How To Clean Grout

Many a times you may have tried to clean grout by using non toxic cleaning materials like vinegar and baking soda but then the results obtained may not be very satisfying as these materials works best on lightly soiled grout.

Is there no way to clean those ceramic tiled bathroom floors?

Yes, there is use of oxygen bleach is one sure way to clear all the grout from your bathroom floor though you may think that the bleach is dangerous but then this oxygen bleach is safe and eco friendly too.

Hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach is a good grout cleaner and apart from this sodium per carbonate and also sodium per borate both of which come in powder forms are also good cleaners. Though they are eco friendly they do have some or the other reaction as they do undergo a chemical reaction in order to remove the dirt and grime from the grout tiles

Ways to clean the grout:

Mixing sodium per carbonate powder with two or three cups of water or as instructed or a mixture of oxygen bleach with a bucket of water can help you get started to clear the grout from your bathroom tiles.

You can either pour this liquid over the tiled grout or use a paintbrush to spread over this grout apart from this you can also use an eyedropper or a turkey baster too. To get the best results you need to start working from the back of the room ending up to the front of the room. Let the solution remain for at least 5 minutes and you will notice that there is white foam which helps remove the grout from the tiles, waiting for around 15minutes would be the most ideal time for you to wipe off this surface to get the best results another coat of oxygen bleach can do wonders to your tile.

In case you need to do some scrubbing it will be easier to do so now that the solution has remained undisturbed for 15minutes. Using a brush or a rag you can clean this grout and wash off the floor with clean water.

The result is best seen when the floor has dried up completely as the grout is porous it will appear dark when wet and if you feel that the floor is still not clean then you can always repeat the procedure again till you are happy with the end result.

What is the purpose of a grout sealer?

Grout Sealer helps protect your grout tile from getting dirty faster thus saving you from all the trouble again in the future. Though most of the hard work is done by this liquid oxygen bleach but then applying it and waiting for it remove the dirt etc takes its own time and apart from this there is always the concern of getting yourself exposed to the chemicals though. Most of the Grout Sealers are not eco friendly nor are they good for the health.

Most of these Grout Sealers are water based this does not at any given point mean that they are no harmful chemicals involved in it. These are flammable and are known to cause irritation of the lungs or skin. These chemicals are also hazardous in case they enter your water supply. Though they are not very harmful but then they are not natural products to protect your grout either.

The choice is entirely yours whether you want to go through all the process or want to keep your grout free from grim and dirt for a longer period of time without having to get in touch with hazardous chemicals or get a reaction to these chemicals for that matter.

How To Clean Tile Grout

You must be wondering as to why in spite of regular vacuuming your bathroom tiles look yellowish in color? Grout as you know is by nature very porous thus there is an increase in the level of absorption of all the spills and also on holding the dirt, molds and even the mild dew onto to the tile. But then how does one go about cleaning this grout from the tiles? By scrubbing too much you may damage your tile thus instead of rectifying your grout problem you will be increasing the problem.

Is there any way to clean the tile grout?

Before you start cleaning the tile grout you need to gather your cleaning materials like bucket, vacuum cleaner,, mild soap, a sponge or a mop or even a soft cloth will do but it all depends upon how much area you need to clean up.

If the color of the grout is white then using hydrogen peroxide along with baking soda is advisable. But then if the color of your grout is darker or has turned yellowish that means you will need a stronger cleaning agent and for this you can always make use of oxygen bleach which comes in a powdered form.

Firstly, vacuum clean the area that needs cleaning as washing the grout directly will dirty the surrounding area thus making the job more difficult and stressful. To clean walls and countertops you can always use of pieces of rags.

If using a mild cleaning agent will help you out then try them out as this will help solve your problem easily and for this you will need to fill up a bucket with warm water adding to it some mild soap and using a mop wet the area to be cleaned. Let the soap water set there for a few minutes then clean the area, if the grout tile looks cleaner then you need not repeat the cleaning method again.

If you have to clean white grout too much of cleaning solution may affect the grout as this is known to distort the color of the tile. The best way to clean white grout is to use equal quantity of the solution and water and the cleaning agent here being hydrogen peroxide, pour the solution is a spray bottle and all you need to do is to spray this solution directly onto the white grout, allow it to settle down for some time and then wipe clean.

