Why is it so Important to Clean Grout?

Regular grout cleaning keeps grime, germs and bacteria out of your home. It also protects against discoloration, and keeps tiles from getting broken down by mildew, mold and moisture. It is important to know how to clean grout. Even though their are many ways of cleaning grout, the easiest way to clean, kill germs and get rid of stains is with a steam cleaner.

Best Way to Clean – Steam Grout Cleaners

Saves you a lot of time- fastest way to clean tile grout in your home.
Great for deep grout cleaning which helps to get rid of grout discoloration without having to use bleach or cleaning chemicals.
Easiest way to clean tile grout. Most of the time, the grout stains and discoloration come right out which means you don’t have to spend as much time on your hands and knees scrubbing the grout lines.


Safe for home use, Safe for children, pets, and the environment, because it uses hot water for cleaning and not hazardous cleaning chemicals.

Below are some of the top rated steam grout cleaners

Best Budget Steamer Under $99 Wagner 915 1,500-Watt On-Demand Power Steamer and Cleaner
This steamer is one of the best selling economy steamers on the market. It is versatile and can be used for cleaning tile and grout, as well as walls,kitchen, bathrooms and floors. This unit comes with a lot of attachments. We sell a lot of these each month. “This truly is a great investment, fun to use with FANTASTIC results.” Read customer reviews

Best Floor and Carpet Steamer under $149

Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge, F5914-900

This is an upright floor cleaner that cleans carpets and different types of floors. This unit has over 2,200 reviews and most are 5 star ratings! This is one of the best carpet and floor cleaners and is isn’t very expensive either. People buying this product say they are very happy with it and would recommend it to others. Read over 2200 reviews

McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
Here is what customers are saying about it. “Cleans surfaces without using chemicals, melts away grease from any painted or chromed surface, Makes vinyl flooring look almost new,
-Cleans the porcelain on the sink & toilet without leaving any film, chemical scent, or residue whatsoever”.
- Saves you money on a lot of the household chemicals. Read what customers are saying about it!.

SteamFast SF-226 Handheld Steam Cleaner

Here is what customers are saying about it. “I had seen this product advertised and was skeptical; however, I was pleasantly surprised. The SteamFast SF-226 Handheld Steam Cleaner did an exceptional job. Following the use of the steamer, I was able to wipe down all surfaces in the kitchen. It worked great on the grout, stove-top, kitchen tile, floor tile, refrigerator, and woodwork. I highly recommend this little work horse!” .

You can also try a grout pen or grout paint to help fix discoloration. Keeping your tile grout clean is an excellent way to allow your tiled areas to look their best and last for longer.

This sites teaches you how to clean grout in your bathroom,  kitchens and floors. In order for grout cleaning to be done effectively, you need to have the right grout cleaning tools.  These tools include having the right grout cleaners, grout brushes, and grout steam cleaners in order to ensure that your job is done right.  For tough grout cleaning jobs, you may even need to use grout steam cleaners or commercial tile cleaners to save you time and backbreaking labor.  We have several top sellers listed on this site.

Most people that clean their own grout find that is isn’t too bad. Always be sure to disinfect as you clean, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. When scrubbing tiled floors, it may be necessary to use knee pads or a kneeling pad. On average, tile grout cleaning takes about 15 minutes per room. When mold or mildew has set in, it could take a lot longer.

When using mold and mildew disinfectants, be sure to leave them on for the allotted time mentioned on the tile cleaner label. If you need to repair or replace cracked tiles or missing grout, you may need to call a tile expert to help you. They can also steam clean the grout and then seal it for you as well. Steam cleaning grout often helps to remove ground in dirt and light the color of the grout. In some cases, bleach containing tile cleaners will also be needed. A grout sealer will work to protect the tile and grout for 3-5 years, and in some cases much longer.

Choosing the right tile grout cleaner is important. Typically, you want to use a tile grout cleaner that is just strong enough to get the job done, but not strong enough to damage the grout over time.

Different Types of Organic Grout Cleaner

Ever wondered how to clean grout? When using grout cleaners, it is a good idea to try milder products first, only using the harsher ones if the first do not get the grout completely clean. Harsh chemicals can damage grout and tiles with repeated use. Clean grout with the first group and move on to the next ones as necessary. Whichever cleaner you are using, always try cleaning a small area initially to make sure it does not discolor or damage the grout or tile.

Mild Grout Cleaners:

These are all gentle cleaners that are okay to use even on unsealed grout.

