DIY Natural Tile or Grout Cleaner

Sick of watching your tile and grout grow dingier before your very eyes? It’s time to make your own DIY grout cleaner out of natural ingredients that are safe and highly effective in improving the look and cleanliness of your grout or tile. Here are three methods to cleaning those light, medium, and heavy tile or grout problem areas – and each uses all-natural materials that you probably already have on-hand.

Materials Needed*:

Baking soda
Distilled white vinegar
Super washing soda
Borax
Liquid dish detergent (or castille soap)
Sponge, rag, cleaning brush
Rubber gloves
Mixing bowl

*Specific materials vary, depending upon which of the three grout cleaners you’re after; this photo shows materials needed for all three.

Light Tile and Grout Cleaning

If you have water spots or some light soils in your grout, you should be able to get them out with a light scrubbing of some baking soda.

Get a hot, damp sponge.

Dip your damp sponge in baking soda.

Scrub your lightly soiled tile and grout with the damp baking soda sponge. Once coated, rinse the sponge thoroughly and wipe off excess baking soda with warm to hot water.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner- freshen up your grout

This is a great, quick way to freshen up your grout and tile in the simplest way possible.

Medium Tile or Grout Cleaning

For tougher stains on your tile or grout, or where dirt or grime has started to set in, you can amp up your cleaning with the power packed vinegar-baking soda 1-2 punch.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner - Soak your sponge

Soak your sponge with undiluted distilled white vinegar.

Wipe down the tile and grout surfaces that need more serious cleaning with the vinegar.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-Sprinkle baking soda

Sprinkle baking soda on the vinegar and immediately scrub the baking soda with a sponge or a brush (such as a cleaning toothbrush) to really get into the grout.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-clean around toilet

This is particularly effective around a toilet.

Thoroughly rinse your sponge or use a clean rag moistened with hot water to wipe up excess baking soda. Looks so much better.

Heavy Tile or Grout Cleaning

If you find a tough stain, like this one I spotted in the grout, it’s time to amp up the cleaning regimen one more notch with some borax and super washing soda.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-prepare baking soda

Into 1/4 cup baking soda, mix 1 tbsp of super washing soda.

Add to that 1 tbsp of boax. Briefly stir.

Pour in 1-1/2 tbsp of liquid dishwashing soap (or, if you have it, liquid castille soap).

Stir it all together to make a paste.

Soak a sponge in undiluted distilled white vinegar. Wring out only enough so it’s not dripping profusely.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-vinegar sponge

Use the vinegar sponge to wipe down the area with the tough stain (this can be one spot or an entire area that’s been hard-hit with yuckies).

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-apply baking soda

Apply a bit of the baking soda paste to the grout.

DIY Natural Grout Cleaner-sponge or cleaning brush

Follow the grout line with the paste and a sponge or cleaning brush, scrubbing it well into the grout.

Rinse sponge thoroughly with hot water (or grab a clean rag and wet with hot water) and wipe away excess paste. This will take several rounds to get the paste wiped up off the grout, but the reward is a much clean(er) grout area. This paste method also works well on a tub or shower surface.