A paint/sealer combo is available at hardware stores. It is prepared for grout. It is easily applied and wipes off the tile. This never needs redoing. Simply wash in the future with a vinegar/water solution. No need for acids, brushes, or waiting. Great!

Be careful when using grout cleaner. I left it on my bathroom floor too long...it etched the flooring in wide swaths and ruined it. (It'll be the next homeowners problem because I'm over it.)

I make sure after i tile a do three coats of sealer....this helps keep it clean but the oxyclean idea is good

Be very careful if you have limestone tile, as I do. Windex, vinegar, most cleaners will etch the tile.

Oxyclean is recommended by the tile expert on Gardenweb. I have used a revolving brush made by, I think, Rubbermaid, that you can get a pointy grout brush for. I found mine at the supermarket. A year ago, I colored and sealed the bathroom floor grout with a product called Grout Shield that was not difficult to use. I would recommend it. It made the grout much easier to clean. I got it on line, www.groutshield.com.

I hate to admit this, but I use toilet bowl cleaner for most stubborn stains.

The Dollar Store has a grout cleaner that is amazing. Really nasty as far as the smell but easy to use.

Resolve Carpet cleaner. Works wonders.

Vinegar and baking soda,,let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then scrub. I use this technique for scrubbing and it's much easier than doing it by hand

I had tried everything and nothing worked on my kitchen tiled counters until I tried a high traffic foam carpet cleaner, recommended by a Houzz reader. I was shocked, but it worked like nothing else I'd tried. I let it sit for a few minutes, and scrubbed with a toothbrush and soon my whole counter was sparkling. I liked not having toxic fumes around or splattering myself with bleach (which I'd also done before.) Even my non-observant husband was impressed. We are rethinking ripping out the tile now that it looks so nice.

Mix a 1/2 cup of 3% over the counter, Hydrogen peroxide (very powerful oxidizer) with a small amount of baking soda to form a thick paste. You may also add a little Dawn dish soap as well. Then just use a mechanical rotary Rubbermaid brush. Honestly, this can turn almost dark coffee brown or black stained grout back to a light beige grout color.

Just remember that this is something you’ll want to mix up and use in smaller quantities as needed, because hydrogen peroxide is basically water with an extra Oxygen molecule attached (“H2O2” rather than “H2O”). It can break down into plain water when it’s exposed to light or mixed with other ingredients for a while. (That’s why peroxide bottles are opaque brown, so sunlight doesn’t cause it to break down!) There’s also a chemical reaction that happens when you add the baking soda, so a fresher cleaning solution will be most effective at stain removal.

I chose a dark grey grout & seal it about once per year. I'm too busy to deal with scrubbing it! I do scrub my tile walls, but I'm not scrubbing an unsealed white grout.

Work smart...not hard!

Eddyse, you can get a small tub ( pint?) of premixed grout at Lowe's or Home Depot. Don't use that latex or silicone stuff in a tube. Hubby touched up our shower stall and now the rubbery stuff is pulling loose and getting moldy. It looks grungy even after I scrub with tilex.
So which do I try next toilet bowl cleaner or the baking soda and perioxide ?? I really want to rip out the whole shower and start over.

Save

I bought one of those grout pens at Lowes. It covers very easily and well. Drawback...the tip wears quickly and when you flip it the extra one wears quickly as well. So I had to take it back since there was a lot of grout left in it. I hope they improve the tip as it is otherwise a good product.

I use Bar Keeper's Friend when any ceramic or grout surface looks dirty (which in my bathroom is 70% of all the surfaces). Works like a charm. Even took stains off the toilet bowl I'd given up on. For regular maintenance of ceramic tile and grout, spraying it down once a week with a diluted vinegar solution keeps the grime at bay.

I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in the bathroom. After my shower (when I'm ready to leave the room) I spray the walls and walk away. Never have an issue with the grout discoloring or molding. Once the vinegar dries it becomes inert and oderless.

Thanks Kathleen. I'm on my way to Home Depot !

The way people share their solutions is a wonderful thing, and I thank you all. Hmmmmmm......but why oh why have we put up with having something in our homes that requires so much work? Surely there are better solutions for busy people! Ideas?

The gel toilet bowl cleaners with Clorox work the best. The angled tip of the bottle with the gel sticks to the grout joint perfectly so it has some time to soak without the product dripping down the wall.