Vinegar: Used for daily cleaning and as general purpose cleaner or a disinfectant.  During the two years I professionally cleaned bathrooms for a living, we would quite often use vinegar as a mild cleaner.  Because vinegar is a very mild cleaner, it should also be interspersed in using another stronger grout cleaner in order to yield the best results.  Vinegar can be diluted with equal parts water or applied full-strength. Put vinegar or a vinegar-water solution into a spray bottle and spray the grout. For disinfecting, let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with a medium-weight, non-metal brush. The bristles should be stiff, but not too hard – you don’t want to damage the grout or tiles. Scrub in circles rather than straight lines for a more thorough cleaning. Rinse with a mop or wet sponge, then dry with a towel.

Baking soda: When made into a paste with a little water or vinegar, baking soda is a terrific grout cleaner. Just dab it on, scrub in circles, rinse and dry. For better cleaning, try leaving the paste on for a few minutes before scrubbing. You can also make a paste with 1/3 each of baking soda, salt and vinegar. The addition of salt helps the cleaner get into all the little crevices and spots that may be in the grout. Be sure to rinse and dry when you are done.

Lemon juice: Grout can discolor and stain with time, and those areas often need extra attention. Lemon juice does a great job removing many grout stains and discolorations. Apply the lemon juice to the affected area, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then wipe it off with a damp sponge. If staining remains, try cleaning it or try the lemon juice again before using a harsher product.

Milder Chemical Cleaners:

All of these contain some chemicals but are not as harsh as the next group. When working with any of these products, be sure to keep the area well-ventilated, wear gloves and follow the directions on the bottle.

Bleach: Dilute the bleach with water – 1 part bleach to 3 parts water – before cleaning with it. Bleach is especially good for removing mold and mildew. It kills the mold and disinfects it too. It also removes stains and discolorations from white grout. Do not use beach on colored grout – it will discolor the grout. Be careful when using bleach and any other cleaners, especially those containing ammonia.

General Household Cleaners: Basic household cleaners that you typically use can be effective cleaners. Many contain bleach, providing the benefits of bleach with another clean without mixing them. When using a powder-based product, make sure it is non-abrasive and will not damage the grout or scratch the tile. Use as with other products, making sure to rinse extra well.

Harsher Chemical Cleaners:

These are best to use when other products have not worked. They are good for infrequent, heavy-duty cleaning when it is needed. Always read all directions carefully before you start, keep the room well-ventilated and use gloves and protective eyewear when cleaning with any of these products.

Commercial Grout Cleaners: These are designed specifically for cleaning grout and can be purchased at stores that sell household cleaners. Pick products that are designed for what you need – general cleaning, disinfecting, removing stains and discolorations, getting rid of mold and mildew, etc. Products that are pH-balanced will be the gentlest and best for tile and grout cleaning. Others can erode the grout with frequent use. Avoid colored cleaners on white grout as they can discolor the grout. Carefully follow all the directions on the container. Generally, they are applied and allowed to remain on the grout for a few minutes before cleaning and then rinsing.

Professional Grout Cleaners: Designed to provide the most heavy-duty cleaning available, these products contain the harshest chemicals. You can find them at hardware or janitor supply stores. Be careful using and storing these cleaners. Before using these strong chemicals, you may want to consider renting a steam cleaner like the professionals use to see if it can get the grout cleaning done without the use of strong chemicals.

For those readers inclined towards environmentally friendlier measures, we have several articles on different types of grout cleaner.Recent article:  How to Clean Grout or Grout Cleaning Basics

Top of the Line Ladybug XL Vapor Steam Cleaner Commercial Grade

This machine is the most powerful one. Even though it is expensive, it is one of the best steam cleaners you can buy. It will outlast and out preform all other steamers. It is commercial grade and comes with a great warranty. It has a high volume capacity and gets excellent reviews. It is great for cleaning tiles and grout, but is also cleans carpets, upholstery, walls and floors of all types. Buy this grout steamer now and never have to worry about scrubbing tile grout again!

