How To Clean Grout In The Bath Tub

It is piece of cake to get tiles clean and gleaming, but it is much harder to clean the grout betwixt them. Sometimes, you may take to repaint the grout altogether. You don't demand a lot of special supplies to clean grout. In fact, yous may already accept most of them at home. If y'all choose to recolor your grout, however, you volition need to buy a special type of paint.

1
Start with warm water and a nylon brush. Sometimes, a picayune fleck of water and elbow grease is all you need. Only spray some warm water onto the grout, then scrub it with a stiff-bristled brush using a round motion. This might be plenty to go rid of light surface dirt, and reveal the white grout underneath.
- For heavier stains, add a few drops of dish soap into the warm water.
- Try to become a brush made specifically for cleaning grout. If yous can't discover one, an old toothbrush or a manicure castor will also work. Don't use a wire brush, however, every bit information technology can ruin the grout.
two
Utilise a h2o-vinegar solution for mildew stains. Fill up a spray bottle with ane part white vinegar, and ane part warm water. Spray this mixture onto the strained areas, wait 5 minutes, then scrub information technology off using a stiff-bristled brush. If needed, rinse the area with warm water.
- Don't apply this if your tiles are made out of marble or other natural stones. Vinegar can damage these materials.
iii
Employ a paste made from baking soda and water on heavier stains. Mix enough h2o into some baking soda to form a thick paste. Spread this paste onto the affected area. Scrub the area with a stiff-bristled brush, then rinse with warm water.^[1]
- You lot can also spray the baking soda paste with a mixture of 1 part water, and i part white vinegar mixture. Once it stops fizzing and foaming, scrub the surface area using a stiff bristled brush.
4
Use hydrogen peroxide on tough stains. Yous can spray hydrogen peroxide straight onto the stained expanse, or you tin can make a paste using baking soda.^[2] Once you have the hydrogen peroxide on the grout, wait a few minutes, then scrub information technology using a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse the area using water when you lot are done.^[3]
- Hydrogen peroxide works great on claret stains.
5
Utilise store-bought "oxygen bleach" cleaners. Look for products that say they will work on grout, or that say "oxygen bleach" on them. Plow on the bathroom fan or open a window, and put on a pair of rubber gloves. Utilize the product according to the instructions. Most products will demand to sit on the grout for ten to 15 minutes, and so you volition need to scrub them using a potent-bristled castor. When you are done, rinse the cleaner off with warm water.
- Common brands include: Biokleen Oxygen Bleach Plus, Clorox, OxiClean, and OxiMagic.
half dozen
Steam your grout back to its original white. Begin with the steam pressure set up to the lowest setting, and work up to a college setting if necessary. Use the brush zipper for stubborn stains.
- Steam cleaning does non utilise any cleaners at all. Instead, it uses steam and pressure level to "nail" dirt and grime away.
7
Use bleach diluted with water in extreme cases. Turn on the bathroom fan or open up a window. Put on a pair of condom gloves, condom goggles, and some one-time clothes. Side by side, fill a spray bottle with 1 part bleach and ten parts water. Spray the mixture onto the dirty grout and look 2 minutes. Scrub the area using a stiff-bristled brush, then rinse with h2o.
- Use bleach with care if your bathtub is made from porcelain. Bleach tin crusade porcelain to turn yellowish or get pitted.^[four]
eight
Try a baking soda and bleach paste for farthermost cases. Mix 2 parts baking soda and one role bleach to make a thick paste. Spread this paste onto the dirty grout and wait five to 10 minutes. Scrub the grout using a stiff-bristled castor, and then wait another v to x minutes. Once the time is up, rinse the paste off using water.^[5]
- While mixing bleach with other chemicals is a bad thought, mixing bleach with baking soda is considered safe. Many people find that this actually helps improve the cleaning properties of both the bleach and the baking soda.

i
Buy some white grout paint. ^{[half dozen]} You lot tin can find white grout paint in a hardware shop or a home improvement store. Yous may as well find it labeled every bit "grout colorant." Information technology usually contains epoxy, and is very durable. Grout paint is not the same thing as grout stain, which is usually translucent and does non come up in white.
- Depending on the color of your grout, white grout paint may look a picayune dark once it cures.
- If your tiles are very dark, white grout might wait too vivid. Consider getting a grout paint that is light greyness or an off-white instead.
2
Prepare the tile and grout. Fill in whatever chipped areas with grout, and let it cure. If y'all need to seal your tiles, practice so now, but take care non to become whatever sealer on the grout itself. Sealers may forbid the grout paint from sticking. You also want to make sure that the grout is clean, and gratis of any oil, nutrient, soap, or crud.
- If yous done the tiles, brand certain that they are completely dry earlier you movement on.
3
Go a pocket-sized paint brush and pigment pan. The brush should be small enough to slide down the grout lines. You can fifty-fifty apply an onetime toothbrush. A cheap paint brush from the hardware store also works great for this. Yous will also need a paint pan, or whatever other pocket-size container to pour the paint into.
- If you are worried nearly the paintbrush shedding and getting beard stuck in your grout, employ a cream brush instead. Make sure that it is the same width as the grout line.^[7]
- Consider trimming the paintbrush bristles downward a petty and then that they are stiffer. This will give you more control over the castor.
- Another option is to get a small wheel pigment applicator. This will allow you to employ the paint easily and precisely.
4

