Tile and Grout Cleaner

March 21, 2005 8:15 AM

If there's a badass tile and grout cleaner out there (for the bathroom), can you tell me what it is please? I can't seem to find "it". I don't mind letting "it" sit and soak. I don't mind scrubbing. But I want results. Gracias!
posted by Witty to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

I find a paste of oxyclean or similar is the bang up cleanest cleaning cleaner you will ever use.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:24 AM on March 21, 2005

Bleach gel pens. It'll sit there and clean everything, leaving your grout pristine. Note: Not for use on dyed grouts.
posted by SpecialK at 8:29 AM on March 21, 2005

Similarly, anything that will get blackish mildew stains out of caulk, short of re-caulking?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:36 AM on March 21, 2005

I'd second the bleach gel for grout or caulk.

But it's more for stains and discoloration than actual bits of mold or other assorted nastiness. I'd say give it a good cleaning with your normal product of choice, and then let the bleach sit on there.
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:48 AM on March 21, 2005

We had this problem in our last apartment. Ended up using Soft Scrub With Bleach and really worked it into the grout and tile. Let it sit for a while, then hit it with Simple Green and a Swiffer.

Upside: It cleaned the hell out of it. From brown tile to white tile in one evening.

Downside: I really didn't need to know how nasty our floors were before this...!
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 8:53 AM on March 21, 2005

I used Kaboom on our tile floor, which had been cleaned infrequently by the previous owners. It was definitely a hands-and-knees, scrub-each-inch-of-grout kind of job, but it worked really well. (Except on the part of the floor that was under the edges of the old toilet, where 20 years of dried pee will just not frickin' come out. A big kiss for someone who can solve that one.)
posted by SashaPT at 9:35 AM on March 21, 2005

I've had pretty good luck with a combination of the bleach gel pen and those swanky Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.
posted by Caviar at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2005

I mix equal parts bleach and water and put it in a spray bottle. The gel is great for vertical sections of tile because it won't drip, but for getting deep into the cracks of old caulk it's too thick.

Of course, I have to wait until my hippie roommates are out of town for the weekend before I clean the bathroom. If anyone has a less toxic solution I'd be glad to hear it.
posted by cali at 10:51 AM on March 21, 2005

Bleach nukes stains, but if you want a less noxious solution, peroxide is pretty effective. Don't spray it, though (when aerosolized, it's pretty nasty). Wipe on with a toothbrush or sponge and walk away.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 11:21 AM on March 21, 2005

Is that hydrogen peroxide?
posted by cali at 11:38 AM on March 21, 2005

I second the endorsement of Kaboom! It's amazing. We had some nasty mold-stuff growing on our floor and it fixed it more than anything else.

I haven't had any good experience with Clorox pens though.
posted by tozturk at 11:52 AM on March 21, 2005

Is that hydrogen peroxide? --Yes.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 11:56 AM on March 21, 2005

I like Cif
posted by matteo at 12:27 PM on March 21, 2005

Depending on just how bad your floor is, you might consider using a professional tile/grout acid wash followed by grout colorant. You can purchase both at home centers or custom tile stores.

The acid is used to both clean and "etch" the grout. The colorant then colors and seals the finished grout. Note that using this technique you can even update the color of the grout to one that might camouflage future stains, etc.

This page has some step-by-step instructions and recommendations for specific colorant brands.
posted by jimmereeno at 1:54 PM on March 21, 2005

Prevention is your friend. (Unless you like scrubbing with stinky cleaners) The best advice I ever got was to leave the vent fan on for at least 15 minutes after finishing the shower.
Speaking of cleaning, vents need it too. And the little fans can be replaced easily and economically.
posted by Cranberry at 2:50 PM on March 21, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks everybody. I have some great alternatives to go with here.
posted by Witty at 10:42 PM on March 21, 2005

Go ask all the professional tile installers who have nothing better to do then talk to each other at http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php? Seriously there are many very knowledgeable folks willing to help you out or search the archives
posted by flummox at 3:30 PM on March 23, 2005