tile grout cleaning

Tile Grout Cleaning

Tile and grout cleaning is one of the most taxing chores in your home. Spotless tile floors are beautiful, but they mean a lot of time spent on your hands and knees scrubbing away at grout. However, ignoring tile and grout lets nasty dirt and grime build up and make an otherwise spotless home look filthy.

At Five Step Carpet Care, we bring that new-home shine to your tile and grout using tested methods and top-of-the-line, eco-friendly equipment. Call us today to get your home looking fresh and clean, without breaking your back.

Cleaning Services

Five Step’s cleaning experts can handle any surface in your home, including:

  • Bathrooms: bathtubs, showers, floors, and countertops.
  • Kitchens: backsplashes, floors, counters, and walls.
  • High-traffic areas: hallways, bedrooms, and staircases.
  • Outdoor areas: patios, terraces, decks, and pool areas.
  • And more: if it is tile or grout, we can clean it!
best grout cleaner

How to clean tile floors

While a professional cleaning is the only way to get a deep clean on tiles and grout, you can still freshen things up between cleanings. The best approach to cleaning changes depending on what your flooring is made out of.

General maintenance of tile floors comes down to a few easy steps:

  1. Sweep or vacuum daily: This removes all dry debris from your floor and prevents it from building up. If dirt sits in wet areas, it will turn into tough grime.
  2. Mop the floor: You should mop your floors with warm water and a mild cleaner at least once a week.
  3. Clean spills quickly: Spilled drinks–even water–can soak into grout and become an unsightly mess. Wipe up spills before they set into your flooring.

Cleaning Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Floors

Porcelain and ceramic are the easiest tile surface to keep clean. Most cleaning agents work on tile and porcelain without causing them to lose their shine. Both surfaces are also largely resistant to scratches.

For day-to-day maintenance, your best bet is to use a microfiber duster. When mopping, a microfiber mop is your best bet to avoid grinding dirt into your tiles.

Typically, you can clean ceramic and porcelain with warm water. You’ll still need a grout cleaner, however. We’ve outlined some of the best homemade cleaners below.

Cleaning Marble and Natural Stone

Marble and stone are beautiful, but much more delicate than porcelain or ceramic. You’ll need to take great care not to scratch the surface. Many chemical cleaners can also cause permanent damage to stone and marble.

When cleaning stone floors, you should never use a standard bristle broom. Instead, invest in a vacuum built for tile flooring.

When washing stone and marble, make sure you use a pH-neutral cleaner to avoid staining your floors.

Of course, when in doubt you should always call the experts at Five Step Carpet Care!

Best Grout Cleaners

If you need to get grime out of your grout in a pinch, you don’t need to rush out and buy a bunch of pricey chemical solutions. There are a number of DIY green grout cleaners you can make with things you already own!

Online cleaning experts say your best bet for cleaning grout is one of these two solutions:

  • 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp dish soap: mix together and apply to grout.
  • 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide: Spread baking soda on grout, then spray with hydrogen peroxide.

Cleaning grout ultimately comes down to a simple method: apply cleaner, let it set 10 minutes, scrub, repeat.