Cascade some pigment into the paint pan. Cascade out less pigment than you think you might demand. Yous can e'er pour out more pigment later. If yous cascade out too much paint, it can dry out earlier you use it all.
5
Brush the pigment onto the grout using long, back-and-forth strokes. ^[8] Dip the castor's tip into the paint pan to option up a small amount of paint. Carefully run the brush along the grout. Be careful not to go any paint onto the tiles. It is possible to remove it, just the less cleanup you lot have to do, the meliorate.
- Grout pigment will just stick to grout, and can exist easily removed from tile. If you are yet concerned about this, mask off the tiles using painter's tape.^[9]
half-dozen

Wipe off excess grout paint from the tiles using a damp cloth. If the paint has stale on the tile, scrape it off using your fingernail.^[ten] You can besides employ a pallet pocketknife or an onetime spoon to scrape the paint off.
7

Wait until the paint dries before applying a 2d coat. Depending on the make, this can take ane 60 minutes or more. Refer to the label for more specific drying times. The paint must exist completely dry earlier you use a second coat.^[11]
eight
Let the paint cure, if needed before using the area. Depending on the brand you lot are using, you might need to let the paint cure starting time before you can utilize the tiled area. Some paints merely demand to dry out.
- It is always a good idea to let the pigment dry for longer than information technology indicates you should. This will assist to ensure that information technology is truly dry.
9

Consider sealing the grout using a grout sealer. This will assist your paintwork final longer. It will also aid keep the grout clean longer and make it easier to clean afterward.

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Question

Do I demand to cover the tiles earlier applying grout pigment?

Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of All-time Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of experience, Ryaan specializes in dwelling house improvement and property maintenance by leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Construction Supervisor and Dwelling Improvement Contractor Licenses. Unlike most handyman contractors, All-time Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com accept named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston.

Home Comeback Specialist

Expert Answer

Y'all don't have to, but information technology can exist helpful to use some painter's tape to tape off the grout lines then you lot don't become paint on the tiles.
Question

What kind of grout paint should I employ?

Ryaan Tuttle is a Habitation Improvement Specialist and the CEO of All-time Handyman Boston. With over 15 years of feel, Ryaan specializes in dwelling house comeback and property maintenance by leveraging technology and craftsmanship. Ryaan holds his Construction Supervisor and Habitation Comeback Contractor Licenses. Unlike most handyman contractors, Best Handyman Boston is licensed and insured. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com accept named All-time Handyman Boston the All-time Handyman in Boston.

Habitation Improvement Specialist

Skillful Answer

They actually accept grout pigment pens that make applying the paint super easy. They're simply like paint markers.

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Continue grout in your shower make clean by spraying it down two to three times a week with a 1:one mixture of white vinegar and water. The vinegar volition kill whatsoever mildew.^[12]
Spray your shower downwardly once a week with rubbing alcohol to impale any mildew.^[13]
Seal new grout with a grout sealer 10 to 14 days after the grout cures.^[14] This will protect the grout from getting stained, and brand cleaning information technology easier.
Grout usually appears darker when information technology is wet. If the grout is not as white as yous'd like it to be, wait until it dries before reaching for your cleaners and scrubbers over again.^[xv]

Don't mix bleach with other household cleaning products. Yous may create a chemical reaction and end up with a toxic gas.
When working with bleach and other household cleaners, make sure that you lot have good ventilation. You might likewise want to wear gloves, a long sleeve shirt, pants, and safety goggles. There may be lots of splattering when you are scrubbing the grout.
Avoid using wire brushes. They tend to be as well harsh on grout, and can scratch it upwards (as well as the surrounding tile). Instead, opt for a nylon brush.
Avoid using vinegar on marble and natural stone tiles. It tin can damage them.^[16]

Things Yous'll Demand

Cleaner of choice
Shop towels
Scotch brite scrub pads
Potent-bristled, nylon brush
Protective goggles and gloves
Knee joint pads

Grout colorant or paint
Small-scale, stiff paintbrush
Paint pan or small container
Damp fabric or abrasive sponge

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Article Summary Ten

To whiten grout, starting time past spreading a blistering soda and water paste on the grout. Then, utilize a stiff-bristled brush to scrub the paste into the grout before rinsing it off with warm h2o. If at that place are mildew stains on the grout, spray them with equal parts water and white vinegar and let the mixture sit down for v minutes. After v minutes, scrub the grout with a brush and rinse the vinegar mixture off. For stubborn discoloration, you lot may demand to use hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach. To learn how to paint grout white, scroll down!

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