In case there are certain spots that cannot be removed easily then you need to use baking soda along with hydrogen peroxide mixed to paste and applied on these stubborn spots. Allow it to dry. Rinse the tile thoroughly.

If your tiles have a yellowish or a colored grout then using oxygen bleach powder is the best option like OxiClean which should be mixed with warm water. Apply this on the grout letting it settle down on this area and cleaning it off by gently scrubbing the stained area after about fifteen minutes with a rag or a toothbrush.

Rinse thoroughly as leaving behind any residue will attract more dust, grime and dirt thus making it a far tedious cleaning job in the future. In case of stains like blood, hair color dye etc scrubbing is not the solution all you need to do is to replace the tile as spraying harsh chemicals will damage your tiles.

Natural stone tiles are known to be more susceptible to acidic cleaners causing more wear and tear so use the help of a professional to help replace your tile or for that matter repair your tile. Always check on the pH level of the floor cleaner before using them as they may cause more damage then be of any help to you to clean up your grout tiles.

How To Clean Tile Floors

Most of the time it has been found that if you want to clean your bathroom tiles all you must have done is let the cleaning material or mixture sit on the floor for some time and then clean them off, but by doing so you not only spoil your health but this mixture sometimes gives out noxious gases which gives you vomiting sensation. The best way to clean your tiled floor is to use citric acid which will help you clean up without emitting any noxious gases and leaving your bathroom tiles sparkling and clean.

Is Citric Acid really effective?

Citric acid is the cheapest of all cleaning agents and it is also known to kill bacteria’s etc. with a lot of ease. There are no traces of citric acid after some time so there are no health hazards as compared to other floor cleaners which may be effective cleaners but more harmful to health. All you need to do is follow the steps given below to clean your tiled floor using citric acid to get the best results.

1. Citric acid is a natural cleaner and safe to use, so before you start off you need to sweep the bathroom flooring thoroughly starting from the edges of the bathroom coming to the centre of the bathroom. If you have anything else in the bathroom like the claw foot then you need to cleanly sweep below so that you don’t have any dust particles sticking out from underneath.
2. You need to mix citric acid in hot water proportionately. Soak the floor with this acidic water or if you are worried then all you need to do is to mop it around but then it will evaporate before you can scrub the floor clean. So it is better to let this acidic water solution soak the bathroom tiles as this increases the chances of your scrubbing the bathroom tiles lesser as it this acidic solution is known to loosen up the mineral deposits, mold, dirt or any other spots like rust faster.
3. If there are spots that need a little more attention then you need to use rubber gloves and using a scratch pad scrub clean the tiles of these harsh spots like paint, varnish etc. Though if scrubbing does not work then you can use citric acid concentrate to make it easier for you to remove the harsh spots.
4. Once the scrubbing part is done all you need to do is double rinse your bathroom i.e. you can use a mop and wipe the bathroom using clean water. You should not worry about water spots as this acid solution is known to chelate almost all the minerals that are present in the water.
5. When talking about eco-friendly floor cleaners citric acid is the best eco friendly and effective floor cleaner.

There are many brands of bathroom cleaners available in the market today which have a high pH solution in them and dissolve the minerals easily thus help clean up your bathroom tiles quickly but then there are some that don’t abide by the laws and have a low pH so you need to check out the floor cleaner before you try them out. Some soap leave residue behind but then they can be dangerous as it will become difficult to clean this up as layers of grim and dust collect on it over a time period.

Other natural bathroom cleaners which are effective and mild acidic in nature are vinegar or acetic acid, extracts of orange juice, citric acid juice or lemon juice. These are wonderful floor cleaners giving your bathroom tiles a clean and shiny look at the same time being good disinfectants killing all those germs and bacteria that are found in the bathrooms.

How To Clean Linoleum

There is a vast difference between vinyl floors and linoleum flooring and you should not confuse one for the other. Though vinyl flooring is found in institutions and is more prone to wear and tear in comparison to linoleum flooring. You need to clean your linoleum flooring without the use of chemicals that are toxic or have harsh properties as this is known to damage your linoleum flooring.

The best cleaning agent for linoleum is the use of vinegar as cleaners with high pH are known to not only damage the flooring but also makes your linoleum flooring crack down faster and loose the natural luster of the flooring.

Base chemicals are found in ammonia and other floor cleaners which are known to be effective linoleum cleaners as they not only clean up the dirt and grime easily but also help maintain the natural luster of the linoleum flooring.

