For millions of years, molds have lived in our environment.
Sometimes on roofs, pipes, windows, under your carpet, and even on tile grout. They favor damp, dark places to grow. If the moisture content is high enough, then mold will grow rapidly.
Sometimes we don’t take these molds seriously, but they pose huge health risks. To keep your home clean and healthy, you need to clean any mold as soon as possible. If the conditions are right, mold can easily spread to a larger area.
When that happens, it can be detrimental to the health and safety of you and your family. Also, the bad smells and dirty look of mold can be difficult to get rid of.
As any homeowner knows, mold loves to grow on grout tile. If you have a tiled floor, this is one issue that you simply can’t run away from.
Sometimes in the bathroom or the kitchen, mold will grow considerably if not properly treated. So, today we’ll talk about how to clean mold from grout. Before that, we’re going to discover why mold chooses your tile grout to grow.
Why Does Mold Grow on Your Tile Grout?
As we discussed earlier, mold and mildew will grow between tiles to a large extent when not properly and regularly cleaned, but why?
The main reason for this is the porous nature of the tile grout, which makes the grout more suitable for microscopic growth of mold and mildew. Usually, your bathroom and kitchen tiles will deal with a large amount of moisture daily.
This will increase the moisture level on the grout considerably and most of the time, people do not make it a habit to dry tile grout. This leaves perfect conditions for mold and mildew to grow.
Health Issues Related to Molds
There are several health concerns you should worry about. Here are some of them.
- Nasal stuffiness
- Cough
- Eye irritations
- Throat irritations
- Wheezing
- Skin irritations
How to Clean Mold from Grout?
In this section, we’ll talk about four ways to get rid of mold. Depending on the mold spread in your bathroom or kitchen, you can choose a suitable method from below to remove the mold build-up on your tiles and grout.
If you are cleaning flooring, you will need an electric grout scrubber machine to help get rid of the mold and stains.
Method 01 – Using White Vinegar for the Cleaning Process
This is the easiest and most inexpensive method to clean mold. White vinegar is a great cleaning agent for just about all your cleaning requirements and it won’t cause any damage to your grout.
For this method, you’ll need white vinegar, a spray bottle, a scrub brush, and a clean towel.
Step 1
For this process, you need to use undiluted white vinegar (don’t mix any water with vinegar). Spray the white vinegar on the mold-infected grout.
Step 2
Let the white vinegar dissolve the mold. Wait at least 5 minutes.
Step 3
After a minimum of five minutes, scrub the mold-infected grout areas using a scrub brush, grout brush, or toothbrush. Repeat this process if needed.
You should be careful to ensure you don’t damage any grout by scrubbing too hard since you are using pure white vinegar and it can damage the grout.
Step 4
Then rinse the surface with some warm water. You may have to rinse at least two times to get rid of all the separated mold and white vinegar. Finally, remember to dry the area with a clean towel.
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Method 02 – Using Baking Soda for the Cleaning Process
This method is also very effective when it comes to removing mold. For this, you’ll need baking soda, warm water, a scrub brush, and a towel.
Step 1
Mix three parts baking soda with one part warm water. Stir the mixture until it forms a paste.
Step 2
Now apply the baking soda paste to the mold-infected grout. Make sure to apply it with a scrub brush or grout brush.
Step 3
Leave the paste on the grout for at least five minutes.
Step 4
After a minimum of five minutes, scrub the infected areas properly. For this, you can use the scrub brush or grout brush.
If you can’t find a scrub brush, use an old toothbrush. If you follow the steps carefully, you can see the mold separate from the grout easily.
Step 5
Rinse the surface with water and clear out all the separated mold and baking soda paste.
If necessary, repeat the cleaning process. Finally, remember to dry the tiles using a clean towel.
Method 03 – Using Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide for the Cleaning Process
Sometimes both above methods will not work when you are dealing with a high quantity of mold. In that kind of situation use this method.
For this method, you’ll need baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, warm water, a spray bottle, a grout brush, and a clean towel.
Step 1
First, you should wear some protective gear. Use a facemask and rubber gloves to protect yourself.
This is very important because of the hydrogen peroxide as it can cause serious health issues.
Step 2
Prepare the baking soda paste just like in the earlier method. Apply the paste to the mold.
Step 3
Spray the hydrogen peroxide on the baking soda. Now you can see the baking soda begin to fizz. This will take at least five minutes.
Step 4
Scrub the fizzing paste using a scrub brush. When you are scrubbing remember to use a circular motion.
Step 5
Rinse the surface with clean water. You might have to repeat this process a few times to get rid of all the mold and paste. Finally, dry the surface with a clean towel.
Method 04 – Using Chlorine Bleach for the Cleaning Process
Chlorine bleach can be very harmful to your health so you’ll need to be extra careful while mixing and applying this solution.
Step 1
First, wear appropriate protective gear (Face mask and rubber gloves). Keep your windows open and make sure not to breathe in the chlorine bleach solution.
Step 2
Mix one part chlorine bleach with two parts warm water.
Step 3
Before applying the bleach solution, wet the tile grout areas that have been affected by the mold.
Step 4
Spray the bleach solution on the grout and wait for 15 minutes.
Step 5
Scrub the mold-infected area with a scrub brush. Make sure to scrub all the mold spores.
Step 6
Finally, rinse the surface 2 or 3 times. Also, dry the tile surface with a clean towel.
Final Takeaways
We truly hope this article has given you got a better idea about how to clean mold from grout in your home.
These methods are great as they are very safe and inexpensive. Try one of these methods today to get your tile grout sparkling clean.
