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Clean grout in bathroom tiles


8 Super Effective Methods for Cleaning Grout

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Tile is beautiful, durable, and generally easy to clean, but cleaning grout? That’s a different story. Because it’s typically light-colored and has a porous composition, grout is prone to staining. In a tiled entryway or mudroom, dirt and grime are the usual culprits but in the kitchen, spills are more likely to blame. In the bathroom, homeowners must contend with grout that’s marred by mold and mildew.

The good news is that the best way to clean grout doesn’t come with a big price tag. It’s possible to clean and restore your grout using common household products and of course, a bit of elbow grease.

Before you get started on your grout-cleaning endeavors, understand that it is best to begin with the first cleaning option on this list, which is the mildest, least harmful method. If that doesn’t work, you can work your way up to incrementally more intense, odiferous, and potentially time-consuming options on this list. If you’re in doubt about whether a particular grout cleaner is suitable for your surface, test it in a hidden spot first—under an appliance in the kitchen, say, or behind the toilet in the bathroom. 

Tools & Materials

Before you begin cleaning, it’s important to understand the different types of grout.

There are several types of grout, and most types come in multiple colors. It’s important to take both type and hue into consideration before you start gathering cleaning supplies and making a cleaning plan. The two most common types of grout these days are traditional cement grout and the newer standard, epoxy grout. These grout types can be further broken down as follows:

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Some types of grout are precolored and are as a result better able to resist stains and fading. There are also grout formulations that add polymers to provide helpful features such as moisture and mildew resistance. Finally, as you’re figuring out how best to clean your grout, it’s important to know whether the grout has been sealed, or possibly needs resealing. This might affect both how well the grout holds up and what solutions you can use to clean it.

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1. Scrub dirty grout using warm water and a medium-bristle brush.

If you don’t already have a grout scrubber, most home centers and hardware stores carry a number of products that are specifically designed for the purpose of cleaning tile grout. To avoid damaging the grout, opt for a medium-bristle nylon brush, not a hard steel one. Simply spray warm water on the grout lines and scrub in a circular motion, then let it dry. Don’t use too much water or let it sit on the grout for too long. Remember: Porous cement grouts absorb water, which could lead to mildew.

2. Spray grout with equal parts vinegar and warm water.

If you know your grout has been sealed but it has accumulated heavy dirt or mild stains, turn to vinegar, that trusty old household staple. Fill a spray bottle with a half-and-half solution of vinegar and warm water. Spray the mixture on the grout, let it stand for 5 minutes, then scrub the surface with a stiff brush. Avoid using vinegar on unsealed grout.

3. Apply a baking soda paste and then spray with vinegar.

Cleaning grout with baking soda will bring even more power to the party. Here’s what to do: Cover grout lines with a paste of baking soda and water, then spray on the vinegar solution listed above (remember, only apply vinegar if the grout has been sealed). Once the mixture stops foaming, scrub with a brush, rinse with plain water, and wipe dry. If the grout is unsealed or needs resealing, apply just the baking soda solution and scrub carefully.

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4. Pour on some hydrogen peroxide.

Moderate stains may require you to use hydrogen peroxide, which is available in most drug stores. You can use the product straight or as part of a homemade grout-cleaning paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. This mixture is typically safe for both sealed and unsealed grout.

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5. Apply oxygen bleach and let it stand for up to 15 minutes.

For tougher stains on really grimy white grout, use oxygen bleach as a grout cleaner. You’ll find this cleanser is most often sold in powdered form; bestselling brands include OxiClean and Biokleen Oxygen Bleach Plus.

Before using oxygen bleach to clean grout, make sure the room is well ventilated, and then carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for application. Let the oxygen bleach solution soak in for 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing. Always rinse with clean water and then wipe the area dry so that the dirt doesn’t resettle into the grout lines.

