We highly advise against using ammonia or bleach to clean any grout. Cleaning solutions that contain bleach or ammonia will not only work to erode your grout over time, they will cause your grout to become even dirtier by leaving a film behind, which attracts dirt.
First, bleach can discolor or even strip color away. Using bleach to clean your colored grout can result in fading of the color, making it uneven, or even removing the cover if the bleach isn't handled properly. Using bleach on colored grout should really be avoided.
So the answer to the titular question is vinegar. Vinegar is better for cleaning. But that's because bleach isn't intended for cleaning, but for disinfecting. And, by the way, if you want to use bleach for disinfecting, make sure the area you want to treat is clean (and rinsed clean, if you used vinegar!)
Myth: Bleach is great for deep cleaning tile and grout.
But frequent use of bleach can eventually weaken the grout's structure, causing it to become brittle and deteriorate.
A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and warm water can combat tough stains. Make your own grout cleaner with pantry products. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and warm water and stir it until it's fully integrated. Then spray the solution liberally onto the grout.
What do professionals use to clean grout? Whether you believe it or not, most professionals use a solution of white vinegar and water with a 1:1 ratio.
Avoid Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and other acids are also a bad idea for stone tile because the acid can etch the stone. Another widely praised household cleaner, baking soda, is alkaline (not acid), but it is not very effective as a grout cleaner.
Dawn and Vinegar Grout Cleaner
Heat a cup of 1-to-1 vinegar and water in the microwave for about a minute. Pour it into a spray bottle and add a cup of Dawn dish soap. Carefully spray the mixture on your grout lines. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes longer if you have really dirty grout.
Mix Cleaning Solution
To remove everyday dirt and debris, mix two parts baking soda with one part water. For stained or discolored grout, mix two parts baking soda with one part vinegar. And if you have coarse or fragile tiles, mix two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide.
5. Apply oxygen bleach and let it stand for up to 15 minutes. For tougher stains on really grimy white grout, use oxygen bleach as a grout cleaner. You'll find this cleanser is most often sold in powdered form; bestselling brands include OxiClean and Biokleen Oxygen Bleach Plus.
Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning Grout
Hydrogen peroxide won't damage normal tiles or colored grout. However, you shouldn't use it on polished marble. Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is a great way to remove stubborn stains from your grout.
Because bleach is so highly reactive and caustic, it could slowly be destroying the protective coating of the materials that it comes into contact with, including tile finishes, protective porcelain coats, wood finishes and more.
Getting in between the tiles is hard but OxiClean™ can make keeping your grout sparkling white easy. It's a great bathroom cleaner and grout cleanser.
The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away. If, however, you have sealed your grout on a regular basis, the vinegar won't be an issue.
Oxygen-based bleach (hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate) and washing soda are safer alternatives to consider when you're looking for a powerful indoor cleaning solution. They're notably more eco-friendly and treat and prevent the growth of mold in a really effective way.
Method 2: How to Get Grout White Again with Lemon Juice or White Vinegar. Saturate the grout with lemon juice, a mild disinfectant that gets rid of grout stains naturally. You can also use white vinegar for chemical-free grout cleaning.
Yes, you can use Barkeepers Friend on tile and grout. Honestly, it is one of my favorites, and you can even throw in some Blue Dawn dish soap or good measure too! You can even mix Bar Keepers Friend with Vinegar! If you've never used Bar Keeper's Friend before, give it a shot.
Baking soda is a safe deodorizer, whitener, and household cleaner—and it's an effective natural grout cleaner.
Apply small amount of the bleach and start scrubbing. Let it stay on for 10 to 15 minutes.
Eating or drinking food and drinks high in fructose (a type of sugar). Having a diet high in purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. Purine-rich foods include red meat, organ meat, and some kinds of seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna.