What Types of Cleaning Solutions Should You Avoid When Cleaning Bathroom Tile and Grout?

Believe it or not, you can’t use just any cleaning solution to remove mold, dirt, and grime from your tile’s grout. In fact, using the incorrect cleaning solution will most likely result in permanent discoloration of your tile’s grout. We highly recommend avoiding cleaning solutions containing ammonia and bleach. These are very common in most cleaning products, specifically designed for cleaning bathrooms, yet they’ll wreak havoc on your grout. We recommend using only pH-neutral cleaning solutions in order to avoid having your tile’s grout change color on you in just a matter of a couple of hours. We receive calls all of the time where customers are asking us why their once white grout is now an unappealing yellow. In nearly all cases it was due to cleaning their grout with ammonia-based or bleach-based cleaning solutions. Usually, any caustic cleaning solution is going to cause problems for your grout’s appearance. That’s specifically why we leave an information packet with each of our customers once we’ve completed a service, which shows best practices for keeping your tile and grout looking great for years to come.

While you may think your grout is nearly indestructible, that is far, far from the case. Grout is very porous, which is exactly why it becomes embedded with dirt, grime, mold, and other discoloring agents so easily. That’s why it’s important to apply a protective sealant to your grout. Furthermore, caustic chemicals can actually remove the highly important grout sealant that’s been applied. Again, before you put your cleaning gloves on and start scrubbing your grout, make sure to check what type of cleaning solution you’re about to use. Trust us, it can make all of the difference in the world for your grout’s appearance, as well as the overall appearance of your tiled surface. Depending on the extent of the discoloration, you may need a full re-grout, or we can provide grout color sealing to completely change the color of your grout. Either way, it’s an extra expense that is easily avoidable if you utilize the correct cleaning solution in the first place.

So, when you’re planning on spending the day cleaning up your home, don’t forget to choose the correct tile and grout cleaning solution. Please, at all costs, stay away from ammonia and bleach-based cleaning solutions. Your tile, your grout, and your wallet will thank you. Plus, if you ever have any questions about how to bring your tile and grout back to life, feel free to call The Grout Medic of St. Louis anytime at 314-408-6531, or you can fill out our contact form and we’ll get in contact with you at our earliest convenience. We look forward to hearing from you!