by Carmel Brulez

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 29, 2009

Tiled areas, especially on the floor, can become very dirty and even harbour dirt and germs, which may be very unhealthy. Every so often it is a good idea to clean the grouting even if it looks clean. But you will want to clean the grouting between your floor tiles when it looks dirty anyway. Most people have white grouting which discolours quicker. Kitchen floors are the worst as they are heavy traffic areas.

I will tell you how to clean the grouting; once it is clean, or when you have just tiled a wall or floor and want to make sure it stays clean and germ free, use a grouting solution you buy from the hardware store called grouting sealant. It does not cost much, is clear, so suitable for any colour of grouting, and you simply brush it on and leave it to dry. The grouting should never need cleaning again. Putting grouting sealant on does not take long; it requires no special skills, and it saves you a lot of time and maybe expense at a later date. It certainly saves you having to regularly clean your grouting. It is also advisable to seal grouting, as regularly using bleach on grouting can damage it. To do it once and then seal it should be safe.

To get your kitchen floor grouting looking fresh and new you need some regular cheap toothpaste, a splash of disinfectant, some bicarbonate of soda and very thick gel bleach which you mix in equal proportions to form a thick paste. Then you brush this onto the grouting with a hard brush or toothbrush and leave it to dry and work on the grouting for thirty minutes to sixty minutes, the longer the better. Then wash off. The grouting should be clean but if it needs more work apply the same solution to it and leave again, then wash off. If you are dealing with areas where there are crusts of food or greasy food bits, you must remove these with a fine sharp knife; this mixture will not help with that. Areas that are very dirty and soiled might need you to regrout over the top of the very dirty grouting once you have cleaned it as well as possible, but it is rare that this is necessary.

As bleach can cause coughing, especially with people who have asthma or allergies, it is advisable to wear a mask, have the windows and door open and do not put your face any closer to the bleach than necessary.

Learn more about this author, Carmel Brulez.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.