Tackling that kitchen grout: a natural DIY tile & grout cleaner

April 16, 2014 2 By EngineerMommy

Our kitchen has undergone a number of improvements recently. New granite countertops, a new pendant light fixture, and new island baskets. We tiled the floor ourselves when we moved in (4 years ago) but never re-sealed the grout since then. Hmm… that’s probably why our grout didn’t look so hot! 🙂

The tiles are in good shape. They may be a little dirty, but they’re level and not cracked at all. The grout was quite dingy. I came across this post from Gathered in the Kitchen, and figured it would be worth a try to see if I can clean this grout naturally. If this didn’t work, I’d have to buy a chemical-laden alternative at the home improvement store. If that didn’t work, I’d probably need to re-grout the kitchen. Luckily, this recipe worked pretty well for me, with just a small adjustment in concentration. Let’s get to the details.

Tackling that kitchen grout: a natural DIY tile & grout cleaner

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  1. Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle.
  2. Using a toothbrush, apply the mixture to the tile and scrub the grout.
  3. Wipe up excess liquid.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the grout has been thoroughly cleaned.

I increased the concentration of the acids in my solution, and that cut through some of the grime and dirt a bit better for me.

Below are a few of the BEFORE pictures.


No, I’m not proud…   🙂

In my defense, some of the worst tiles were hidden behind the kitchen island, so it was an area that was mostly out of sight most of the time. However, this picture below shows the grout before cleaning and this was from the center of the room.

The next picture is an In Progress photo. The grout in the background was cleaned already, and the grout in the foreground is still dirty.

And here are all AFTER pictures.

Notice how the tile shines so much now. And the grout is back to its original almond color.

Success!

 


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