6. Try a commercial grout stain remover.

Applying one of the best grout cleaners on the market could make quick work of removing mold and mildew and restoring bright white grout lines. These products work in one of two ways: (1) spray and wipe, or (2) scour with a brush. Spray-on products claim to work without scrubbing. Though they save time and energy, they may contain harsher acids, solvents, or chlorine bleach.

Scouring with a soft brush and cleaner does require a little work, but this method can be especially effective on floors and heavily soiled grout. Before you begin using one of these products, read the active ingredients carefully, and heed the instructions—particularly the safety precautions.

7. Steam-clean the worst of grout stains.

The best steam mops are effective and environmentally friendly tools for cleaning grout—or, for that matter, many hard surfaces throughout the house. Bissell, Oreck, and Hoover all make steam cleaners for residential use.

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8. Use chlorine bleach sparingly on grout.

Chlorine bleach and commercial cleansers containing chlorine bleach can be used sparingly in extreme cases to clean grout. It’s not a great idea to use them as your go-to grout cleaners because long-term use of caustic cleaners will erode grout. When all else fails, however, a bleach product such as Clorox Clean-Up might be effective.

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If you’ve tried any or all of the above methods before you apply chlorine bleach, be sure to rinse the surface completely before proceeding with any chlorine bleach products. This is especially true of vinegar, because traces of vinegar mixed with bleach will emit a highly toxic chlorine gas into the air.

Grout Maintenance

Once you’re finished cleaning your grout, spray it with household vinegar or a mild grout cleaner and wipe it down once a week to keep it stain-free. Wiping grout with rubbing alcohol will also keep mold and mildew at bay. In any case, just a few spritzes and wipes a week can save you a lot of time and effort cleaning and help you preserve the attractive appearance of your tiled surfaces.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning grout begins with good prevention, including resealing the grout as needed, cleaning up kitchen spills right away, and using a mild homemade or commercial grout cleaner regularly. Once grout begins to look stained or dingy, refer to the steps above. An important reminder about how to clean grout is to start with the mildest approach because this will be the least likely to damage or discolor grout. If the grout stain persists, move on to progressively more intense methods. Always ensure adequate ventilation and wear rubber or nylon gloves when cleaning grout.

Finally, be sure to keep grout sealed and maintained according to your tiling professional’s or manufacturer’s recommendation, and avoid harsh cleansers or scrubbers if the tile and grout are prone to damage. Keeping grout clean and sealed beats having to paint, repair, or regrout it.

FAQs About Cleaning Grout

The methods outlined above range from the easiest way to clean grout up to more powerful approaches for more stubborn stains. If you still have questions about maintaining and cleaning tile grout, read on for answers to common concerns.

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Q: Does Magic Eraser work on grout?

A Magic Eraser and a little warm water can remove residue from the surface of tiles and could be a simple addition to your regular grout-cleaning routine. In particular, regular wiping with a dampened Magic Eraser sponge can remove some of the gray surface on white grout. For heavier stains, you may want to choose it as your first scrubbing option instead of a brush or soft cloth, then progress to something tougher if needed.

Q: Can I use OxiClean to clean grout?

Although OxiClean is called “oxygen bleach,” it is actually made of a combination of dry hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate, which is similar to baking soda. It is less toxic to the environment and more color-safe than bleach.

Powdered OxiClean is safe for use on grout when mixed with water to form a liquid or paste and applied with a cloth, sponge, or grout scrubber. Give the solution from 5 to 30 minutes to sit on the grout before scrubbing away and rinsing.

Q: Can you use steel wool on grout?

Do not use steel wool on grout. While the abrasive pad might scrub away the stain, it could also take some of the grout along with it. Plus, steel wool can scratch the tile surrounding the grout joint. Opt instead for a soft sponge or nylon bristle brush, maybe even one mounted on a power scrubber, always starting with the least abrasive material first.