Though vinegar is the cheapest of all the floor cleaners and has the least toxic effect on the linoleum flooring because of its natural cleaning properties and also gives you the best results and causing lesser damage to your flooring.

What are the steps to clean linoleum flooring?

Before you start off you need to collect certain things cleaning gear. In a bucket pour some apple cider vinegar and using a mop you can clean the floor. If you wish to you can also dilute this vinegar with some water. All you need to do is mop quickly.

The biggest advantage of using vinegar as your cleaning agent is that you don’t need to do a lot of cleaning and it will not damage your flooring as linoleum is not porous so it will not absorb this cleaning agent.

All you need to do is to soak your mop and then wring the mop and get back to cleaning the floor. The edges of the flooring are well sealed so there is no fear of the solution from seeping into the flooring.

You can wipe the entire linoleum flooring once and then go back to it again this way using a bit of pressure thus removing any dirt or grime that may have got stuck in the flooring.

If you are too conscious about having your linoleum flooring completely disinfected and also bringing out the shine in the flooring and have a second thought about the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar as a disinfectant and a natural shiner then you don’t need to worry.

As you know that linoleum is made using linseed oil, rosin, pine tree, limestone, wood flour, jute, cork flour and other such natural organic materials it is basically green in color and can be recycled. And vinegar is the most effective one on this flooring. Apart from this you also have an alternative of linoleum floorings like Marmoleum and this too is made from natural occurring or organic materials.

And as today with the changing lifestyle people hardly having time running around with their busy schedule the most effective and less maintenance required flooring material is linoleum. This linoleum flooring is cost effective and is far lesser than the other expensive kind of floorings like the marble, slate and vinyl floorings.

After a hard day of work if you have to come back to mopping up your floor or have guests or a pet or even a baby at home and are always tensed as to how to take care of your expensive flooring as most of the other floorings are either expensive or have a lot of maintenance as some are porous thus absorbing water or any spills immediately thus eroding and increasing the corrosion of the flooring, but then with linoleum flooring you have very little to worry. Sit back and enjoy your evening without much floor cleaning as linoleum is the best flooring available for you.

How To Clean Laminate

With the change in life style there is hardly any time left to clean up the house what with office work, taking care of the children and other obligations to be fulfilled. With so many things taking precedence do you think it is worth spending hours together to just clean up the floor, well no? Then is there any way to clean up your flooring?

Yes, using laminate flooring is the best available option as this has relatively a very low maintenance. But then there is one problem and that is it takes longer time to clean up a laminate flooring in comparison to other floorings. You need to be careful while cleaning a laminate flooring otherwise it may turn out to be an expensive affair as too much of moisture may lead to the expansion of tile expansion as well as warp and the tile may get dislodged.

You need to follow the cleaning method strictly which you get at the time of installation of the laminate flooring so that you don’t lose out of your warranty. All you need to do is to follow the instructions given below and you will not only have a sparkling laminate flooring but you will also have a low maintenance benefit of using a laminate flooring.

How do you go about cleaning the laminate flooring?

1. Wipe all the spills immediately as abundance of liquids on the flooring will damage the laminate wooden flooring. Moisture on the flooring are known to seep into the cracks and cause warp, swell up the flooring and get them displaced.
2. Shift the movable furniture so that you have a larger area to clean up as dirt or sand may be stuck to the furniture which you may unwittingly drag along while cleaning thus causing scratches to develop on your flooring. Don’t drag the heavy furniture as they leave behind lots of scratches on the wooden flooring.
3. Broom up the laminate flooring or a dust mop so as to remove all the dust from the flooring before you start off the actual cleaning work. You can also vacuum clean the flooring to get rid of finer dust particles that are stuck to the wooden laminate flooring, thus making cleaning easier.
4. Use a homemade laminate cleaner and all that you require is a squirt bottle which you need to fill up with the cleaner, water, white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in equal proportion. Wet a cloth or a mop and start mopping spraying the liquid from the squirt bottle on to the mop or cloth thus preventing more liquid from spilling onto the wooden laminate flooring.

If you are not still not satisfied then you can always opt for other cleaning methods like you can use a floor cleaner of your choice, fill the bucket with water add a cup of white vinegar and approximately a cup of rubbing alcohol and taking a few dips you can wipe the floor clean. Drying the flooring so that there is no moisture remaining thus assuring a clean wooden laminate flooring.

