Just about everyone has some tile and grout in their home – usually in the bathroom or kitchen – that could use a little cleaning. If you have some grout that looks a bit discolored and needs to be lightened, try this at-home remedy.
Step 1: Add enough household bleach to a scouring powder to make a cleaning paste. Make sure to use a powder that does not contain ammonia, which produces a dangerous reaction with bleach.
Step 2: Scrub the paste over the dirty grout with a soft bristled brush. (An old toothbrush works great.) Then rinse with cool water.
Step 3: To clean particularly stubborn stains, leave a small amount of the cleaning paste on the stain and cover with plastic. This essentially creates a poultice that keeps in moisture and helps draw out the stain and reduce scrubbing time. Remove it the next day and continue the cleaning procedure.
Note: Do not use this mixture on natural stone such as marble. The bleach will cause permanent damage. Also, be sure to wear rubber gloves and keep the area well ventilated. Take care not to step in the paste and then walk across your carpet. You could accidentally bleach the color out! Once you’ve finished scrubbing the area, rinse thoroughly with water.
Of course, if serious cleaning needs to be done, call your carpet care professional. We’ve got specially designed tools and products that can power through the worse dirt and grime.
