Whenever your grout begins looking dark and you want it to look white again, there are two things that you can do: lay down fresh, new grout or clean the grout that is already there. Regardless of which choice you make, it is going to be somewhat time consuming either way. You should know that large kitchens will take you around three hours while smaller kitchens will take you about two hours to make grout white again.
There are several things one can do to tackle cleaning grout: they can purchase cleaning solutions or make solutions at home. Our other article Tile and Grout Cleaning can help you clean on a budget – but should you find yourself in a bind here are ways to make your own solution.
Items That You Will Need For Cleaning Grout
Before you begin cleaning your grout there are some things that you will want to gather together, including:
- Several clean rags and a sponge.
- A spray bottle.
- Either a toothbrush or a tile grout brush. Tile grout brushes do work best since they are more rigid and stiff than a toothbrush.
- A pair of gloves for protecting your hands from the harsh chemicals.
Precautions You Should Take
There are definitely some precautions that you should take whenever you plan to clean your grout.
First of all, you won’t want to wear expensive clothing as you may get some chemicals on yourself.
Secondly, make sure that you wait until it is warm enough outside that you can open up some windows in your home. You will want to make sure that the area is ventilated properly as you won’t want to be breathing these chemicals in all day long.
Third and finally, make sure that you take any fabric out of the room so that you don’t ruin them with the bleach.
Make Your Own Tile Cleaner
You will want to begin by making the following tile cleaner to use because whenever it is used on a regular basis you will not have to use a tile grout solution all that often. In order to make this solution you will need one part oxygen bleach and one part water. These should be mixed together in your spray bottle. Once you have made your tile cleaner you will want to spray it on your tiles and then wipe it off with a sponge. If you have a lot of build up, then you may need to allow the solution to sit for 10 minutes before you wipe it off.
Make Your Own Tile Grout Cleaner
If you feel the need for a tile grout cleaner, you should know that you can make your own by adding ¾ cup of oxygen bleach to three cups of water. Mix this together is a spray bottle then spray it on your grout and wipe it off with a sponge. Whenever your grout gets overly dirty you may need to let the cleaner sit for around 10 minutes before wiping it off.
How To Use These Products
Once you have cleaned each area of your tile and grout you will want to wipe it down with a wet towel. Make sure that you also dry it off so that you will not get a leftover film.