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How to Clean Bathroom Tile and Grout

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  2. Bathroom
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The best way to clean tile and grout in your home is going to vary. It will depend on everything from the kind of stain you’re removing to the material your grout is made of. That makes it nearly impossible to find one cleaning solution that will work in all cases—without damaging your bathroom walls. But once you identify what you’re dealing with, you can be more effective and targeted when cleaning.

The first thing to remember is that, as with a lot of cleaning situations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You’re better off protecting your tile and grout than trying to rescue it.

“The best way to clean heavily stained or aged grout is to maintain a cleaning schedule. Do not allow stains and soils to build up over time,” said David Mowery, a business manager of Tile and Stone Installation Systems for the MAPEI Corporation, in an email. “The sooner you address grout stains, the better. ”

What you need

Photo: James Austin

How long will this take to clean?

For my apartment’s full-size shower, the entire process took about 15 minutes. But the time it takes will vary, depending on how much tile you’re trying to clean and the severity of the stains.

Identifying the type of stain

Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

Bathroom tile and grout stains have a few common causes, starting with mold or mildew. These organic stains thrive in the damp corners of a bathroom shower and the porous, concrete-based grouts that are commonly found in between bathroom tiles.

If you’re tackling a light stain, or you want to avoid working with hasher commercial chemicals, you can mix equal parts baking soda and water to form a very mild alkaline cleaner that can handle small amounts of mold or mildew.

The other common source of staining in a shower is rust or lime buildup. It’s usually caused by hard water—which has higher levels of dissolved calcium or iron—and these stains are common when your water is drawn from a well or other groundwater sources. These deposits can gain footing in the porous tile and grout of a bathroom and leave a discolored stain. Rust has a reddish-brown tint, while limescale usually has a chalky-white or pale green color.

Cleaning the tile

Photo: Nikki Duong

Photo: Nikki Duong

Photo: Nikki Duong

For any of these common stains, the cleaning process is the same. Apply the cleaner by directly spraying it on the wall or onto a damp sponge, cloth, or brush. Let the solution sit for a short period, and then scrub with the brush, making sure to get the bristles into the grout itself. Rinse thoroughly and let the area dry.

If your tile grout is still discolored or grimy after a few attempts, it may just be old instead of stained. In this case you may want to look into applying a grout colorant and sealer, which is a more in-depth and careful process.

What to avoid

Grout is pivotal in keeping tile fresh and safe, so anything that may degrade or remove it should be avoided. Wire brushes or steel wool should not be used. And the same goes for abrasive cleaners like Borax or Comet. Those tools can scratch tiles, and the chemicals can damage grout.

About your guide

James Austin

James Austin is an associate staff writer currently covering games and hobbies, but he’s also worked on just about everything Wirecutter covers—from board games to umbrellas—and after being here for a few years he has gained approximate knowledge of many things. In his free time he enjoys taking photos, running D&D, and volunteering for a youth robotics competition.

Further reading

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time).

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Do-it-yourself grouting tiles in the bathroom: how to properly grout the seams

You can choose expensive exquisite tiles, the best adhesive mixtures, quickly and efficiently lay tiles on the walls, but if you do the finishing wrong, all the work will go down the drain.

Often the final result largely depends on the final touches, so do-it-yourself grouting tiles in the bathroom is a responsible and scrupulous stage. Thanks to skillful technique, it is possible to create a stable structure with amazingly correct geometry and impeccable appearance.

Article content:

How to choose the right grout?

The purpose of the mortar for filling tile joints is clear: it protects the walls (or floor), as well as the adhesive composition from moisture and mechanical damage. The correct grouting process turns individual fragments (tiles, borders, decor) into a complete coating, making bathroom walls aesthetically attractive.

There is a so-called seamless tile, which has no side chamfer at all. Perfectly even edges imply tight laying, without the use of seams and, accordingly, grouting materials.

However, most often these are collectible author's tiles or porcelain tiles, which are very expensive and require professionalism during installation, therefore, ordinary tiles are used for tiling bathrooms in typical city apartments and country cottages.

