Having dirty grout can make your whole floor look dirty. There are a lot of products on the market today that claim to get your grout sparkling clean. However, some of these products just do not work as well as they claim. Some normal household cleaners are more effective in cleaning grout than the specialty products.

To clean dirty grout, there are several ways that you can go. Chlorine bleach is a cost effective, easy way to clean the grout between the tiles. To clean your floor with bleach, pour a cup of bleach into a mop bucket and add a gallon of hot water to the bleach. Apply the mixture to the tile floor with a mop. Pay close attention to the grout as you are applying the bleach water, and try not to spill the mix on carpets or rugs. Allow the bleach mix to sit on the tile floor and on the grout for about thirty minutes. Mop up the bleach mix. If the stains have been removed adequately, rinse the floor with clean water. If it did not remove the stains, apply more of the bleach mixture and repeat the process.

Another way to clean your dirty grout is by using hydrogen peroxide. Apply the hydrogen peroxide to the grout directly, and allow the peroxide to sit on the grout for about an hour. The peroxide takes a while to work, as the hydrogen peroxide divides into water and an additional free oxygen atom. This free oxygen atom is what does the work in removing stains. After an hour, mop up all of the hydrogen peroxide with fresh water.

The best way to clean grout is using oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach works the same way as hydrogen peroxide does. When oxygen bleach mixes with water, the free oxygen atoms become active and penetrate the stain, working the dirt and stains out of grout. Oxygen bleach is nontoxic and not harmful to pets or children, unlike bleach and hydrogen peroxide. To clean grout, mix oxygen bleach with water and apply the mix to the floor. Allow the oxygen bleach to sit on the floor for 30 minutes to an hour. When the hour is up, scrub the grout with a toothbrush while the mixture is still on the floor. All remaining stains should come right out of the grout. Mop up the remaining mixture with clean water and a mop.