Getting Grout Lines Clean

I have to say, full strength vinegar left to soak for about 5-10 minutes is fantastic at making grout look new again. However, you need to scrub with a tooth brush. You can avoid hands and knees by just sitting on the floor and working in the space next to you as you leave the vinegar to work it's magic on the other side. Or you could get a low stool and sit on it to do the work. I haven't found any cleaner that works without having to scrub or wipe up afterwards. You could always hire a cleaning service and ask them if they will deep clean. Good luck.

Buy a hand-held steamer! When I was pregnant we were doing some minor home renovations (in hindsight, probably nesting) and I was needing to clean our shower grout and kitchen grout. My sister-in-law was worried about the chemicals and bought me a steamer, just $30 or $40 at CVS pharmacy. It changed my life! It power cleans almost everything with very little chemicals needed, mildew, grout, hard water stains, build-up, etc. It's really all you need.

Here's a link to one like I have- http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Pro-SC710S-Shark-Super-Steamer...

Good luck.

once you do get it clean, consider applying a sealant.

Have you tried straight bleach? AF

Try pouring clorax on the tile grout. You will not have to scrub,however, you will have to wipe up the excess. Be sure to use a towel you will not mind ruining because of the bleach.

Try making a paste out of OxiClean. I did this at my parents house and was amazed at the results. I just mixed enough water with the powder until it made a soupy paste and layed it along the lines of grout. Then I waited an hour or so, came back and wiped it up, and it looked brand new. While it may take some time to lay out all the paste, at least you won't be on your hands and knees scrubbing.

Might sound basic, but have you tried plain bleach? Not the 'greenest' thng to do, but a strong concentration of bleach and water might do the trick- just ventilate and use gloves. Good luck.

I have white grout on my white tile bathroom floor that is permanently dirty. I have been down on my hands and knees scrubbing in innumerable times and it just never comes clean (even with bleach). I also have decided that getting it professionally cleaned and sealed is the only way its ever going to happen. Unfortunely builders and tilers rarely take the time to do the important step of sealing which should ALWAYS be done for floors.

Easiest way to get grout clean without bending over - get a spray bottle and fill 1 part bleach and 1 part water. Use the stream spray (not mist) and squirt it at the grout lines. Do this at night before you go to bed so you won't walk on it or sniff it....just leave it on all night and by morning the fumes will have subsided and it will just smell clean! It will also help with discoloration, etc. If you are worried about pets walking on it, try keeping them in a room at night while it is on the floor...and you could mop with water to help with any residue left over, but I use this method in my shower and the grout is super white and mildew free....and I never have to scrub or bend! Good luck!

I had Stanley Steamer come out and clean mine (too much for me to do by myself) and it turned out wonderful. They use a big steam machine and then follow up with some scrubbing of stubborn areas and it was all done and clean in about 1 hour (and I have a lot of grout - kitchen, breakfast area, and laundry) and not too costly (my time saved and the work involved was worth more to me than the expense of them doing it). I also bought a bottle of the grout cleaner they sell for spot cleaning here and there and it works wonderful. I also have DuraCeramic tile and special DuraCeramic grout that I can't seal (and absolutely HATE it and would never recommend it - we are waiting until the kids get older (now 3 and 16 mos) and then we'll be replacing it).

Sol-U-Mel by Melaleuca is great for any stain, and kills mold & mildew. Bet it would be great on that grout! And, I hear you about the hands & knees thing! LOL! Good luck. N.

Uggghhh... grout! I feel you're pain... My guess is that your grout isn't sealed which is why you're having to get down on your hands and knees to clean it. My advice... clean it really good one more time, then invest in some grout sealer from home depot... it is super easy to do and really really inexpensive. And the best part is, you shouldn't have to get down on your hands and knees again to do the grout!

Many of the carpet cleaner companies also offer grout cleaning for as little as $99. I would check that out - who knows they may even has a reduced price for the bad economy.

Try the clorox bleach pen. It worked for me! It was time consuming but it worked!

I had tile in my kitchen (another house) and I was forever getting on my hands a knees. Nothing I did kept the grout clean. I finally called a cleaning service and had the grout and tile cleaned and sealed. It was the best money spent. After that, all I had to do was mop my floor in the traditional manner and it stayed clean.