Talented Polish designer Maciej Zien is the author of many collections of seamless ceramic tiles, one of which, Piccadilly London, is built on the contrast of colors, shapes and textures.

Quality material should have the following properties:

And of course, the grout must match the color scheme of the selected tile - match in shade or, on the contrary, create an expressive contrast, which happens much less frequently.

The precise geometry of the joints, accentuated by contrasting grouting, and zoning with orange decorative tiles turn the bathroom into a beautiful modern room in which to spend time pleasantly

Steps for grouting tile joints into the seams, remove the excess and that's it, the job is done. However, in the process of embedding, technical nuances often arise, on which the final result depends. We will try to sort out the finishing stage on the shelves and identify the tricky and difficult moments of such a responsible process.

Step #1 - preparing tools and materials

The advantage of doing it yourself is that you do not need to buy expensive tools and materials. Everything is relatively cheap and sold in building supermarkets. So, for work you will need:

Since the process will not take long, it is best to prepare tools and fixtures in advance.

The grout knife is different from a regular kitchen or utility knife: the handle is angled to the blade, making work easier blocked. From the materials you will need ready-made grout in jars or a dry mix for preparing a mortar, which is usually sold in small packages.

Spatulas for applying and deepening grout are different from metal tools for plastering walls: they are made of elastic rubber, which is convenient to distribute the composition along the joint without damaging the integrity of the tile

Step #2 - preparing joints and mortar

After the adhesive finally dried up (time can be different - from 8 hours to 2 days), you can prepare the work surface and dilute the dry mixture with water if you have not purchased a ready-made solution.

The gaps between adjacent tiles must be completely cleaned of adhesive residue with a knife, and then sweep out small fragments and dust with a paint brush. The cleaner the surface to be treated, the smoother the grout will lie and the stronger it will “adhere” to the edges of the tile and the wall.

Preparing joints for new tiles takes much less time than grouting old joints with cracked and discolored grout

Before grouting ceramic tiles, prepare the grout. We take a clean container, pour warm water (20-25ºС) into it, pour the dry mixture from the pack and stir thoroughly.

If you don't have a special mixer attachment for a drill, a regular wooden stick will do. The main thing is that there are no lumps in the solution. After preparing the mixture, you should immediately begin the application process.

When preparing grout, two important factors must be weighed: application time and drying time. If you're working slowly, it's best to cook several small batches in succession.

Step #3 - Applying the grout

At this point, inexperienced home tilers make a small mistake: they begin to fill the joints between the tiles "dry". Professionals recommend moistening the seam with water before applying the composition for better adhesion. Water is applied with a paint brush, preferably a round, large sponge or spray gun.

You can play it safe and use an antiseptic primer instead of water to prevent fungus or mold.

If you decide to wet the joint space with a primer, do not buy a special compound for this purpose. The mortar that you used to prepare the walls for the tiles will work perfectly. The grout should be applied quickly, but gently, pressing in a little so that it fills the entire space of the seam.

You can draw the sharp end of the spatula along the line of application and go over again with transverse strokes.

To ensure that there are no voids inside the tile joint, the strokes should overlap closely, especially carefully - at the intersections of the lines

Step # 4 - dry and wet cleaning

. How to properly grout tiles, leaving a minimum of traces? Even in the process of processing the seams, you can remove the excess: after several transverse strokes, draw it along with a spatula, collecting the excess solution.

Then, before it is completely dry, take a dry cloth or damp sponge and carefully wipe off the remaining solution.

However, be careful: when pressing with a sponge, part of the grout can be squeezed out of the joint, so use only transverse movements.

The more accurate and accurate your movements during the application of the mortar, the less time you spend for the subsequent cleaning of the tiles

A damp sponge is preferable for another reason: by removing excess mortar, it smoothes the joints, makes them smooth and aesthetically attractive. During work, you should not be distracted, because the grout dries quickly, and it is quite difficult to remove it in a dried state.