When putting in new tile tell the installer not to use grout. How to clear it - small bowl of hot, soapy water with bleach in it, a scrubbing brush and a large cloth to mop up as you go. This should work, but it is hard (the scrubbing) and also depends on how old the grout is.

kathleen MK and Eddyse, the stuff in the tube is not grout but is caulk. you need to patch grout with grout.

for the caulk areas: there are a ton of types but are mostly either acrylic or silicon. silicon will last longer but is also harder to get back off and can be a gooey mess. you can get mildew-resistant types and in different colors. don't put on too much and keep a damp rag handy to wipe off your damp finger, which is the best tool to make a concave line after you laid in a medium bead along the area. you normally use it only for the joints between the the tub and the bottom of the tile or similar areas that will have lots of expansion/contraction at times (especially acrylic tubs, when filled with hot water and a person will be weighed down, etc...), so it won't crack the way grout would.

grout is the hard stuff that's used to fill in between all the tiles. it's similar to cement. it will last a long time. you can scrape back any damaged areas and once you have a good cavity, fill in with new grout to patch in. if you have the right color it will not look bad. i have heard there are grout stain pens for old grout, too, as brighteners or to completely change the color. they may work to unify the color after patching if there's a problem.

there is sanded (typical) and un-sanded (use for glass tiles and other delicate tiles that would be scratched by the sand during the grouting process. check with the store and tell them if you have typical porcelain vs. glass or marble or granite). You can get either type in small, pre-mixed tubs. Or large, pre-mixed tubs. Or various sizes of dry mixture that you can add water to--more economical but if you don't know the correct consistency, you won't save that much for a small amount. if you get this, be careful to add a tiny amount of water at a time because it's easy to overdo it. just get the tub.

good luck

Discovered an amazing combination that's so easy. My new house has white tile on the kitchen floor. The grout had turned black with accumulated dirt. Sprayed Tilex on—waited 20 minutes, wiped dirt right off with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser…grout is now white again. Repeat in difficult areas. Blown away at how easy it cleaned!

All you need to clean many things in your home is white distilled vinegar. Just a side note, put a cap full on your hair with your shampoo. Your hair will be so shiny and clean. Hope that helps. Charmean Neithart

A toothbrush and some good old fashioned elbow grease when I see the grout getting darker. Spot clean with any bleach solution (Clorox makes a great spray cleaner) use bleach only when necessary. Also, we keep a small container of grout powder mix for those really stubborn stains where we have to scrape it out and re-grout.

7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup vinegar - throw in a spray bottle and spray your floor, let it sit for a minute or two... then scrub.

I have granite walls in my shower.
Can I tile over it with some of the new glass tile options

larozza611, Why would you want to do that? I would LOVE to have granite walls in my shower.

Iaorzza and you can cover your wood floors with Place and Press vinyl tiles and paint your mahogany cabinets white. So yes cover the $2000.00 granite with $ 200.00 Teal glass tiles.

My apologizes the coffee has not yet hit my soul...There are far better options for altering the look of your shower.

larozza611, instead of covering your granite walls, Why not see if they can cut a area in the granite and do a large strip or other type of border treatment with the glass tiles all around the walls. I'm not sure if another tile would adhere to the granite. In my new walk-in shower I'm doing 12 x 24 porcelain tiles, with a one foot strip of glass tiles all the way around the walls.

larozza611, will you please send me your granite? seriously, I think most people will think you're a little crazy for wanting to cover up granite with glass, but it must be some ugly granite. Or you're really not a fan. I love glass tiles, but that's an expensive and long-lasting product to cover up--- but it's your home and do what you want. Why don't you post a few pictures of it and of the overall bathroom so people can see what you're working with and offer suggestions of how to modify the room to your liking? Even if it means covering with glass? Or maybe you have another general problem that could be fixed another easier way... You could just post this on a section of your own and I'm sure people will help.

Generally, I don't think it's a good idea to try to grout glass tile on top of granite. It's too slick. Etching or sanding may help but is not ideal. It will also be incredibly heavy and you would have to make sure you have structural support for it, even if it doesn't fall off the granite. Then there's the thickness issued dealing with fixtures (faucets, etc....) and even the tub or shower lip and how far it extends from the wall. Then you have to think about access through both layers for any plumbing repairs.

I don't think it's a good idea on any level. Best to work around it, remove it, or cut into it (or remove some of it--you didn't say if the granite is in tiles or large sections or how it's configured: pictures would help) and use a decorative inset square or strip or recessed shelves backed with something you like, or work on the rest of the bathroom more to your liking if possible. Please make a separate post for advice & good luck.

kuzzwhy, I have first dibs on larozza611's granite . I asked 24+ hours before you!!!!! Ha! Ha!
Anyone who asks can have the fiberglass shower stall in my guest bedroom.

Just cleaned a section of my kid's bathroom floor yesterday. I mixed together bleach and baking soda to make a paste. I spread it over grout using a tooth brush and let it sit for 15 min. Then I scrubbed along the grout lines using a toothbrush. Washed off with washcloth and cool water. Unbelievably white again!

I had my carpet cleaning company clean the white grout in my bathroom floors, they did a great job.

Grout cleaners

Clorox gel bleach! Squeeze on grout lines and let it set for 10 minutes and wipe clean. Remember to cover grout with a commercial sealer.

