10 Steps To Clean Your Light-Coloured Grout

Don’t you just love it when you redo your bathroom and a year later the once clean, light-beige grout has turned a dark, muddy colour? Yeah, we don’t love it either. Unfortunately, lighter grout can easily become stained and discolored over time. Your instinct might be to scrub away at it like a madman, leading to frustration as you realize that isn’t very effective. But what if we told you there is a way to effectively clean the grout and return it to it’s original state? Here's a step-by-step guide to show you the best way to clean the grout.

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How To Clean Grout:

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Step 1: Prepare the Area

Before you even get started, make sure to protect surrounding surfaces. Cover anything nearby that could get damaged by the cleaning supplies - towels, appliances (if it’s the kitchen), rugs, etc. And also prepare yourself - we highly recommend wearing gloves and some clothing you don’t mind getting a little damaged (maybe that old highschool t-shirt you have yet to get rid of). 

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Step 2: Grab Your Cleaning Supplies

Now, there are a few supplies you’ll need to get together to make this thing happen. So maybe your initial instinct wasn’t far off, because you will need a scrubby brush, you should also hit a hardware store for some grout cleaner, and the rest you can likely get around the house: baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and water.

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Step 3: Apply the Grout Cleaner

The first thing you will do is apply the grout cleaner according to the manufacturer's instructions. This is serious stuff – be sure to wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. If you're using a spray cleaner, spray it directly onto the grout lines, and if you're using a gel cleaner, apply it with a brush. Then sit and wait, allowing the cleaner to sit for the recommended amount of time.

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Step 4: Scrub the Grout

Grab that scrubby brush and scrub away! Be gentle, and work the brush carefully through the grout lines. Start from the top of the area and work your way down. Remember how we said be gentle? We mean it. Scrubbing too hard can damage the grout. If you want, you can be thrifty and even use a toothbrush for this.

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Step 5: Rinse with Water

After you’ve scrubbed, (we don’t have a recommended time for the scrubbing process, but give it a good effort), rinse the area thoroughly with water. You can use a damp sponge or a bucket of water to rinse away the cleaner and any dirt or grime. Wipe down the surrounding area as well to make sure you’ve not accidentally carried over any of the cleaner onto other surfaces. 

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Step 6: Make a Baking Soda and Vinegar Paste

And you thought you were done, ha! Not so fast. Next, in a small bowl, mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar to make a thick, white paste. And now for the primary-school science experiment - mixing baking soda and vinegar will cause fizzing (duh), but this is important for the cleaning process, this fizzing action actually helps to break down any remaining stains on the grout.

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Step 7: Apply the Paste

Grab that little brush of yours once again and apply the baking soda and vinegar paste to the grout lines. Allow the paste to sit for at least 10 minutes, but, if your stains are stubborn or looking extra grimey, you can leave the paste on for longer.

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Step 8: Scrub Again

Once you’ve allowed the paste to sit for a few minutes, scrub the grout lines with your little scrubby friend. We recommend using a circular motion when scrubbing the vinegar and baking soda paste, really work it into the grout lines. Give this step lots of care and diligence before thoroughly ringing the area with water to remove the excess paste and residue.

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Step 9: Apply Hydrogen Peroxide

Let’s say you’ve made it this far and the stains are still sort of there, the next thing you can do is apply hydrogen peroxide to the grout lines. With care (lots of care) pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide onto a clean cloth or sponge and scrub the stain. You can grab the small scrubbing brush for a little extra boost as you scrub at the stain, and then once again, rinse the area down with some water.

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Step 10: Allow to Dry

Last, but definitely not least, allow the area to air dry completely before using it again. You don’t want to get all this way only for it to get dirty again. 

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Light-coloured grout is often the preferred choice when redoing a kitchen, bathroom, floor, etc. But it can be a lot of work, and a lot of people neglect to care for it which, most of the time, leads to stains. But follow these simple steps and you can have those tiles looking brand new.

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