Cleaning & Maintenance
Cleaning Your Grout Is The Ultimate Quick Win To Restore Your Bathroom
When it comes to keeping your bathroom clean, tiles often take centre stage, but what about grout? It is, after all, an integral part of your tiled bathroom; so, it makes sense that it requires the same amount of TLC to stay looking great.
For many, cleaning grout can often be overlooked for more prominent cleaning needs yet refreshing it can actually give tiled spaces a whole new lease of life.
Australia’s largest tile retailer, Beaumont Tiles, sees this firsthand, with many customers coming into stores for tile cleaning guidance when it’s the grout that needs maintenance.
Beaumont Tiles design specialist Rachel Gilding says that when cleaning tiles, often the products and methods used can either harm the integrity of grout or simply be ineffective.
“The everyday cleaning of tiled spaces can often impact the grout. It’s the combination of its porous composition and typically light colouring that leaves it prone to staining and visually ages the space,” she said.
“Many people don’t realise that cleaning your grout is the ultimate quick win for a bathroom makeover. It’s a great trick to refresh any tiled space, even if you’re renting. “The good news is that with a bit of elbow grease and the right tools, it’s possible to restore old grout to its former glory.
“Half an hour and some effort will take years of build-up away and leave you with a new looking bathroom for a small fraction of the price of a full renovation,” Ms Gilding added.
How to clean and maintain grout
Click on any topic below and we’ll take you directly to our tips. Come back to this index at any time if you need more information.
| Freshly laid tiles | Step by step on how to clean the grout for your freshly tiled space |
| General cleaning and maintenance | All you need to know to take care, clean and maintain your grout looking perfect |
| Why is my grout going dark or black? | Flooding tiles with water and detergent causes the washed off dirt to simply settle into grout lines and dry into a film, leading your grout to appear black,” Ms Gilding said. |
| Why is my grout turning white? | Under certain circumstances, a white powder can form on grout – a natural phenomenon called efflorescence caused by soluble salts rising to the surface of a cement-based product. |
| Which grout is best? | For an easy to clean, yet beautiful bathroom, there is no better option than glazed porcelain with epoxy grout. |
Required Items
- Soft Bristle Broom and Dustpan or Vacuum
- Microfibre Mop
- Cleaning Gloves
- Warm Water
- Doodle Pad or Stiff bristled nylon scrubbing brush
- Squeegee (optional)
- Everyday Cleaner (for general cleaning)
- Grout Haze Remover (for troublesome grime or initial cleaning of a freshly tiled space)
- Grout Sealer (for cement-based grout)
How to clean the grout for your freshly tiled space?
Step 1. Let it cure
For freshly tiled spaces the first step is waiting for grout to cure, once cured clean with a grout haze remover such as Lithofin Cement Residue Remover. The grout curing process typically takes around 48 hours, but you should consult your grout's packaging for the exact duration. It is important to wait for this curing time to occur otherwise you may wash the grout away.
Hot Tip: Don't wait much longer than the curing time, aim to do it within 10 days of grouting. It is easier to clean grout haze sooner rather than later because the haze promotes dirt build up making it more difficult to remove with time. If you miss the window you might have to use harsher cleaners which could detriment the integratory of your project.
Step 2. Sweep It
With a soft bristle broom remove loose dirt, dust and grit from the surface. Soft bristles are the key to easier and more efficient cleaning without scratching or damaging your tiles. The soft bristles reach into the grout surfaces and gently remove grit and grime. Use a vacuum only if necessary, they can sometimes scratch your tiles.
Step 3. Mix It
Give your area a light wipe down with a wet microfibre mop and then mix your grout haze remover as per manufactures directions. Distribute it to the area evenly and let the cleaner dwell on the surface of your tiles and grout for about 10 mins so it can get to action.
Step 4. Scrub It
Scrub the surface with a doodle pad or stiff bristle brush and then rinse with plenty of water. Use a squeegee or microfibre mop to remove any remaining residue.
Hot Tip: If you are working on a shower tile, use the showers hand-held sprayer to wash off the grout haze remover. If your shower does not have a sprayer, you might want to purchase an inexpensive one to help make future cleaning easy.
Step 5. Final Wash
Mix Lithofin KF Vitra-Clean as per manufactures guidelines with warm water, apply to surface and clean with a damp micro-fibre mop. The mop should ‘grab’ the surface and lift any remaining grime with a little pressure. A damp microfibre mop is better than a wet mop for a streak-free clean (avoid the use of cotton and sponge mops).
