How to Clean Grout

 My grout in the bathroom was looking kind of icky, so I started looking for something that I could make here at home to get it clean. The easiest, and seemingly most effective recipe called for just two ingredients: vinegar and dish soap. I was skeptical, but decided to give it a shot.

I mixed the vinegar and dish soap in a squirt bottle in equal parts. The recipe online said to use a spray bottle, but I didn't have one on hand. the squirt bottle worked just fine for me. Just apply to the grout lines. If you are working on a large floor, divide it up into smaller sections. Let the solution sit and soak for a few minutes.

I used an old towel to wipe up some of the excess solution before I started scrubbing. Even without scrubbing yet, I got this much dirt off my floor. Mind you, I had already swept and mopped before I began.

Using a wet scrub brush I scrubbed all of the grout lines. Didn't take a ton, but I did need to use a little elbow grease. I then dampened another towel and used it to wipe up all the stuff I had just scrubbed up. This towel shows how much more stuff came up after scrubbing.

It may not be perfect, but there is a huge improvement over what it looked like before. Now I just need to do the same to the tile on the landing... Maybe another day!

Make it Yourself - Stain Remover

I've run across a lot of hard to remove stains in my day. It's always such a bummer when you have to stop wearing something that you love because of a big stain or blotch of grease that just won't come out. I ran across this idea to remove stains some time ago, and I decided to test it out and see how it works!



Seems simple enough, all you need is concentrated dishwashing liquid (Such as Dawn, Palmolive, Ajax, etc.) and hydrogen peroxide. Mix equal parts soap and peroxide, and apply to the stain.

Rub it around a bit to agitate it and force it into the fabric, and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes or so. Right after you put it on the stain, you will see the peroxide start to bubble as it starts eating away at the organic matter stuck in the fibers. Launder as you normally would, then check out your stains to see if they lifted. Not every stain will be lifted the first time, but you should see some improvement with each application. I tested it out on the bottom cuffs of my work scrubs (where I walk on them all day, because I am short) and some greasy spots on one of my dishtowels where I set some cookies to cool.

See the greasy spots?

Grease spots, foaming up!

The wash is done, and the results are in. The bottoms of my scrubs seem less dirty, but the stain is not completely removed. The dishtowel, on the other hand, has no more grease spots! My main reason for applying it to my scrubs, aside from seeing if it would remove the dirt, was to test colorfastness. Now that I know it won't fade my work clothes, I can use this little remedy all the time. Since I work in a nursing home, I'm sure that you can only imagine the stains that I bring home. All in all, I'd say it is a stain remover worth mention. Certainly it will remove stains with organic components, just not sure about inorganic stains. Test it out and see what it will remove from your clothes, carpets, linens and upholsteries. I'm fixing to put it on the carpet on my steps...