Prepare for the fact that after the first cleaning you will have to wipe the entire tile several times with a damp cloth - traces of grout, especially plaster, are very stable.

Video instructions with tips from experts

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Nuances of working with floor tiles

that make work easier. For example, there is a method that allows you to quickly process a floor with smooth tiles. Instead of an ordinary sponge, they take a manual construction grater with a rubber overlay and fill the seams at arm's length with wide, sweeping movements. The solution will lay down evenly and densely fill the voids if made more liquid.

The grater can also be effectively used for the next step - removing grout residues by attaching a porous foam sponge instead of a rubber pad

This method is not suitable if the tile texture is embossed, has protrusions or scars. The grout will fill in the depressions in the ceramic, and this is an additional labor-intensive cleaning job.

After finishing the ceramic cladding, be sure to grout the joints around sockets, pipes, plumbing fixtures and towel warmer fixtures.

Once again about the types of grouting materials

On the shelves of building supermarkets you can find a lot of materials for filling tile joints. Domestic and foreign manufacturers offer products that differ in composition and consistency: dry mixes, ready-made solutions of medium viscosity, dense pastes. Consider how aggregates differ and which ones are better suited for self-grouting.

The most common type of dry mix is ​​based on cement – ​​similar products can be found at every manufacturer. Some cement compositions contain sand, others are diluted with other fillers. Sand mixtures should be used if the width of the seams reaches 4 cm or more, that is, they are absolutely not suitable for bathrooms. Cement-sand mortars are used for external finishing of facades, arrangement of garden paths, construction work in the yard.

Cement grout can be prepared independently, using cement and fine sand, taken in equal proportions, as a base, and some latex additives - for elasticity

. The fine grinding of the components guarantees an even, uniform layer upon application. Polymer-cement mortars are not diluted with water, but with a latex-based composition. There are two types of mixtures: colored and light, designed to be mixed with a coloring pigment during preparation.

The second type of mortar is based on resins. Even professionals rarely work with epoxy, which consists of two components and is prepared immediately before application. A thick mass must be applied quickly and very carefully. Hardening, the grouting material becomes equal in strength to ceramic tiles and lasts at least 50 years.

Epoxy mixtures are used for joints wider than 6 mm, but sometimes they are used for finishing bathrooms. Designers add gold or silver powder to the powder and get a luxurious frame for ceramic tiles.

Epoxy grout, bright, with the addition of metallic powder, looks flawless and presentable only when the edges of the tile or mosaic are perfectly even. It is as expensive as epoxy, and has another feature - it is exclusively black. Despite its high performance and exceptional wear resistance, furanol is rarely used.

Sometimes silicone filler - sealant is used to process joints, difficult areas or places where tiles adjoin a sink (bath). It is sold in plastic syringe tubes and squeezed directly into the seam with a construction gun.

Sealant has elasticity, antiseptic properties, but over time it may change its shade: white or transparent material turns yellow from exposure to water and light.

The well-known Italian company Litocol produces water-repellent polyurethane grouts based on water dispersion especially for glass mosaics and ceramic tiles. It is universal, that is, it is suitable for sealing joints when laying both tiles and mosaics. The width of the seam can be different - from 1 mm to 5 mm.

The polyurethane compound is easy to apply, cures quickly and is easy to maintain.

What should be the optimum joint width?

The appearance of a tile depends not only on the color or texture, but also on the width of the joints that surround each element on all sides and affect the visual perception. The opinion that wide seams suppress tiles is erroneous.

On the other hand, too narrow joints interfere with full visual perception, and besides, they are dangerous from a functional point of view: grout hardly gets into them, so it is difficult to judge their integrity and tightness.

When calculating the width of the tile joints, consider two important factors: the ease of application of the grout and the preservation of the properties of the grout, such as water resistance and strength

The disadvantage of too wide joints is their low resistance to external factors. The grout cracks, crumbles and requires constant updating. For this reason, sand is added to cement mixtures for wide joints. The average size of the sides of a bathroom tile is from 10 to 33 cm, a suitable joint width is 3-4 mm.

