Busy families and tile grout seem to clash sometimes. For instance, when your toddler explores her independence and throws her sippy cup full of grape juice on the floor. Or, when your loveable puppy decides to dig in the garden and track the dirt all over your house. Unfortunately, these types of messes can make grout look dingy, dirty and unpleasant. Since grout is a mixture of water, sand and cement – it’s porous, so it easily picks up dirt and stains and keeps them there. Here’s how you can make your grout sparkling white again and maintain it so you don’t have to clean it as often.
- The ol’ wipe-down. Get rid of all surface dirt and crumbs by sweeping and mopping floors, or use Soft Scrub Total All-Purpose Cleaner Spray to wipe down countertops. The lemon-scented cleaner is one of the few products safe for cleaning colored grout and especially pleasant.
- Apply yourself. A safe bleach compound, Soft Scrub with Bleach Cleaner Gel, works to dissolve bacteria and grime while whitening the grout. Start with an area no larger than one to two square-feet at a time. And make sure the grout is thoroughly coated with the gel.
- Use a little elbow grease. Using a small brush, begin scrubbing the grout to work out the dirt and stains. Add more Soft Scrub with Bleach Cleaner Gel as you scrub to keep the area moist and expedite the cleaning process.
- Keep on scrubbing. For particularly tough stains on the grout, apply Soft Scrub’s Mold & Mildew Stain Remover Spray. The longer you let it soak, the easier it will be to scrub out the stain.
- The final mop-up. Grab a dry towel and mop up the remaining dirty leftovers. Then clean or mop your tile like you usually would.
To maintain your grout, always remember to clean up spills right away. Wipe them up with Soft Scrub Total All-Purpose Cleaner Spray and a clean cloth. Dry spills can also stain grout if they are left unattended. Sweep up coffee grounds, clumps of dirt, and other solids promptly.
Travertine, for instance, is extra sensitive to highly acidic or alkaline stains, so be sure to clean up tomato sauce, ketchup, and certain carbonated beverages as soon as possible. Then use Soft Scrub’s Multi-Surface Gel to return your travertine to its initial beauty. Also, keep bathrooms ventilated. Use an exhaust fan after taking a shower or bath, and wipe up wet tile to keep your grout from getting moldy. And finally, apply a grout sealer to your tile once a year. This will prevent spills from seeping into the grout and ward off mold and mildew.