, and stone tiles are gorgeous, But if we are honest, grout can be a pain in the butt. The prospect of cleaning grout tends to drive people away from enjoying a tile shower or backsplash.
So if you have decided to install tiles or already have tiles that you love, you will need to clean the grout at some point to prevent damage, keep your home fresh, and your tiles looking good.
So lets talk cleaning.
Store Bought Cleaners
There are many grout cleaners out there, all claiming to be the best, but after lots of research, here are my top two recommendations. These cleaners are available in grocery and department stores such as Walmart or Canadian Tire.
#1 Goo Gone Grout Cleaner
Goo Gone grout cleaner is a foaming grout, porcelain, ceramic, and fiberglass cleaner. It meets EPA safer product certifications and is a trusted brand. You spray either directly onto the tile and grout, or onto a sponge and wipe, then let the cleaner sit for 2-3 minutes for minor stains, and 5-7 minutes for heavier stains. Simply wipe away or scrub gently to remove the stain and the cleaner. There are many happy reviews online and videos showing this products effectiveness. Take a look!
#2 Black Diamond Ultimate Grout Cleaner
This cleaner is acid-free and safe for natural stone tiles and coloured grouts. Because it is acid-free, it won’t take care of calcium or hard water stains, but it will make quick work of grease, oil, and grime. All you do is, spray, wait 1-3 minutes, scrub your grout, and rinse off with water. This cleaner is especially effective on floors, where you accumulate more dirt and grease than you do mildew and soap scum.
Professional Grout Cleaners
Sometimes you need to call in a professional…………….. Product, that is. The following products are sold by our tile supplier and we trust that they would only sell effective tile and grout cleaning and care products. While you may be able to find these products at everyday retailers, these are the professionally suggested ones.
#1 Aqua Mix Heavy Duty Tile and grout Cleaner
This heavy-duty high alkaline cleaner is specially designed for those neglected areas that need an extreme clean. It removes grease, soap scum, dirt, and organic materials. This cleaner is non-acidic and safe to use. A little elbow grease may be needed, but this product is made to last for a long time. It also removes wax and acrylic finishes from floors, so it is important to limit the use of this product to suggested areas and read all manufacturer’s instructions.
#2 Aqua Mix grout Deep Clean
This product is a spray, but it is non-acidic, biodegradable, and does not require extra ventilation like some heavier cleaners do. You spray the cleaner onto your tile and grout, let it sit for ten minutes, and give it a scrub. rinse away and watch the transformation. If you look on Rona’s website, there are many reviews with photos of the difference between floors cleaned with this product, and those without. Even with its advanced stain-pulling power, it is safe for all grout and surrounding tile and stone.
DIY Cleaners
There are lots of home remedies for cleaning grout and tiles, but many aren’t strong enough to last, or sometimes they do more harm than good. The most common one is vinegar and baking soda. We have all seen how the mixture fizzes and bubbles, and you may think that this would be a great cleaner. While that is true for some applications, you do not want to use this mixture on tile and grout. Vinegar is high in acid and can eat through grout, and tile glaze. Especially if your grout needs to be re-sealed. when you use vinegar and baking soda it erodes the grout away leaving air pockets and cracks that water can get through to your drywall and subfloor. This leads to future damage, health risks, and expensive repairs. If you want to use a cleaner that’s made of products that you could find in your home already, we would recommend using peroxide or another oxygen-based bleach, and cleaning soda. if you mix those two products into a paste and apply it to your grout with a toothbrush in a scrubbing motion. This is a much safer mixture for your tiles and won’t wear your tile’s finish away.
Does Your Grout Need to be Re-Sealed?
Perhaps you are finding yourself scrubbing your grout joints more often than usual. This could be because your grout needs to be re-sealed. A good way to test if your grout needs to be re-sealed is to spray water on the grout lines. If the water beads off immediately, the seal is still good. If the water sticks or is absorbed, it needs to be re-sealed. You can purchase grout sealant at hardware stores, but we recommend using the same brand of sealer as your grout. We almost always use Mapei grout, so we would use Mapei grout sealer. though if your grout brand doesn’t sell sealer, or you’re not sure what brand of grout you have, Aqua Mix is a great choice. It’s actually the top choice of our suppliers, and it is available to purchase through us, or other tile retailers.
I hope that you were able to find a method of cleaning grout that works for you and your home. If you have any questions, contact us or visit us in-store and we can discuss how to clean “what’s under your feet.”
What's Under Your Feet? 