Whiter Grout in 40 Minutes

Grout looking a little less-than-pristine?

Try this:

1. Sweep the floor.

2. Mix up a solution of 1/2 cup oxygen bleach (I used OxiClean) to one gallon very warm/hot water. Stir until mixed.

3. Pour solution all over floor, making sure it gets in all of the grout lines. You should have some standing water; if it seeps into the grout you will need to add more solution.

4. Wait about 30 minutes.

5. Scrub the grout lines with either a grout brush or a scrub brush (I used the latter).

6. Rinse the floor with water and dry with a clean towel.

At this stage you may be noncommittal about your results. Be patient – the grout is still damp and will continue to lighten as it dries.

7. An hour or two later, admire your work!

We have lived in our rental for four years, and over those four years I have tried many things to whiten our dingy, yucky grout. I’m guessing an amateur installation job left it unsealed and primed to collect dirt. I bought a steam cleaner, used vinegar and various pastes and destroyed a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser trying to make some headway. At one point our landlord recommended dumping bleach on it. (Which, now that I think of it, seems to be his solution to a lot of our complaints. Not that we have a lot of complaints. Our landlord is actually quite nice and helpful and lets us live here for dirt-cheap rent compared to the rest of the area. But I digress.)

Then, while in one of my cleaning frenzies (courtesy of baby hormones), I Googled “clean grout” and found this website. This very friendly man offered his solution to my grout woes, and I tried it immediately. And it works! Our grout looks much, much better. See for yourself in this before-and-after:

Before

After

Yuck

Yay

I especially love that this is a non-toxic option. No odor, no need to escape the house or wear a gas mask. Try it. I would love to see your results!