How to prevent cracking?

Cement grout cracks more often than others. There are several reasons for rapid destruction: too liquid consistency of the solution, unstable wooden base, exposure to hot water, or the wrong ratio of components. If repairs are not made in time, water will regularly fall under the tiles, which threatens to cause mold.

You can embroider and clean the seams, refill them with mortar, but where is the guarantee that this will last?

Sometimes cracks begin to appear even during the application of the mass. This means that the prepared solution is not thick enough, and to correct the situation it is necessary to rub dry powder directly into the cracks.

It is better to prevent cracking by listening to the advice of specialists. It is necessary that the solution is homogeneous, of medium viscosity, and the seam is well cleaned and wide enough. With self-dilution of the mixture, it is necessary that after mixing it stand for 5-6 minutes, and then mix it again. It is not recommended to ventilate the room during drying or use hot water inside it.

And finally, the main advice: follow the instructions on the package. There you can find information about the correct application of the mortar, the width of the joints and the drying period.


Do-it-yourself grouting tiles in the bathroom - Photo and video


Earlier we already wrote how to choose and how to properly lay tiles on the walls of the bathroom so that they last a long time and please the eye for many years. But tiling walls is not only pasting, but also grouting tile joints.

Grout reliably protects the joints between adjacent tiles from moisture ingress, prevents the spread of fungus and mold. By updating the grout, you can easily refresh the overall look of the finish, on which dirt accumulates over time and the walls lose their original appearance.

Let's talk today about how to choose the right grout, how to properly prepare it and how to apply it.


Which grout should I choose?

Some craftsmen may advise grouting the joints with the same adhesive that the tile was glued to. But this should not be done, since the tile adhesive is not intended for constant contact with high humidity, and also does not have sufficient elasticity after drying and may simply crack. Therefore, it is better to look at special mixtures sold in finishing materials stores.

All grouts are a cement-based mixture with the addition of various additives that increase adhesion, moisture resistance and elasticity of the mixture.

Silicone-based grouts are available and resemble silicone sealant. Silicone grouts are used where a reliable moisture-resistant elastic seal is needed, for example, in places where pipes pass through a tile or where a sink adjoins a wall. In these cases, you can use a regular silicone sealant (for example, "Sanitary").

The grouts are available in different colors and it is easy to match the grout to the color of the tile. You can also choose a grout that contrasts with the basic tone of the ceramic tile. A good choice can be the usual white grout, which matches almost any color of tiles and adds light to the room with its appearance.

The highest quality grout is produced by Atlas, Litokol and Mapei. Ceresit grouts can also be used.


Preparing tiles for grouting

After the tiles have been laid on the wall and the adhesive has gained sufficient strength (after about 3 days), you can start grouting the tile joints.

To do this, remove the fixtures that you used to maintain the indentation of one tile from another and carefully clean the gaps between the tiles - remove dust accumulated there, bits of construction debris and excess tile adhesive.

This is best done with a non-metal tool to avoid getting metal particles on the tiles.


Preparation and application of the grout

The grout is prepared immediately before application. To do this, the dry mixture must be mixed with water in the proportion indicated by the manufacturer on the package (usually about 300 ml of water per 1 kg of dry mixture).

Mixing can be done by hand, using a construction mixer, or using a special attachment for a conventional electric drill.

After the mixture has been brought to the state of a homogeneous mass, let it stand for 5 minutes, mix again and only then proceed to work.

Grout can be used to fill tile joints with a small rubber trowel or with a float.

Applying the mix with a spatula will save you much more time.

On the other hand, float application allows you to immediately fill the joints over a large area and start washing off the excess before the grout tightly seizes at the starting point.

The grout is applied with wide diagonal movements over the entire area of ​​the wall, carefully pressing into the space between the tiles:

The entire wall is covered in this way, after which the excess grout that remains on the tile should be washed off.

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