Worker’s hand using a sponge to wipe fresh grout from ceramic tile
The grout in the bathroom can be a tricky and annoying conundrum. The majority of the bathroom is made out of the tiles and not the grout. The grout simply seals the bathroom tiles together yet it seems to be that it is the place that gets the filthiest of all in the bathroom. The bathroom tile grout seems to get filthy in a sneaky way as well. It will seem to be clean for weeks on end and then suddenly one day it bursts into green, black and brown streaks notifying us that it must be cleaned in order to avoid a grimy attack of mold.
When the grout gets filthy in the shower it really does have to be cleaned immediately. If the grout is left to develop more mold and mildew it will become increasingly harder to remove it. It is also hard to ignore the dirty grout because clean grout is white and dirty grout turns into a disgusting shade of dark green and brown. These stains are not only indicators of simple dirt but notify us that there are real living bacteria in the shower and it should be removed promptly.
Some people prefer to use natural cleaners to clean away the filth in the bathroom. Though natural cleaners like white vinegar and baking soda do not have all of the harsh chemicals that some typical bathroom cleaners contain they do a very good job and clearing the mess for being natural products. To clean the grout with natural products is quite easy and the bother that goes into thoroughly cleaning with a natural product is balanced out by the fact that the bathroom does not have to be heavily ventilated while cleaning and it also saves your lungs from the harmful effects of chemical cleaners. To clean with baking soda, make a paste with the soda and water and scrub it into the grout with a cleaning brush that has stiff bristles. A bigger brush will do the trick but when you are having trouble getting into the nooks and crannies and old toothbrush can come in handy as well.
Regular bathroom tile cleaners can also be used to clean the tile grout in the shower with a scrub brush. It can sometimes be faster to clean with a chemical cleaner because the chemical formulas of the cleaners can break down some of the tough to break up mildew particles before you scrub making the work lighter for you. When cleaning with chemical bathroom cleaners it is important to always wear gloves and clothes that will protect the skin and the bathroom should always be ventilated to avoid hurting the lungs. Open all of the windows and keep a large fan blowing out of the window to help suction the chemicals in the air out of the window while you are cleaning.
Bleach is always a good cleaner to use no matter if you have used a natural cleaner or a chemical cleaner to get the inital shower grout cleaning done. Bleach will really penetrate the last of the remaining hard to clean mildew and mold out of the grout. It is not really wise to start cleaning with bleach because it does not have the scrubbing power that other cleaners have. Diluted bleach will simply break down those last touch to break down particles. Bleach will also kill much of the mildew and mold and will brighten up the grout so it sparkles white again.
Instead of making cleaning the grout a huge project that is only done once in a while the amount of cleaning that goes into the grout can be significangly reduced if a light periodic cleaning happens. There are shower tile sprays that can be sprayed onto the tiles after taking a shower that prevents the regrowth of mold and mildew on the shower tile grout. Using these sprays every so often will really reduce the speed of the mildew groth and the amount of mildew and mold that actually grows back. These cleaners can be a huge preventative help especially for people that do not have a lot of time to clean on their hands.
