Last week I decided to tackle a few projects that have been looming over me. We have ceramic tile in our kitchen and very light colored grout which I have grown to hate. This is what it looked like. I mop the floor several times a week with all the traffic that goes in and out of my kitchen, but the dirt on the grout just keeps building up.
I have cleaned it several times before and even had it color sealed a few years ago. And everytime it gets like this again. I wanted to find an inexpensive, homemade solution to clean it that would be as chemical free as possible. So I looked up different ways to do it and found a recipe for homemade grout cleaner that included salt, baking soda, and white vinegar. All you do is spread it on the grout, let it soak for 20 minutes and scrub it off. I used a toothbrush.
I started with a portion of the floor and it took a bit of elbow grease, but it did come clean. Then I realized I had a baking soda paste all over the floor that’s not that easy to clean up. After I got it all cleaned off, I looked around at the rest of the kitchen and thought about how long it would take to finish with that whole process.
Then I thought of the last time I cleaned it and used what my mom recommended, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. (Again, thanks Mom!) Last time (like 2 years ago) I ordered some generic ones from Ebay. This time I found packs of 2 at the Dollar Tree. You literally just wet and wipe, very little scrubbing involved and very little mess left behind. So much faster.
So, it does look much much better now, but all that cleaning revealed how chipped the grout is. That color seal job didn’t quite hold up like I thought it would. So I’m not sure what the next step is. But for now, we went ahead and sealed it again to help keep it clean while we figure it out.
What do you use to keep your grout clean?
I just discovered your blog (through a FB post from OAMM). I love it!
That looks exactly like my kitchen floor! I, too, do the grout with baking soda and vinegar. I’m going to add some kosher salt next time for a little more grit. Thanks too for mentioning the color seal…I’ve been wanting to do mine, but now that I know it isn’t a miracle cure, maybe I wont.
Do you ever have your kids help you scrub grout with a toothbrush? My kids are 3 and 4, and they like helping (because it’s a novelty to them, I guess!).
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, my 5-year-old helped me for about 10 minutes.
Yeah, I’m not too sure about the color seal anymore. It was a bit expensive ($350ish for less than 150 sq. ft.) and didn’t even last 2 years. I just don’t want tile in my next house. 
In the meantime, I’ll just keep buying generic magic erasers!
I’ll have to try the magic erasers. They look like they did a pretty good job. I have the exact same tile, and have yet to find a cleaner that really gets the stains out of the grout. I’ll let you know if I stumble upon some magical secret! For now, I just try not to look at the kitchen floor too much…
Yes, Kat! “just try not to look at it” That’s my usual way too!
Thanks for the tips on cleaning grout, Stacey! Next time I’m at the discount store I’m gonna check on those erasers. I would feel so much better, ahhh.
Hope it works for you Tina! I understand the feeling!