How To Clean Grout With Baking Soda? What professionals say

Cleaning grout is not easy, but it is not impossible. You can even do it yourself with baking soda and a few other ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. 

To clean grout with baking soda, gather your supplies and make the baking soda mixture. Pour the mixture into the grout joints and clean it with warm water and a grout scrubbing brush. Then, you’ll dry the grout thoroughly with dry towels. Be sure to clean your floors, as well.

Baking soda is one of the best ingredients for cleaning grout. You only need to know how to use it with other ingredients. Keep reading to find out a very effective way to clean grout. 

Step 1: Get Your Ingredients and Supplies

The first step is to get the cleaning supplies and ingredients. Most of them will be in your kitchen, so you don’t have to worry about spending too much money.

Here is what you’ll need:

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon
• Dish soap
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Bottle to contain the mixture
• Brush for scrubbing
• An oven cleaner spray
• Clean towels or sponges
• Mop

Once you have all these things, you can start the cleaning process. Remember, the success of this method depends on how well you make the mixture. 

It is time to put the cleaning gloves on. 

Step 2: Make the Baking Soda Mixture

Start by making the mixture. It’s a crucial step because the proper ratios will make the cleaning easier. 

Here are the measurements:

• Half a cup of baking soda
• One-fourth cup of hydrogen peroxide
• One-fourth cup of vinegar
• Four cups of warm water
• One-third cup of lemon juice

Now take a container and add all the ingredients, one by one, starting with water. Stir the ingredients in the container so the baking soda does not sit at the bottom. The resulting mixture will be liquid so you’ll need a bottle for it. 

You can use either a spray or a squeeze bottle for the mixture. A squeeze bottle is a better option because it gives you more accuracy and lets out more liquid. 

Step 3: Add Liquid Dish Soap to the Mixture

Adding a liquid dish soap is optional, but I find it useful. 

Add two tablespoons of the liquid soap to the mixture. It’s also a cleaning agent that makes the liquid more effective. You can use whatever brand you have at home. 

The only downside of liquid dish soap is that it can make your floor slippery. So, you must be careful while cleaning or walking on the floor.  

Step 4: Pour the Mixture Into Grout Joints

Once the mixture is ready, pour it generously into the grout joints and cover as much area as possible. After you’ve added the mixture to the grout, your next step is simply having patience. 

You’ll need to let the mixture remain on the grout joints for 10 to 20 minutes. That gives it time to settle into the caked-on dirt and will make it easier to clean.

Step 5: Clean With Warm Water

After you’ve let the mixture set on the grout for 10 to 20 minutes, you’ll want to clean it with water. Using warm water for this step makes it easier to clean grout by making it softer and loose. If the water is warm, you shouldn’t have to scrub quite so hard to wash away the dirt.

Step 6: Use a Grout Scrubbing Brush To Clean

As you’re applying the warm water, you’ll also need to scrub with a scrubbing brush. You can get a grout scrubbing brush for scrubbing, but if you cannot find one, a toothbrush will work. I recommend using a battery-run toothbrush because it’s less tiring. 

Now carefully scrub the grout to clean all the joints. You should see the brown dirt coming out. The grout joints will show a visible color change so you will know when to stop. 

Step 7: Dry the Surface With Towels

Use towels to dry the grout joints and wipe off the dirt. Do not use your regular bathroom towels, as doing so can make them grubby and stained. You can also use a sponge for this step. It does an excellent job of soaking the wet dirt.

The floor must be dry before you move on to the next step.

Step 8: Clean Your Floor With a Steam Cleaner (Optional)

I understand that not everyone has a steam cleaner at home, so this step is optional and will only work if you’re cleaning floors. It is hygienic and gives your floor extra shine. 

Tips for using the steam cleaner:

1. Use the instructional manual to see how much water you can put in your steam cleaner.
2. After filling the steam cleaner with water, plug the appliance in and wait for the water to boil. 
3. Once the water passes the boiling point, it will come out as steam. 
4. Use the steam to clean the floors and the grout joints.

Steam cleaners are excellent for killing germs, bacteria, dirt, and mold trapped in the grout joints. 

Step 9: Keep the Floors Clean

Again, if you’re cleaning grout in the shower, this one isn’t applicable. However, if you’re cleaning the grout in your floors, you’ll also want to clean the floors themselves to keep the grout joints from getting dirty. 

Here is how you can keep your floor clean:

• Mop the floor every day, or at least four times a week.
• Do not just use water for mopping. Add some liquid disinfectant and floor cleaner to the water.
• Clean the mop right after using it.

Useful Tips

Use these tips for better cleaning:

• It is better not to use chlorine or any other bleach as an ingredient. It can not only damage the floor but hurt you too.
• If you want to use bleach to replace hydrogen peroxide, you must dilute it before using it.
• Sprinkle a bit of powdered baking soda after filling the grout joints. It will give the liquid an extra kick. 

Final Thoughts

You can clean grout at home, and baking soda is one of the best ingredients for DIY cleaning. However, grout cleaning requires a bit of work and effort. Fortunately, baking soda is easy to use and saves you money. 

If your house has extremely stubborn grout, do not scrub excessively. It may damage your floors or shower, so it is best to call professional cleaners.