[ Photo by Danielle Blake ]
We have a tendency to get a little OCD when it comes to cleaning the bathroom. About halfway through the bathroom beautification process, we'll bust out an old toothbrush and go to town on the floor tiles (and sometimes the shower). But despite our best efforts, the tile grout still looks the same! In fact, one particular stain got us so worked up that we managed to pull a muscle in our back...
After popping two muscle relaxers and firing up the heat pad, we mused, "There's gotta be a better way to clean that...zzzzzzz..." Our tile grout isn't grimy enough to warrant a visit from a professional, but there's some stains here and there. Anyone have a solution or a product they can recommend?
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Comments (17)
The liquid version of Bar Keepers Friend is fairly mild, n-toxic and works great.
ditto on the bar keepers friend...
On Designed to Sell they had to clean a tile kitchen countertop and finally just gave it up and regrouted. Personally I would try bleach, and if that works, I would use some kind of sealer. On the floor you would have to find something that would be non-skid, but on wall tiles (particularly in the shower) you can use car wax or the wax they use on bowling ball lanes, and it will keep everything looking great for a long time.
I create a very diluted solution of clorox bleach and water..put it in a spray bottle. I spray after each shower. It keeps away mold and keeps the grout fairly white. I have white tile and white grout in my bathroom so I know how hard it is to keep it 'clean looking'.
although it's horrible to the environment and your hands, the magic eraser works really well. Although, takes forever. Also, a paste made from baking soda and bleach left on for a bit then vigorously scrubbed works too. when i moved into my apt, i had to do a combination of both numerous times. it was filthy.
bar keepers friend or bon ami works great. it will take a little bit of elbow work but definitely should clean up the stains. It helps to make it into a paste and let it sit on the grout for a little bit.
Does no one copy edit this site? It's "grotty" not "groddy," which isn't even a word.
Also, now that I have that off my chest (it didn't help that AT also treated us to "due" instead of "do" today) I second acslater. I have recently been dealing with an entire apartment full of *grotty* grout and the baking soda and bleach solution works well on almost every stain. However, I am going to have to re-grout the bathroom floor, as nothing will get the blackened, mildewed grout clean.
I'm guessing Grace meant "grody" - as in, slang for "nasty."
I have a Black&Decker ScumBuster that I purchased about 3 or 4 years ago for about $40. That model came with a radial attachment that was PERFECT for cleaning grout. Between that and the carpet attachment for spot cleaning (perfect for when we potty trained the dog), it goes down in history as the Best $40 Ever Spent.
on topic but taking it further, has anyone ever cleaned out and regrouted tile? what kind of tools do i need? i think this may be one of my january projects.
Speaking of editing... I'm curious about the use of 'we' especially when it translates to "we strained a muscle in our back."
Unless you're a conjoined twin, it just sounds weird!!
And the use of 'we' doing things and liking things that can just as well be done and appreciated by a single personality - are seemingly all over this site.
Is one of the writers one of those people who assumes the personality of their mate? "We loved that movie! We'd love to see you!"
"We" are the most annoying type of people on the planet!
You can use a thing called a "grout saw" to pull out old grout. Messy and time consuming and never again!
Dremel tool or similar rotary tool with sanding wheel type attachments can turn a nasty job into bearable and quick. Put a plastic sheet down in tub to catch the crud and it is easy to clean up too.
Seal the grout, seal it SEVERAL times, because this a not something you will want to do again soon.
My bathroom looks much better sans the mold and old gray grout.
Funny, i was just talking about this very issue with my freind yesterday. She works at Livingreen and recommended SafeChoice X-158 for use in between cleanings. It's not a cleaner but inhibits mold and mildew growth and is non-toxic. I'm afraid I've already forgotten the cleaner she recommended :D (I have finally emerged from lurkdom!)
Depending on how big your tiles are and how big the bathroom is, regrouting really isn't that hard. I just regrouted my bathroom recently, and it honestly looks like a completely new bathroom. While using the grout saw wasn't THE most enjoyable task, it honestly wasn't all that bad. ...And the whole project takes just a few hours and costs maybe $25.
Does anyone know how to clean grout that it NOT supposed to be white? I have white tiles and gray grout and the grout has turned white in spots. Would love to get it back to dark gray. Thanks!
No, lookingupatleaves, no one copy edits this site. That would be far too much trouble. Just slap it up there and let the OCD English majors do it. Whee! More time for mojitos!