How to Properly Clean Epoxy Grout

grouting tile
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
  • 0-40
What You'll Need
Bleach
Water
Spray bottle
Rag
Vinegar
What You'll Need
Bleach
Water
Spray bottle
Rag
Vinegar

While epoxy grout is a vital part of tiling, it is difficult to clean. Due to its porous nature, it is extremely easy for mold, mildew, and stains to take hold. For the same reason, it can seem almost impossible to get them out. While preventative measures are always best, they are not always possible in practice. It is still possible to get grout clean with a minimum of time, effort, and scrubbing. What follows should give you all the information you need to successfully get your grout clean, and keep it that way for the long run.

Step 1 - Set up

Before you do anything, make sure you are wearing clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. If you are wearing clothes you care about, change into clothes you do not mind ruining. Fill your spray bottle with equal amounts of bleach and warm water. Mix them thoroughly until the bleach dissolves. Apply gloves and consider using a mask. Open windows in the area you are working.

Step 2 - Apply Bleach and Water

bottles of bleach

Before you apply your mixture of bleach and water to your epoxy grout, make sure your spray bottle is set to produce a stream, not a mist. Once you have done this, use your spray bottle to apply bleach and warm water to your epoxy grout. Coat the grout thoroughly.

You can hit any hard-to-reach areas by squirting a little bit of the solution onto a clean rag and rubbing it on. This is a good way to get corners or high places where it is not possible to use your spray bottle. Once you have used these techniques to get your bleach solution on every square inch of your epoxy grout, wait 15 minutes.

WARNING: Make sure your work area has proper ventilation, then put on a face mask before you start working with bleach.

Step 3 - Rinse Your Grout

yellowing grout on white tiles

After 15 minutes pass, the bleach should have done its work; however, leaving bleach on your grout and tile can damage it, so you must remove it immediately. Rinse off your grout and tile with water. If you are cleaning a shower, you can save yourself a lot of time by simply running the shower water on your walls, but you will still need to rinse the spots that your shower cannot reach by hand. If your grout is not located in your shower, you will simply have to hand rinse the entire thing. Be sure not to miss a single spot, as bleach left on your tile or grout will probably discolor it.

Step 4 - Prevent Future Problems

Unfortunately, the locations grout and tile are installed in are usually especially vulnerable to mold, mildew, and stains, all of which are difficult to remove. In particular, showers are vulnerable to these problems due to the amount of moisture they are exposed to for long periods. You can save yourself a lot of future cleanings by planning ahead. In a bathroom where showering can raise the moisture levels in the air to very high degrees, use a towel on your walls after showering. Also, fill your spray bottle with vinegar and give your grout regular sprayings. Be sure to rinse thoroughly, as vinegar can damage tile and grout.