The best grout cleaner

 Tile grout can get dirty in a lot of different ways, in the bathroom its normally mold and mildew that's causing grout stains. In kitchens, it can be a combination of things, such as: food stains, general household movement, grime and mildew. Regardless - no matter what is causing the staining, its best to begin with the most basic and straight forward cleaning agents at your disposal. Try your least acidic cleaning solution first, moving up to more harsh chemicals if the previous ones fail to get the grout completely clean.

Most of the time, basic household items such as vinegar or baking soda will make very effective cleaning agents and will do well as a grout cleaner. The first kind of grout cleaner you should try is vinegar that has been diluted with an equal amount of water. If that doesn't work, try making a paste of baking soda with some water and apply it to the grout by spraying and dabbing the cleaning agent onto a small area and scrubbing with a stiff brush. For the most effective cleaning it's best to use small circles rather than straight up and down when removing debris from the grout. Rinse the area well with water and most up the remaining gunk and moisture with paper towels.

Sometimes though, you'll find yourself faced with a more difficult to get rid of stain, the next best thing to try would be generic household cleaners. There are plenty of brand name cleaning agents that work well on grout, such as Mr. Clean, Lysol and other powder based cleaners which will work effectively on the grout. If you own a steam cleaner, or have access to one, you can save yourself considerable effort and clean many tiles in a much shorter amount of time. The effectiveness of a steam cleaner is in that the pressure and hot can loosen the gunk in the grout and make it easier to wash away and dissolve.

The next step, if the above doesn't work would be to use a commercial tile cleaning agent. You can purchase these anywhere that home cleaning products are for sale, when looking for a product try and find one that is pH balanced so that the chemicals don't damage your tiles or erode your grout through prolonged usage. To get the most effective results it is best to apply the commercial cleaning agent and let it sit for a few minutes before you attempt to scrub or clean the grout. Always follow the instructions on the back of the packaging and maintain a good airflow in the area for safety.

For stains that simply aren't coming off and haven't responded to the above methods, there are a handful of products that will do the job without question but pose health risks when using them. Always remember to read the label and only use as directed. Products that contain oxygen bleach powder, hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach are highly effective at removing stains and grout. The dilution procedure should be followed as per the label and instructions. There is generally no better way to clean grout as these chemicals will without a doubt remove all stains and are the perfect grout cleaners.