When I moved into my house 20+ years ago, I was very glad it came with predominantly tile floors. Tile is durable and easy to clean, compared with carpet or other flooring. It’s not just my floors that are tiled. In my kitchen, I also have a tiled backsplash, and in my bathrooms, tiled counters, tub surrounds, and showers.
As easy as the tile itself is to keep clean, it’s always accompanied by one particular cleaning challenge: grout.
Grout is what fills the lines between the tiles. Grout keeps moisture from getting behind tilework and provides stability and a smooth finish to a tiled surface. However, because grout lines are grooved and textured, they are particularly good at catching and holding on to dirt and debris. Mopping can leave dirty water in grout lines, which dries into buildup of dirt, grime, soap scum, and more. And because tile is often used in wet areas, grout lines can even accumulate mold.
This is why grout needs special attention when cleaning.
Table of contents:
- How often to clean grout
- Essential tools for grout cleaning
- How effective are natural cleaners on grout?
- How to clean grout
- How to prevent mold and mildew from forming in grout
- Ways to make grout cleaning easier
- When to call a professional
- Frequently asked questions about cleaning grout
How often to clean grout
Frequency of cleaning depends on location and moisture levels. Grout in regularly used showers and high traffic floors is going to need more frequent cleaning than, say, a backsplash. A light scrubbing every few weeks is usually sufficient for frequently used areas, with a deep annual cleaning for all grout.
Essential tools for grout cleaning
The right tools make all the difference when it comes to cleaning grout with ease and without soreness.
Brushes
Slender, stiff brushes that can fit in the grout grooves are best. Take care to ensure your bristles aren’t so hard that they will gouge out the grout. For this reason, do not use metal bristles for grout. I use the following three brushes for grout cleaning:
- A 6” handheld brush for counters and walls.
- A small, angled brush for corners.
- A slender brush screwed on to a mop handle for floors (essential for saving your back!).
Washable mop and rags
You will loosen a lot of grime as you clean your grout. This will need to be wiped away.
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner or Pure-Castile Magic Soap
Either one of my family’s products do a great job with cleaning grout. I reach for whichever one is closest. The variety of scents in the Magic Soap product line enables me to match my mood or the season easily, and the simple spruce and fir scent of the Sal Suds just says, “Clean!” to me.
Baking soda
Baking soda is an excellent scouring agent when it comes to clearing grime out of grout. I buy a big bulk bag or box of it so that I have plenty to fill my shaker jar, which I use in many ways around the house.
Distilled white vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is another kitchen ingredient that has abundant uses around the house. It will help mitigate stains from mold and mildew. Buy the regular ~5% acidity vinegar, and not the higher intensity ones which can etch stones and other tile materials. This is another ingredient I buy in big jugs for many household uses.
How effective are natural cleaners on grout?
There’s no two ways about it: cleaning grout will take some elbow grease. There is no product you can buy that will change this reality. Natural cleaners can work just as effectively as conventional products—without the harsh chemicals—but they still require some physical effort. The simple combination of Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner or Pure-Castile Magic Soap and baking soda, with a follow up of vinegar gets the job done without exposing you or your housemates to any hazardous fumes or residues.
How to clean grout
As with all cleaning, I always start with the lowest intensity cleaning method. Then, if the job calls for it, I increase the intensity of my cleaners until I’ve reached what’s effective. When using new cleaning methods, always test it out on an inconspicuous spot to be sure it is compatible with your surfaces, and that no bleaching or etching occurs.
- Clear loose debris. First step is to clear any debris off the surface. If it’s a floor, vacuum it thoroughly. Wipe down counters. Rinse off showers.
- Wash with Magic Soap or Sal Suds. Start with a simple cleaning with Sal Suds or Magic Soap and water. This will be sufficient for most grout.
- For counters and walls, spray the area with my GIY (Green-It-Yourself)* All-Purpose Spray made with ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) Sal Suds or 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Magic Soap in 2 c. (500 mL) water. (*GIY is my spin on DIY or Do-It-Yourself)
- For extensive tile floors, fill a bucket with my mopping dilution of 1 tsp. (5 mL) Sal Suds OR 2 ½ Tbsp. (37.5 mL) Pure-Castile Magic Soap in 1 gallon of water. Dunk in your grout brush and scrub.
- For smaller tiled floors, fill a squirt bottle (a repurposed Dr. Bronner’s quart-sized bottle works great for this) with 1/8 tsp. (.6 mL) Sal Suds OR 2 tsp. (10 mL) Castile Magic Soap and 1 qt. (1 L) water.
- If needed, add baking soda. If there is grime buildup in the grout, soap or Sal Suds alone may not be sufficient. Add baking soda to the job. Either sprinkle baking soda from a shaker jar (I call this my GIY Scouring Powder) on to the grout, or for floors, put a shallow layer of baking soda in a flat bin and dip the brush before scrubbing. Time is a useful tool here, and your scrub will be even more effective if you let the baking soda/soap solution sit on the grout for 5 minutes. Then, scrub again. Mop, wipe, or rinse off all the grime you’ve loosened.
