Cleaning grout is a little different than cleaning tile. You can spend literally hours cleaning and scrubbing with harsh chemicals to get the dirt out, only to find out that you’re not getting everything once it’s all said and done, let alone dry. But did you know that there’s a not-so-new revolutionary way that you can clean grout like a pro? Enter the steam cleaning solution. No, this doesn’t mean that you have to buy the highest grade professional one out there either. In this guide we’ll explain more.
Why is Grout So Hard to Clean?
Grout is what holds tiles and bricks together, and therefore, it’s actually a lot more porous than the rest of the finish on the tile. You may be able to steam clean your tile, but it can be a little harder to steam clean your grout. However, with certain applications and even attachments, you can easily use a steam cleaner to blast away the grout and get it clean as well. This can help eliminate debris, as well as even bacteria that settles in between the tiles so your floor looks more seamless than ever before.
What About Scrubbing It?
If you’re using a steam mop, you’re not always limited to the actual cloth that comes onto your cleaner. You can actually use steam mop rags and microfiber rags that also have longer “frills” so you can actually get deeper into grout. If you’re using an attachment with a precision tip (which are actually quite popular, and other steam cleaners often have one you can attach), you can use your steam cleaner, and even a tiny bit of white vinegar (about one or two capfuls) to further soften the grout enough to get into every crevice and blast away all of that dirt and grime that collects there.
Why Steam Cleaning is Better than Chemicals
When it comes to your tile, even your bathroom tiles, the soap scum and chemicals that you use can collect in the grout as well, which actually does nothing more than adhere and attract more bacteria. Over time, the chemicals that kill the bacteria loses its effectiveness, and then it just becomes literally a cesspool of hidden surfactant glue that you wouldn’t even think could hold, but will actually allow that bacteria to stick to it and collect. Therefore, that’s another reason why grout is often the first part of your tile wall that will end up molding or deteriorating over time.
Conclusion
By using a good grout steam cleaner, you can literally clean your floors and bathrooms about once or twice every week and have a more sanitary and healthy home. If you should choose to brush out the grout in between your tiles, use something like a toothbrush and then of course always make sure that you go back over the spot with a steam mop if you don’t have the proper tools necessary, or the right kind of cloth. Either way that you choose to do it, you can have a more natural cleaning solution that can kill all types of bacteria and eliminate the dirt that collects between your tiles.