Advice - Cleaning grout lines in ceramic floor tiles please

[fourandsixpants]

Last time I tried......I scrubbed so hard with steel wool that I scoured edges of floor tiles and took some of the colour off but got the grout clean!!

[dwilke33]

I'm of no help because I hired a company that does this....and they weren't cheap either.  They also sealed the grout so I may be okay for a while now.

It's a terrible job. 😞

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp · Accepted solution]

Next time use charcoal-colored grout..........

[poddster]

Bucket of warm water, rubber gloves, a bit of caustic soda, stiff scrubbing brush, knee pads, a few hours and a lot of elbow grease.

Have fun 🙂

[viewmont1071]

cheap and nasty whitening toothpaste and an old toothypeg brush works nicely

[softail-joanie]

Last time I tried......I scrubbed so hard with steel wool that I scoured edges of floor tiles and took some of the colour off but got the grout clean!!

It's my guess that when you used steel wool, that you stripped any wax or protective coating off the floor. Hard to say what to use without seeing it first. There were times in an old school, where I would slop floor cleaner over really bad areas and let it soak and come back to it with a mop later. Just diffrent things I would try trying to be resorcefull.

We had the standard floor cleaner that was safe on waxed floors, then stronger stuff like the "germ quat" that would strip the wax off, I really didn't like using that unless I had to, as it left a very dull finish.

There were black marks, common in school hallways and classrooms, On a waxed floor that would come off easy with a dry paper towel, by dropping it over the mark and stepping on it scooting it along.

[twinkles**stars]

Grout! Who uses vanilla coloured grout on the floor, my builder 😞 !

Latte tiles  / vanilla grout looks nice but so unpractible. Many hours of scrubbing on hands and knees with a nail brush and plain hot water is the only way I have found works. 

If only I had bought the house the week before it woulx have been vanilla tiles with latte grout

Friend had hers cleaned professionally costing $400. Looks amazing for a few months

[k0llectable5]

Give tricleanium a go.  You can get it in hardware stores, its about $18 for a plastic tub.  It's apparently 100% alkaline, so ya gotta wear gloves but just a small amount in hot water or in a spray bottle (dissolved in water), spray it on and let it soak in for 5 or 10 minutes and it should wipe clean fairly easily.  It's also great to soak your rangehood filters in and cleaning smoke stained walls etc...

[boris1gary]

coke works a treat. pour it along the grout and leave for a bit. 

[sandypas]

I saved this off this board ages ago but haven't tried it yet.

Spring Cleaning Recipe for the Grout

7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup vinegar - throw in a spray bottle and spray your floor, let it sit for a minute or two... then scrub