Learn more about cleaning grout

One of the best homemade grout cleaner recipes you can use is fairly inexpensive to make. You may even find the ingredients that you need to make it without even having to go to the store. When I was online reading blogs about tile cleaning, I came across a very interesting blog. This blog talked about a recipe that you could use to clean your grout and tile. This recipe is simple, but the guy who was talking about it said that it worked really great and that it was the only grout cleaning recipe that he would recommend. The way that you make it is as follows:

You want to mix about 1 quart of vinegar, (at 6% strength) with 1 quart of water. Then, you want to add about ½ cup of baking soda. Since vinegar and baking soda are very cheap, this is a very affordable cleaner. The solution should fizz up a little bit, but that is okay. You are going to want to have this solution in a cleaning bucket. Then, using gloves and a scrub brush, you’re going to want to dip the brush into the bucket and start scrubbing the liquid onto the tile and grout. You should spend about 5 to 10 min. scrubbing it on your tile floors. Then, you want to let it sit and soak in for another 5 to 10 min. After you are done with that, you can either scrub it one more time, or else rinse it off, depending on How dirty your tiles are and what you think it needs. The vinegar is excellent at this infecting and cleaning, and the baking soda helps you to be able to grub away at any discoloration.

Vinegar and baking soda can be turned into a homemade grout cleaner that will eventually get rid of almost any grout stain. However if you think that it is taking you too long to get rid of the same, you can also use a bleach pen to help lighten and remove dark stains. You can also try using a solution of bleach, or even oxygen bleach, that you need to be careful that you do not put too much on your for because bleach can eventually damage the integrity of your tile and grout. There are also a bunch of other high quality grout cleaners that we recommend on our site, and the easiest way for you to clean your grout is by using a steam cleaner.

If you are looking for the best ceramic tile grout cleaner, there are several different types of chemical cleaners to choose from. After looking at various chemicals and how well they work, two of the best chemicals that we have found that work well as ceramic tile grout cleaners are KaBoom Cleaner and Soft Scrub with bleach. When you’re using these or any other types of cleaner, it is best to spray the surface of the grout you are cleaning about 5-10 minutes before you start. This will allow the ceramic tile grout cleaner some time to soak in and break up the dirt and grime so that you don’t have to do as much of the work yourself.

Another good idea is to always use a scrubbing brush (preferably a grout brush). This will allow you to get between the cracks and actually to do a much better job when you are cleaning the grout. Make sure that you scrub even with the grout lines and if you can, get a narrow brush that can scrub the grout between the tiles, then you will be able to do an even better job at getting out the stains.
If your stain has been there for quite some time, there is a good chance that the stain has grown into the porous surface of the grout. This means that it might require you two or three cleanings in order to get rid of the stain. If you can’t get it out with a traditional cleaner, you can use a slightly more concentrated solution of bleach or a full strength concentration of vinegar. With bleach, you don’t want to leave it on your tile grout for too long and you don’t want to clean with bleach very often because it can damage your grout. I never recommend using more than a 1 to 16 ratio of bleach to water. There are other people online that advocate a 3 to 1 ratio but I think these people are crazy and they obviously don’t get paid to clean tile! Also, there are lots of people that strongly advocate vinegar. I think it is a poor solution to use for getting rid of stains. It can work, depending on what the stain is, but it generally takes a lot more scrubbing (and a lot more time) and the only people that can clean effectively are those that already have clean tile and grout to begin with.

The Best Ceramic Tile Grout Cleaner – A Grout Steam Cleaner

My preferred ceramic tile grout cleaner is a steam cleaner. I like to use a steam cleaner because it is fast, and it uses pressurized steam to clean out the porous grout surface. It is a great way to lift stains. As you use the steam cleaner, you also kill germs and completely disinfect your tile and grout. Because the steam can actually get down into the grout, it can kill mildew and mold and keep it from returning as quickly. As a ceramic grout cleaner, a steamer is a great tool because it saves you a lot of time. To use a steam cleaner, make sure that you have the right attachment in place, then add the cleaning pad to the end of your attachment. As you pull the trigger and use pressurized steam to force the dirt out of the porous surface, you should be able to wipe it off with your cleaning pad. Because you do not use cleaning chemicals which can be harmful, you do not need to rinse off the grout when you’re done cleaning it. Because you’re using such hot steam to clean with, you also don’t need to dry off your tiles because they tend to dry themselves off fairly quickly.

Using a ceramic tile grout cleaner like a steam cleaner, will cut down on your cleaning time by as much as 60%. This will mean that you spend less time cleaning your grout and more time doing other fun things when you use a steam cleaner instead of grout cleaning chemicals. Below is a YouTube video that shows just how versatile a steam cleaner is, not only for cleaning tile and grout, but for other cleaning purposes as well.

For more information on ceramic tile grout cleaning, you can also read our post, “Cleaning Ceramic Tile Floor And Grout”.
You can also learn more about “What Is The Best Grout Cleaner”.