Mix 1 cup of Clorox Ultimate Care Bleach and 1 tbsp. of baking soda. If you have a steamer to use with this mixture it works extremely well. Little to no scrubbing at all.

Ditto this idea! 77cherry77

Are all of these options ok to use with marble tile?

I'm concerned about harming marble too - I just have a couple of mold spots where the glass shower wall hits the marble

To sum up the common denominator in all these suggestions "acids" clean grout well like vinegar, bleach, baking soda, lemon..and toilet bowl cleaner actually is a strong acid as well. However you definitely cannot use any acid on marble because it will make an etch mark and dull it. Also the reason why acids clean grout well is because it actually etches the surface of the grout. Do you are really brushing off a thin layer of grout. On rare occasions this is fine but to do this periodically you will ruin your grout. Additionally you will find that after a while the grout will just not clean as well as when you used to clean it. This is because eventually even if you remove the surface dirt embedded in the grout the actual grout color is already stained darker. Ideally sealing your grout or even better color sealing grout will make cleaning grout much easier with perfect results each time and without the need for acids and aggressive brushing.
You can read the faq's on my website to learn more about color sealing grout at http://www.groutworksnj.com

Just finished my house not too long ago. I asked the builder to seal the grout. I even called the manufacturer and they recommended it. The builder's sub (big tile and floorer in mid-atlantic) said they don't and won't do it. It is too time consuming. I told them in other words you're too lazy. Ah, modern day labor. I haven't found any product that doesn't require the old elbow grease.

You can google "grout color sealing service" and the name of your local area and you should be able to find a small business that can professionally seal your grout.

I can DIY it but I feel like it is part of a proper installation. Just thinks to look out for when building a home. There aren't too many good laborers around here.

All you people using vinegar, you're destroying your grout. The way it cleans, is that it reacts with the lime and calcium in the cement. It EATS it. Acid USED to be used in a ONE TIME application when the tile was first grouted, to take the haze off the face of the tile. For the last 20 years or so, even that's been discouraged because of the fact that it also tends to bleach the color out of the grout, as well. It also, as someone above cautioned, can destroy the glaze on some tiles. Bleach is another one that will ruin the grout over time. If you want a cleaner that will work just as well as bleach and not destroy the grout, use Oxyclean. Mix it at twice the concentration recommended on the side of the container, and use it in the same way you would bleach for wall tile. As for floors, I highly recommend using a scrub brush, and then instead of mopping it back up, use wet vac. Mopping just pushes the dirt back into the pores of the grout. Vacuuming will remove it in the dirty solution. Repeat the process with cool clear water, and again wet vac it back up. The only other method I've heard of that's more effective is professional steam cleaning.

Vinegar is a very weak acidic typical white distilled vinegar is at least 3% acidity and not more than 7%.

Commercially produced vinegar has a virtually indefinite shelf life.

Vinegar does not chemically bond to or alter or degrade in any way to sand, plastic, most tile or glass.

Vinegar is sold in glass or plastic containers.

Vinegar WILL react to wax, soaps, conditioners, body oils, scum and dirt. Note that grout is porous and will ingest these also.

Vinegar will kill Serratia Marcescens which is a pink mold found in bathrooms.

Different types of grout vary in porosity.

Your tile (unless a special decorative or lime) will be unaffected by vinegar. Your grout will, in time, show effects and breakdown. The grout (and the sealers if used) will break down with the standard agents both for your personal hygiene and surface cleaning.

Unless the grout never comes in contact with ANY substance or airborne it will need to be re-grouted in time. This includes steam and water.

Will the vinegar hasten grout breakdown? Yes - As will scrubbing, soaps, oils, bacteria and other personal hygiene or cleaning products.

At some point you will most likely need to re-grout.

In the interim I prefer a clean stain free environment in my home particularly in my cooking and bath areas. Mostly importantly to me is that the chore of scrubbing is eliminated by a few spritz of vinegar.

Use vinegar often, but more important is to squeegee after every shower.

I'll say again-- there are other, less harmful ways to clean that grout. And out of curiosity, what is 3% or 7%? I've never heard of any acid being measured in strength in any other way than on a ph scale.

If you look on a bottle of vinegar...It will list the % the acidity is diluted to the rest of the contents being mostly water.

"Pure acetic acid is a clear liquid which in the lab is usually called 'glacial', a term that refers to its tendency to produce crystals that resemble ice at a low room temperature. In its familiar domestic form, vinegar is typically only around five per cent acetic acid by volume with most of the rest water, plus traces of other compounds. Use vinegar, which ironically, given its bacterial origins, has the role of killing bacteria. Vinegar can also be a useful cleaner to remove grease and mineral deposits and to de-rust iron". (from http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/CIIEcompounds/transcripts/vinegar.asp)

As a note Oxi-clean contains peroxide (which is also a bleaching agent) and baking soda.