How to Remove Stains from Grout: DIY & Professional Options
Are you stressing out about how to clean stained grout? It can be beyond frustrating to figure out what cleans grout stains and the best way to tackle the project.
More than likely, cleaning stained grout isn't on the top of your "want-to-do list" for the weekend, and the good news is that there are ways to make the project quick and painless. Stained grout can be unsightly, but it doesn't have to be the norm.
Use these resources to restore your stained or old blackened grout to look brand new.
Why does my grout look stained?
If you are just now starting to notice that the grout in your home is stained, there are quite a few reasons that this might be happening.
- Dirt and Grime: All grout will get dirt and grime on it, but the lighter the grout coloring, the more the staining will show. Frequently cleaning your floors can help to alleviate some of the staining from dirt.
- Urine: I know - what a thing to have stain the grout! But cleaning urine stains from grout is a thing, and this is typically one of the main causes of grout stains in a bathroom - especially around the toilet area.
- Rust: Learning how to clean rust stains from grout will come in handy if you have an old shower door or other type of metal door that leaks onto the flour. Rust stains tend to be darker in coloring, which can make for an ugly stain quickly.
- Mold and mildew: You'll see shower grout stains a lot from mold and mildew in the shower. It's dark in coloring and isn't anything that anyone is going to be overly excited about. Depending on the type of mold, it can also be dangerous and unhealthy to have it in your home.
What is the best cleaner for grout stains?
There are a lot of homemade cleaning solutions that can be used to effectively clean grout, but there is no guarantee that they will work to restore the look of the grout or remove the stain altogether.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
- Combine baking soda and water and create a thick paste
- Apply the paste it to the stained grout
- Once the paste is applied, pour or spray white vinegar over the top of it
- Scrub the stained grout
- Rinse and repeat as needed
Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda
- Combine the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and form a paste
- Apply the paste to the stained or yellowed grout area
- Let it sit for at least 5 minutes
- Scrub with a grout brush
- Rinse with water
- Repeat as needed
If you don't want to use natural cleaning products and solutions, there are several commercial grout cleaning products available at grocery stores and online retailers. Follow their directions as to how to use them.
How to clean stained grout in the shower
Either method above will work, or you can use a steam mop or steam cleaner to try and break loose some of the dirt and grime.
If you want something strong, apply a commercial grout cleaning product to remove any yellowing or staining.
How to clean stained epoxy grout
To properly clean epoxy grout, you will:
- Mix one tablespoon of dishwashing soap, 1 cup of warm water, and 1 cup of vinegar
- Apply mixture to stained grout
- Scrub with a grout brush
- Rinse with water
- Repeat as needed
What is the easiest way to clean stained tile grout?
The easiest and fastest way to restore your grout from stained to beautiful is to hire Zerorez® for professional tile and grout cleaning and resealing!
Zerorez is trained on how to clean all types of tiles and grout colors and can easily adjust their methods to what works best in your home. Not only will they clean your tile, but they'll also inspect your tiles to make sure that they're in good shape.
Zerorez also uses cleaning products that are super effective and yet free of any harsh chemicals. Once they have successfully removed the grout stain, they can apply grout sealant to the grout to keep it looking clean and new.