Grout tile flooring has many benefits. It gives your floor endurance, and it holds your tiles securely in place. Good grout is strong enough to help your flooring last for several years. Plus, it acts as a guard against dirt and debris, both of which can cause damage to your floor tiles.
Keeping your grout clean is essential to making your floors last a long time. There are specific methods you can use that help keep your grout and your floors from wearing out. But first, a good definition of grout is in order.
What Is Tile Grout?
Tile grout is a compound that’s used to seal your floors and to keep them in place. It is a substance that’s made of cement, lime, or sand. Sometimes, a little color is added for a polished look. In any case, the compound is blended with water and used as a filler and a glue for each tile.
How Should Grout Be Cleaned?
The three best methods for cleaning tile grout are simple. They are:
- Dish soap and water
- Baking soda compound
- Steam cleaning
Dish Soap and Water
You can start the process by mixing dish soap with warm water. Next, get a microfiber cloth and gently apply the soapy water to your grout tiles. Massage it thoroughly for a few minutes or until the dirt is wiped clean. Follow up with a scrub brush to remove any remaining dirt or debris.
Good dish soap can get any type of floor grout clean and looking good. The key is to use something that can restore it to its original color. A quality dish soap that has bleach in it may be the best solution.
Baking Soda Compound
It goes without saying that baking soda deep cleans and whitens your teeth. It does the same for tile grout. Simply mix it with water to remove ordinary dirt. For tile grout that’s stained, mix a dash of baking soda with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. The latter works well with tiles that are delicate. You just mix the compound and clean it with a grout brush, then touch it up with a clean, dry cloth to remove any surface debris.
Steam Cleaning
Not only does hot water blast away dirt and grime, but it can sanitize a floor as well. Plus, a good steamer can reach dirt that’s normally difficult to remove. All you need is a little tap water to get going.
Steamers use nothing but water to clean and sanitize all surfaces, including floors. This method works not only to eradicate hardened grime, but targets germs and bacteria. Since we track in a lot of unknown issues along with dirt, a steamer may be best to keep your floor grout shining. Plus, you can use a variety of tools that come with the steamer to target smaller areas.