Step 6. Seal the deal
If your grout is epoxy, you are finished friend! Epoxy grout is non-porous and resistant to most stains, chemicals and moulds making long term maintenance a breeze.
If your grout is a cement-based grout we recommend sealing it to keep future maintenance trouble free. Sealing your cement-based grout will help it to perform like epoxy grout minimising future cleaning time and helping to avoid stains, moulds and mildews.
How to clean and maintain grout
Step 1: Remove dirt and debris
Use a soft bristled broom to remove loose dirt, sand and other debris. Soft Bristles are the key to easier and more efficient cleaning without scratching or damaging your tiles. The soft bristles reach into grout lines and gently remove dirt and grime efficiently. Use a vacuum only if necessary, you wont get quite the same result and may scratch your tiles.
Step 2: Clean with a PH neutral cleaner
For a low toxic regime clean with warm water and a microfibre mop or cloth. The microfibre should ‘grab’ the surface and lift off most daily grime with a little pressure. A damp microfibre mop or cloth is better than wet cotton or sponge for a streak-free clean. If you need a bit more oomph, try LITHOFIN VITRA CLEAN and follow the manufactures instructions. If you notice any mould or mildew on your grout we suggest using Lithofin KF Mildew Away (spray) 500ml as per the manufacturers guidelines.
Hot Tip: Avoid home-made solutions that include vinegar or methylated spirits and the acidity can detriment your grout. Also avoid any heavy detergent based cleaning products as these can leave a film on your tiles making them more prone to trapping dirt and grime.
Step 3: Admire your sparkling room
It’s that easy to keep your grout clean!
If you did need to clean any mould or mildew from your grout lines, we strongly suggest sealing your cement-based grout after a thorough clean to avoid the problem resurfacing and help keep ongoing cleaning easy.
Grout FAQS
Here are Rachel’s top tips for restoring problematic grout.
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Why is my grout going dark or black?
Flooding tiles with water and detergent causes the washed off dirt to simply settle into grout lines and dry into a film, leading your grout to appear black. You may also notice your tiles are discoloured too due to the same problem. To remove this try Lithofin Intensive Cleaner and follow our instructions above for ongoing maintenance.
Recommended Product
“My go-to product for any heavy-duty grout cleaning job is the Lithofin KF Intensive Cleaner, which you can find at your trusted tile retailer,” she added.
Why is my grout turning white?
Under certain circumstances, a white powder can form on grout – a natural phenomenon called efflorescence caused by soluble salts rising to the surface of a cement-based product.
To remove this problem with a stiff-bristled brush give the grout a good scrub and vacuum away what comes up. Repeat this from time to time, and eventually, it will generally reduce the severity or stop recurring. Do not continually wash the grout lines as that will just dissolve the salts only for them to reappear after the grout is dry.
Hot Tip: Use a nozzle or brush attachment to avoid scratching your tiles.
You can reduce the amount of Efflorescence on your grout by using a product such as Eff-Plus or Lithofin Cement Residue Remover. This product is specially designed to deal with efflorescence. Ask for it at your local Beaumont Tiles store.
Recommended Product
“But if you’ve tried everything and are still having issues, I suggest using products designed to reduce the amount of efflorescence on your grout, such as Eff-Plus.”
Which grout is best?
For an easy to clean, yet beautiful bathroom, there is no better option than epoxy grout as it will not discolour, crack or stain.
Epoxy grout is impervious to water and resistant to most stains and efflorescence, making them ideal for kitchens, splashbacks, floors and high traffic areas. The stain-proof nature, chemical resistance and durability see epoxy grout used in commercial installations with harsh chemicals or liquid contaminants.
Our Hot Tip: If all else fails and your grout seems beyond repair, it might be worthwhile replacing the grout. At Beaumonts we have a huge collection of DIY resources online, including how-to videos which can assist with this.
Recommended Product
EG15 Epoxy Liquid Pack (Part A+ Part B). An easy to clean high performance epoxy grout that is great for use where strict hygiene chemical and physical resitance is required.
Tile Care & Maintenance Flier
Sealing Grout?
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Recommended Product
“My go-to product for any heavy-duty grout cleaning job is the Lithofin KF Intensive Cleaner, which you can find at your trusted tile retailer,” she added.
