Tiles are one of the most important design element of the contemporary architectural and interior design aesthetics. The add class and creativity to you living space and allows you to play with multitude of design techniques simply by using a particular kind or a mix of different kinds of tiles. However, no matter how much time, efforts and capital you invest in beautifying your living space, all will go down the drain if it is not maintained appropriately.
The overall condition and maintenance of you your living space plays a huge role in creating an impression about you on the gusts who visit you place. Unfortunately, unlike other types of floorings, tiles are one of the toughest to maintain. This is because tiles have spaced between them called grouts which are a haven for all the dirt and impurities to get settled. Uncleaned grouts make the tiles look dirty and visually unappealing thereby ruining the whole aesthetic look.
Tile grouts are one of the toughest spaces to clean, especially if you have kids or pets in the house. This is because whole the little munchkins love making a lot of mess resulting in the dirt settling into the tile grouts. Unfortunately, with kids present in the house it can be risky to use very strong cleaning agents since the strong pungent smell can be distressing for kids. A way of getting the tile grouts cleaned up is to hire tile grout cleaning specialists. However, hiring a specialist is something you would do once in a while, therefore you need a DIY technique to be able to handle the problem on regular basis.
Here is a simple method that you can use to clean up stubborn tile grout stains and residues.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Solution
Before you go ahead with this simple and low cost technique of cleaning your tile grout, make sure you know the type of tile that you are going to deal with. This is because while baking soda is a fairly safe cleaning agent, vinegar does not work well with some tiles that are made of natural stones such as marble. Make sure you are wearing your gloves before proceeding in order to avoid any allergies or irritation.
The first step is to make a thick using 3 parts of baking soda and 1 part water. Once you get a thick consistency, apply this paste in grout lines using your fingers. Next make another solution in a spray bottle using 1 part vinegar and 1 part water. Spray this solution on the baking soda paste that you had just applied in the grout. You will notice the bubbling which indicates the beginning of the natural cleaning process.
The bubbling process will end in few minutes. Once the bubbling settles down take a hard nylon bristle brush to manually scrub the grouts. You can also use a toothbrush for this purpose. Once you are satisfied that the dirt has been removed, use a bucket of clean water and a mop to clean any residual baking soda and vinegar that might have settled in the grout.
Tile grout cleaning is essential to your home’s cleaning routine, as explained by Dan Dan The Carpet Man.
