I love tile floors. Tile floors are easy to maintain, but they do have one flaw: the grout! If the grout is turning dingy then tile floors are ugly and make the entire home look unclean.


One of the main causes of discolored grout is because it wasn't sealed correctly when it was first laid. It is a long, time-consuming process and home builders, these days, tend to skip doing this step.

If your floors look dirty because the tile grout is stained, you have some cleaning options. The first option is to clean the grout yourself. This can be tedious and time consuming. Let’s start with the easiest option first.

Wet mopping with OxyClean: This is the easiest method and worth trying first to see if you can’t just bleach the grout clean with an oxygen cleaner. Make a solution of two gallons of hot water with 1 cup of Oxyclean powder. Make sure the Oxyclean completely dissolves. Mop with the solution. I like this option because the Oxyclean doesn’t have fumes like chlorine bleach does. But, if that doesn’t work, go to Step 2.


Brushing with Oxyclean: Purchase a plastic bristle deck brush with a long handle. Using the solution above, brush the grout with the solution and allow to dry. The extra brushing action will often do the job without making you get on your hands and knees to brush.


If the grout still looks dirty…


Try wet mopping with chlorine bleach: I am not a big fan of bleach because of the strong smells, but sometimes bleach is what you need to do the job. My recipe is a solution of two gallons of hot water and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Add 1 cup of liquid bleach and mix. Mop the floors with the bleach solution being careful not to get any of the solution on carpeting or fabrics. You may want to use a hand brush to hand brush any extra dirty areas, like around the stove or sink.


However, if you haven’t been able to make a dent in the dirt in your grout, professional help may be called for. If so, this brings us to Option 2: Hire the Professional!


Good Luck with your tiles.


Make it a great one!