Four Surprising Ways to Clean your Grout's featured image

The grout between your tiles in the bathroom and kitchen often become caked with dirt or mould, which is not a pleasant sight. The good news is, cleaning your grout is easier than you think, and as an added bonus, you don’t need to use harsh chemicals to do it.

Here are four affective ways to clean grout:

  1. Hydrogen peroxide: This powerful oxidizer is often used for whitening and lightening things, such as your hair or nails; however, it’s also a great disinfectant, sanitizer, and deodorizer. To clean your grout, combine one-part 3% hydrogen peroxide and one-part water into a spray bottle. Spray your grout generously and let the solution sit for about 1 hour, to allow time to work. Rinse the area with water and wipe clean with a microfibre cloth.
  2. Epsom salts: Many people use Epsom salt in their bath to help soothe tired, aching muscles; however, Epsom salt also has antibacterial properties that work wonders on disinfecting and cleaning dirty grout. Use a damp microfibre cloth to rub the Epsom salt onto the grout. The dampness of the microfibre cloth will help the salt adhere to the grout. Let the Epsom salt sit overnight, then wipe clean with a microfibre cloth.
  3. Citric acid: Citric acid is also known as ‘sour salt’ and is found in citrus fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. The acid in citric acid is very mild, making it ideal to use for household cleaning. It is also a great agent for killing mould and mildew. To clean your grout, purchase some citric acid powder at your local department or grocery store. In a spray bottle, add two tablespoons of citric acid powder to one litre of hot water. Shake the bottle gently, then spray your grout. Leave the solution to work for a few minutes then wipe clean using a microfibre cloth.
  4. Borax: Borax is a naturally-occurring mineral found in soil, plants and even our own bodies. It works similar to baking soda in the sense that it cleans, disinfects and deodorizes. To use it to clean your grout, rub the borax into the grout with a damp microfibre cloth, then wipe clean.