DIY Grout Cleaners [Grout Cleaning Hacks]
A Homemade Solution to Freshen up Your Tile
Homemade grout cleaners are quite popular among homeowners that are looking for a practical green solution to leave their tiles sparking clean without the sometimes damaging effects of harsh commercial chemicals. What many ordinary people have found is that they do not need to spend undue amounts on commercial grout cleaners that usually have harsh ingredients that are not safe for the environment or their families.
In addition to this, while performing grout maintenance, they can use very common household products that they already use on a daily basis to make homemade DIY grout cleaners that are just as effective to remove dirt from between tile lines. If you are looking for a home remedy for cleaning your tiles and grout lines, this dispenses the need to buy specialty grout cleaning products when you can simply use easily accessible household ingredients to make this possible.
The types of do-it-yourself grout cleaners that should be used will depend on the extent of the dirt or mildew build-up on your tiles and also how frequently you have performed grout and tile repair in your bathroom. Read on as we present to you a list of grout cleaning methods that can be used to remove dirt from grout by mixing homemade grout cleaners that are easy to make and also inexpensive as well for grout restoration.
Using Lime Juice to Clean Grout
Lime juice can be used as a natural grout cleaner. Limes are acidic and this makes it easy for them to remove dirt from bathroom grout lines. This type of homemade grout cleaner is not very effective to remove mildew, but it does work effectively on grout lines that have some degree of dirt in between them. The processes involved to use limes as a home remedy for cleaning tile grout are as follows:
– Cut a lime and squeeze the juice in a small bowl.
– Use a strainer to remove the small pulp that is left behind after squeezing the limes.
– Evenly disperse the lime juice on the bathroom floor area that you want to remove the dirt and grime from your ceramic tile grout lines.
– For vertical walls, when using lime as a grout cleaner, you can use some paper to soak up the lime juice and then leave then paper on the wall area you are trying to clean. When done, rinse with water.
Read more: Unclogging Drains in Your Bathroom
Creating A Scouring Paste Without the Abrasion
Salt, baking soda and water are quite good as a grout cleaner if you are trying to make an abrasive type of paste for cleaning dirty grout. The amount of paste that you will use will depend on the area that you have to cover. The steps involved in making a homemade grout cleaner with these readily available ingredients include:
-To begin making this grout cleaner, cut some limes and squeeze the juice in a bowl
-Place some baking soda in the bowl along with some salt
-Mix them to form a thick paste and then use this along with a sponge or small cloth to gently scrub the area you need to clean the dirt from your tile grout. Rinse with water.
Creating A Scouring Paste Without the Abrasion
Salt, baking soda and water are quite good as a grout cleaner if you are trying to make an abrasive type of paste for cleaning dirty grout. The amount of paste that you will use will depend on the area that you have to cover. The steps involved in making a homemade grout cleaner with these readily available ingredients include:
-To begin making this grout cleaner, cut some limes and squeeze the juice in a bowl
-Place some baking soda in the bowl along with some salt
-Mix them to form a thick paste and then use this along with a sponge or small cloth to gently scrub the area you need to clean the dirt from your tile grout. Rinse with water.
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Chlorine and Water for Cleaning Grout
If you find that you are having problems with mildew in your grout lines then instead of using the homemade grout cleaners mentioned above, you can easily dilute chlorine bleach and water as an effective solution for cleaning your grout lines. Just be aware that chlorine has a very strong smell and as such you will need to ensure that your bathroom is properly ventilated before using this cleaner.
Also, you should be aware of color grout fundamentals because you don’t want to discolor your tiles or grout. Some homeowners like to mix chlorine with other grout cleaners but this is not advisable because you don’t want to accidentally create a toxic mixture that may be potentially combustible.
You will have to take care to not use a very concentrated solution since this can potentially discolor your tiles and the grout as well. The steps involved in making this type of grout cleaner include:
-Put 2 teaspoons of bleach into 2 cups of water
-Pour the chlorine/water solution between the tile lines and let it sit for a moment before you begin to remove the dirt from your tile
-Scrub the grout lines with a small brush if necessary and repeat the process until your grout lines in the tile are clean. Rinse with water.
Combining Commercial Cleansers With Everyday Products
Ammonia is present in a variety of grout cleaners. This is a very effective yet unpleasant smelling grout cleaning product that is easy to find in stores and home centers. The steps involved in using ammonia for homemade grout cleaners include:
-Mix the baking soda and ammonia in a small plastic bowl to form a thick paste
-Use a plastic knife to put the paste on the tile area that you would like to clean
-Scrub the area with a small soft brush to clean the grout
-Rinse with water and repeat the process if necessary to ensure that the grout is now clean
Read more: Troubleshooting Toilet Flush Problems 101
Vinegar for Tile and Grout Cleaning
Vinegar is an acid base substance that is generally used in salads. This product is a lot cheaper than grout cleaners and is also easy to find in supermarkets as well. The steps involved in using vinegar as a tile grout cleaning solution are.
-Dilute the vinegar in water. For every part of vinegar you can add two parts of water.
-Spread the mixture on the tile areas you would like to clean and use a small brush to gently scrub the grout lines using small circles.
Because most of the homemade grout cleaners used for grout restoration do not have the harsh chemicals that commercial grout cleaners have, they will either have to soak on your grout lines for a little bit or you may have to use a little more elbow grease to get the job done but if using green products is important to you then a little bit of effort is well worth the price of having your grout lines sparkle like new again.
Read more: The Crazy Things That Get Stuck in Your Toilet
Hopefully, now that you are aware of these tile maintenance alternatives, you will be able to avoid the tile restoration errors that some first-time bath renovators make.