Professionals grout cleaning services use machines to do the grout cleaning for them rather than hand tools. The most popular variety is a steam cleaner with scrubbing action. These machines are usually hooked up to a water source and heat the water to steam. Steam is pushed out of the bottom of the machine while brushes rotate in circular motions. The high pressure steam dislodges the dirt and grime in your grout and the brushes scrub it away. The machines also have suction action that gets rid of the dirty water as new steam is sprayed in.

The hotter the steam and the greater the pressure it can be delivered at, the better the clean. The hotter steam and high pressure will help to cut through stains faster. The brushes need to be powerful enough to scrub the grout, but not too powerful because you do not want to damage or dislodge any of the grout. Professional grout cleaners will ask when the last time you had your grout sealed was to make sure that their heavy duty equipment will not damage your grout.

Once your grout is clean, a professional grout cleaner will also offer a sealing service. They can reapply grout sealant for you if it has been several years since it was last applied. Grout sealant is a great way to protect your grout from not only stains, but also bacteria and molds. The professionals have the appropriate personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves that are necessary when handling these chemicals. They also can bring in large fans to ensure the proper air circulation while they work.

My first step was to divide my shower area into five sections. Each section is small enough that it only take me about five to ten minutes to scrub the grout in that area. Each morning before I take my shower, I work on cleaning that section of the shower tile and grout. Then, when I am done I just get into the shower and rinse my work and myself. There are two main benefits of cleaning your dirty grout this way.

First, if you have ever worked with bathroom cleaners and many cleaning chemicals in general you know that they do not smell great. If you do your cleaning immediately before you take a shower then you will smell fresh all day even though you used chemicals at the beginning of it. Second, doing a little bit of work every day will make sure that the task never gets overwhelming so that you put it off. Five or ten minutes of work is nothing.

You will notice that this cleaning schedule only has enough work for five days. I would assume that you shower every day rather than just five time a week. The reason I have built in a two day buffer is because things come up. What if you over sleep one day or you are away from home for a night? The two extra days give you some flexibility.

Now, you will notice that this plan only accounts for the tile grout in the shower. You might be wondering why I worry about that area so much and when I clean the rest of my bathroom tile grout. Well, the shower is a damp and warm area that does not get much air flow because often we close the shower door or leave the shower curtain closed. This kind of environment is the perfect place for mold and mildew to thrive. You really need to keep on top of the grout in your shower because it could get quite black in no time. The rest of the grout in the bathroom does not get as dirty so we do not have to worry about cleaning it on a daily basis. I use those two extra days that I give myself every week to try and work in a cleaning time for the rest of the bathroom grout at least once a month.

The first tip is that the best grout cleaners know the easiest way to clean grout is to do it often. If you spend ten to fifteen minutes a week cleaning the shower tile grout, then you will never get that black build up of mildew or mold that takes intense scrubbing and extremely harsh chemicals to fade. Get into a routine where you spend a little bit of time at a certain hour every week so that the grout cleaning becomes part of your routine. Once you get into that routine it will seem like you always did it, and you will never have to rent expensive equipment or spend hours doing marathon grout cleaning sessions again.

A second tip is that you should use the gentlest grout cleaner possible to get the job done. Some grout cleaning products are quite abrasive and using heavy duty chemicals could slowly erode or damage your grout. Cleaning grout with vinegar is one of the least harmful ways to achieve clean grout. Use a one to one solution of vinegar and water. Never use a professional strength grout cleaner when a more mild option will work. Remember that the best grout cleaner is the one that gets your grout clean, not the most expensive or most intense.

Another tip to remember when you clean grout yourself is that you do not have to do it all with a grout cleaning brush. A grout cleaning machine can make the job go a lot more quickly and efficiently. You can rent grout cleaning equipment from floor cleaning companies or you could even hire them to come in with the equipment and have a professional grout cleaning service. You need to weigh the value of your time against the cost of professional grout cleaning. Just remember that you usually get what you pay for when you hire someone to clean grout. If you want to be absolutely assured of the quality of the work, then you should clean the grout yourself.