It’s A Miracle! My Grout is Clean!

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This is such a horrifying post to write, because I feel like it makes me look like a terrible housekeeper since the grout in my kitchen is so gross. But I have a feeling a lot of people struggle with the issue of cleaning grout. When we moved in (eight years ago!), we had no idea that the builder never sealed the grout on our kitchen tile floor. (And it’s a huge kitchen). It didn’t take long for the dirt to set in.

Over the years I’ve tried various methods of grout cleaning and nothing seemed to work. Then, the other day I was browsing Pinterest when I stumbled upon the miracle of miracles — a grout cleaner that does the job! Hat tip to Accessorize and Organize for this amazing discovery!

Could it really be this simple? Yes. Yes it could. Yes it is. Just… YES!!! All it is, is one part bleach to three parts baking soda. How amazing is that? OK, you might think that I’m way too excited about this, but lately the grout has really been getting me down and I was at a loss. But just look at this:

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Shut the front, door! Right? Of course, now that I have something that works, I will be scrubbing my kitchen and hallway floors every night for the next two weeks until the job is done, but hey… I can live with that. Then you bet I’m getting my butt to the hardware store for some grout sealer.

DIY Homemade Grout Cleaner Paste

1/4 cup bleach
3/4 cup baking soda

Mix together until a paste forms. Apply to grout lines and use a toothbrush to scrub. Leave the paste on for an addition 10 minutes and then wipe clean with a damp cloth.

I can’t believe what little effort it took to clean the grout. The dirt just melted away. The recipe as given above does not make a whole lot, so you will probably need to make several small batches depending on the size of your tiled area. The one caveat: cleanup is a huge PITA. The baking soda likes to stick to the tile, so just be aware of that. Even so, it’s just time-consuming and not difficult, so if you really want your grout clean (like I do!) it’s worth the effort!

6 comments

  1. Lesley says:

    Awesome! I keep seeing the grout paint on Pinterest and was thinking of trying it until many complained it eventually starts to flake off. I’m
    definitely going to try this. Thanks!

  2. Sarah says:

    Hi Carol 🙂

    I was just searching through Pinterest and came across this post. My grout sucks. I don’t think the builders ever sealed it and it’s just yuck! I’ll be trying this out. I’m a bit scared of bleach, I’ve never used it before.

  3. Alice Sander says:

    Great recipe! It works quite fast. I’ve tried paste mixed from baking soda and vinegar for scrubbing but it takes time achieve the desired effect. Cream of tartar with vinegar is efficient too. Thanks for the idea!

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