My grout gets really dirty and is hard to clean. Help!

People that have a cleaning service think their floor tile grout shouldn't get dirty.  Wrong!  Dirt collects in the grout lines because they are at the lowest spot on the floor.  It will be cleaned up the next time your maids clean, as long as the grout seal is still effective.  Unfortunately sealing is typically only effective for a couple of years at most.  After that the water used to clean the tile will actually push the accumulated dirt into the grout.  Over time this builds up and makes the grout look at lot darker than it was originally.

There are several methods that can clean grout.  They either cost a lot of money and involve expensive pieces of equipment like high-speed brushes or powerful steamers and a cleaning company.  Or there are specialized grout brushes that take elbow grease to remove the dirt.

There is a third way however that involves neither of the above.  Oxygen Bleach when used appropriately will clean your grout with a minimum amount of effort and almost as fast as the expensive equipment.  What is oxygen bleach and is it safe you might ask?  It's not a bleach like chlorine bleach.  It's a powdered form of oxygen contained in an inert filler material (soda ash).  When the powder comes in contact with water, pure oxygen is released.  The oxygen is the cleaner.

OXI-CLEAN, a commercial laundry additive is an example of oxygen bleach although it is relatively under powered for tile as it's only 50% sodium percarbonate (the active oxygen ingredient).  For tile you really want a 75% to 90% sodium percarbonate concentrate.

Oxygen bleach can bleach out certain materials although not nearly as bad or as many materials as chlorine bleach.  So test out carpeting areas that border the tile to make sure it won't bleach the carpet.  A damp mop soaked in the qxygen bleach solution should be laid down on a pre-cleaned tile floor.  Leave the solution on the floor for thirty minutes.  Add solution to those areas that dry out (meaning the solution has permeated the grout).  Mop the floor with clean water when finished and dry the surface with a dry mop.

You should be able to do 500 square feet of tile in an hour and a half.  Remember to use booties when you do this and take them off before stepping on anything other than tile as they will have oxygen bleach solution on them.