Remove Hard Water Stains from Grout

Written by Lee Wyatt (last updated July 26, 2021)

Have you noticed how often hard water stains seem to concentrate in the tile grout areas of the kitchen and bathrooms of the home? While it may be a fairly common sight to find some of these stains in many homes, it doesn't need to be. Remove hard water stains from grout by using a few simple methods. You will be amazed at how easy it can be to keep your grout looking its best.

  • Wipe it all down. The best way to remove hard water stains from grout is by preventing them from forming in the first place. This is really easy to do if you simply wipe down the tile when you are finished doing whatever it was that got it wet. By allowing the water and tile to air dry you can leave a residue behind which ends up becoming hard water stains. Usually, all you will need to do is simply wipe the wet areas down with a towel or washcloth, and you should be free of any hard water stains.
  • Use some vinegar. In the areas that you find some currently existing hard water stains, a really easy method for removing hard water stains from grout is to use some white vinegar. You want to use the white vinegar since it doesn't have as strong of an odor as the other types of vinegar. All you really need to do is mix together a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water, and then spray it on to the area that has the stain. Use a paper towel or other kinds of rag and wipe down the area.
  • Use some steam. A great tool for getting your grout lines nice and clean is to use a steam cleaner. Simply follow the directions that come with the cleaning tool, and you will be able to direct the cleaning power of steam directly where it will do the most good. As with most other cleaning methods, you will need to make sure that you wipe down the area to help ensure that there are no new formations of hard water stains when you are finished.
  • Scrub it away. Perhaps one of the most traditional, back breaking, and effective methods for cleaning hard water, and other kinds of stains, is by scrubbing it all away. This can be tiring since you will often need to use a small brush to get into the small areas where the grout is, and care often needs to be used since you can easily damage the tiles themselves if the wrong type of brush is used. Just be sure that you work from the top down be the most effective,

Author Bio

Lee Wyatt

Contributor of numerous Tips.Net articles, Lee Wyatt is quickly becoming a regular "Jack of all trades." He is currently an independent contractor specializing in writing and editing. Contact him today for all of your writing and editing needs! Click here to contact. ...

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