- If grout has mold or mildew stains, spray with vinegar. After you have scrubbed and rinsed the grout, note if there is any staining from mold or mildew remaining. It is important to have scrubbed the grout free of any buildup before taking this step against stains. Spray the stains with distilled white vinegar, scrub the grout, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then thoroughly wipe or rinse clean. Take care not to use vinegar on soft stone tiles such as marble or travertine.
How to prevent mold and mildew from forming in grout
Mold or mildew will form in grout when there is lingering moisture. The best way to prevent the formation of mold or mildew is by controlling the moisture. Here are some ways to control moisture:
- Dry tile when it gets wet.
- Use a squeegee to scrape moisture off tiled showers after use.
- Leave shower doors or curtains open after showers to encourage air circulation and drying.
- Run bathroom ventilation fans after showers to remove moisture from the air.
- Seal grout annually to prevent mold or mildew from penetrating into the grout. Sealant makes grout much easier to clean.
Mold and mildew are different types of fungi, but both grow readily in areas with high moisture levels. Mildew is more on the surface, and generally a powdery white, while mold can penetrate deeper into the grout and appears black and fuzzy. Both are best prevented by controlling moisture levels and treated using vinegar.
Ways to make grout cleaning easier
Grout cleaning will never be anyone’s definition of a good time. However, there are a few ways to make it easier. First off, clean grout more frequently. The more you put it off, not only will it grow more daunting, but also, it will become a more difficult job. Put yourself on a regular cleaning routine, giving high-use, high-moisture areas a monthly scrubbing, and saving lower-traffic areas for your spring or fall cleaning.
My second recommendation for making grout cleaning easier is to find a fun task to do simultaneously. While cleaning grout takes time and elbow grease, it doesn’t take a lot of mental attention. So put on a gripping audiobook, sing along to your favorite soundtrack, or call a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with.
When to call a professional
While keeping your grout clean is a regular part of home care, there are a few situations in which you should call in a professional. One is uncontrollable mold. Mold is not something to ignore. It can trigger allergies and other ailments, and it spreads. If your efforts to mitigate mold are not succeeding, there may be a hidden problem, such as a water leak or other mold instigator, that is beyond your detection. The longer you put off addressing mold, the worse it will become.
Both [mold and mildew] are best prevented by controlling moisture levels and treated using vinegar.
Another time you should call in a professional is if your grout is cracked or missing. Or if you are super handy, tackle this one yourself. Grout serves an important purpose in keeping moisture from penetrating behind tile to the sub-surfaces. If it is cracked or missing, water will easily get where it shouldn’t be. I may sound like a broken record with the whole moisture-leads-to-mold message, but it really is the key principle here. If your grout is cracked or missing, either fix it yourself or call in a professional to do so.
I see grout everywhere
The problem with writing an article about cleaning grout is that now I am constantly scrutinizing my grout. I miss the days when I can forget about my grout for weeks on end. Now every time I’m in the bathroom or kitchen, all I see is grout. At least I know how to clean it. And I have a queue of great books to listen to while I do.
Frequently asked questions about cleaning grout
What’s the best way to clean grout between floor tiles?
Use a slender stiff brush that can attach to a mop handle. Dip the brush into sudsy water and baking soda, if needed, and scrub the grout. Wipe up thoroughly with a damp mop.
How can I get soap scum out of grout?
The best way to remove soap scum from grout is with a mixture of Sal Suds or Magic Soap in water plus a sprinkle of baking soda.
How can I remove mold or mildew from grout without bleach?
After scrubbing grout with sudsy water and baking soda, spray grout with distilled white vinegar. Scrub, let sit for 5 minutes, scrub again, and rinse. Be sure to dry tile and grout after it gets wet, such as after each use, to prevent mold buildup.
Isn’t hydrogen peroxide a good thing to use on grout?
Don’t get me wrong—I love hydrogen peroxide. It has no fumes, has a neutral pH, breaks down beautifully into water and oxygen. However, I have tested it repeatedly on grout, and I just haven’t found it to be as effective at removing mold and mildew stains as vinegar. If you really want to use it, give it a try. Spot test first especially if you have colored grout, as hydrogen peroxide can remove color from certain surfaces.
Why can’t I use bleach on my grout?
The drawbacks to using bleach as a regular household cleaning agent far outweigh the benefits. The fumes from bleach are highly correlated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in people who use it regularly. (The study focused on nurses and housecleaners.) And the wastewater from rinsing bleach is very damaging to septic systems, which I have, and not great for sewer systems. Bleach is unnecessary, and there are better options, as outlined above.
Further reading:
- Green Cleaning Your Bathroom
- Green Cleaning Your Kitchen
- Cleaning Stone with Castile Soap & Sal Suds
- 3 Methods to Remove Soap Scum
Find more on cleaning tile, stone, and grout in my book, Soap & Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, available now in hardback on DrBronner.com or at your favorite bookseller, and as an eBook and audiobook (read by me!) from wherever you download or listen.
