Cleaning Tile Grout

Tile can present all kinds of different problems for homeowners, first and foremost is the grout. No matter how much time and effort a person spends maintaining and caring for their tile floors or countertops, there is going to come a time when they have to be resealed. As you undoubtedly know by now, if you don't seal grout properly, then you are running the risk of allowing stains to really seep in to the point that you can never get them out. In order to properly seal or reseal your grout, though, you will need to prepare the area. The best way to prepare the area is to properly clean the grout. Properly cleaning the grout will ensure that there are no stains to prevent the sealant from adhering to the grout.

Here are a few things that you can find from around the house that will help you to get your tile grouting properly clean. If you don't happen to have any of these items around the home, you can find each of them at any local home improvement, grocery, or department store.

• Magic erasers. These cleaning items from Mr. Clean are quickly becoming an essential cleaning tool for just about every stain in existence. Simply dampen one end of the sponge, and use some elbow grease to "erase" the stain. (You may go through one or more magic erasers as the grout is abrasive and will "eat away" at the material used in the eraser.)
• Baking soda. Make a paste out of baking soda and water that you apply to the grout. Allow the paste to sit overnight, and in the morning scrub away with a green scrubby or similar item. Repeat as necessary until the stains have been removed.
• Oxygen bleach. Out of the chemical solutions for cleaning, one of the most effective (and least hazardous) would be oxygen bleach powder. This powder can be purchased at any grocery store, department store, or home improvement store and is used just like any other powdered cleaner. Apply the powder to the stain, and with a dampened green scrubby or mild scouring pad, remove the stain. Even though this is an extremely effective method for removing grout stains, there will still be the need for some serious elbow grease.
• "More power..." To borrow a phrase from Tim Allen, "More power! Argh, argh, argh," is quite often a wonderful way to get rid of those particularly stubborn stains. Purchasing a grout cleaning tool, a Dremmel tool, or a power tool will help to remove any caked-in grouting stain. Simply follow the directions that come along with the tool.