Cleaning ceramic tile grout is essential if you want to have a kitchen or bathroom that looks clean with a lot less scrubbing. You don’t want to let discoloration of the grout lines ruin your idea of a clean bathroom. The best way to prevent this from happening is to clean your ceramic grout with a steam cleaner.

Cleaning ceramic tile grout helps to maximize the life and durability of you tile and grout. Effective floor and grout cleaning means that you can quickly remove unwanted germs, grime and bacteria from ceramic tile and grout. The easiest way to do this on large areas or when you are dealing with outdoor tiled floors is by buying a grout steam cleaner.


Steam cleaners use high pressure steam to clean off the tile and grout. It is less corrosive than pressure washing. Also the hot temperature of the steam helps to kills bacteria and it is great at cleaning out porous surfaces. It will take you less then an hour to do most jobs and you will be very satisfied with the results.

If you are doing a smaller area or cleaning ceramic tile floors that are indoors, you can do the job yourself. Below is an explanation for cleaning ceramic tile grout the quick and easy way:

Preparation for Cleaning Ceramic Tile Grout

Mix a mild grout cleaner with water. If you decide to use vinegar or water, you can dilute these with water before you start. With vinegar, you want to use a 1 part to one part mixture. When using bleach, you want to use three parts water to one part bleach. Each one will make a good ceramic tile grout cleaner.

Then the next thing you want to do when cleaning grout, is to dampen the ceramic tile, but try not to get the tiles too wet. Allow the cleaners 5-7 minutes to loosen up the dirt and grime. This can be done effectively using a damp mop. Smooth ceramic tiled surfaces clean up fairly easily. You will probably need a grout brush to clean out the grout. You will spend the majority of your time cleaning ceramic tile grout. Once you have cleaned all the tile and grout, you want to rinse the floor with a 100% water solution. Then you will want to completely dry it with a towel or rag.

If after cleaning ceramic tile grout, there is still grout discoloration, you may need to use a stronger grout cleaner such as Tilex or a stronger concentration of bleach. Be careful with bleach if the grout you are cleaning has an original dark stain. After thorough cleaning, it may also be a good idea to seal the grout. A good grout sealer can last a few years and it will keep dirt and grime from accumulating in the grout crack.

Here are some relevant articles that you may be interested in:
How To Clean Kitchen Floor Grout
How To Clean Bathroom Grout & Tile