Further more you can also place doormats and rugs to absorb dust and dirt especially in areas where there are too much of possibilities of human movements. Also avoid using cleaner that are high on ammonia as they are known to remove and damage the coating that is applied on the laminate flooring for protection.

Waxing the floor should be avoided as it will wear off unevenly and thus make your flooring look ugly and bad. Steaming your flooring will also cause damage as there is water retention in the wooden laminate flooring.

To remove oil, tar etc use a few drops of nail polish on a piece of rag and wipe clean. Using ice is the best way to remove wax or stuck gum on your wooden laminate flooring will be a better idea than scrubbing with a brush or a metal sponge. This way your wood laminate flooring will remain clean and shining for a longer time.

How To Clean Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring were a rage a couple of decades back and is back again with a bang. It is far easier to clean hardwood flooring rather than clean the carpet on the floor but then you need to have proper equipments to clean even this wooden flooring as a wrong kind of equipment may lead you to do up the entire flooring again.

There are many ways to clean this hardwood flooring, but then the best way is to clean is by using an organic floor cleaner. But before you start off you will need a few essential equipments to help you clean this hardwood flooring like a good broom, a mop, if you want to use a vacuum cleaner if you desire so, cleaning solution and last but not the least a spray bottle by which you can spray the cleaning solution onto the hardwood flooring.

You can always use an organic dish washing soap and plain water. Try to avoid using commercial products as they are acidic by nature and are known to give your floor a dull look after a period of time thus destroying the beauty of your hardwood floor.

You need to start off by sweeping the floor of any dirt or dust and vacuum clean the corners so that all the dirt gets collected in the garbage bag. Pour warm water and the organic soap in the spray bottle and spray the liquid on the floor and wipe it clean with a mop, make sure that the mop is not wet as abundance of water is known to lead to the cracking of the wooden flooring.

The best way to get good results to your cleaning is to do one area at a time so that you can work faster and get the best result for your cleaning. If there are some spots that are troubling you than you can always spray the solution directly on that spot and leave it for some time before you can wipe it clean and dry. Yet another option is to mix water that is a tad warm with vinegar and then mop up the wooden flooring though this solution is a bit acidic but then you can get good results for getting rid of troublesome spots.

Yet another way to clean this hardwood floor in a much cheaper way is to use your old socks to help you do the cleaning which can help you traverse your room into a clean and neat one.

You have learnt how to clean this hardwood floor but then keeping it clean is also of utmost importance otherwise you will end up cleaning and moping your floor every other day due to collection of dirt and dust.

Firstly to avoid the floor getting dirty you need to clean or rather sweep the floor everyday or regularly. Another thing that you can do is to use rugs wherein you can remove your shoes out there itself thus preventing dust from entering the room. Avoid letting pets from entering the room as their nails can leave scratches on the hardwood flooring or get them trimmed regularly.

You can also apply protective pads beneath all the furniture as this will prevent scratching and denting of the wooden floor

Last but not the least avoiding sunlight to enter the room as sunlight is known to corrode the furniture and this is true even with your wooden floor as with time sunlight will fade up the color of the wooden floor. This way you can increase the shelf life of your hardwood floor and keep it clean and grime free for a far longer time period.

How To Clean Floors

A well kept room with clean floors enhances the beauty of not only the house but also the room itself and no matter how small the area may be. You directly or indirectly are a reason to make your floor look dirty and nasty. As often you may have noticed that children in your home trends across the room with dirty shoes and if you have pets they dirty it with toilet etc.

Cleaning this mess is always troublesome and tiring but then here you will be guided with easy tips where in you will not only be using cleaners that are not only user friendly but are eco friendly too. These methods are inexpensive and apart from this these are quite resourceful methods.

People use different kinds of kitchen flooring, you may like to have a cork flooring while there are some who prefer slate flooring for their bathroom, and some may prefer linoleum floors. Linoleum floors have their own drawbacks as they are made up of organic materials and can be recycled easily and the look of these linoleum floors are green these floors are inexpensive.

How do you go about cleaning these floors?

You can clean these floors using apple cider vinegar though this takes a longer time to evaporate compared to the more concentrated chemical cleaners which is known to dissolve the tiles over a period of time. Apple cider vinegar is known to leave your tiles bright, clean and shining with the fragrance of cinnamon.

If you have marble flooring then though the look gives your room a wonderful look but maintaining them can be a big issue as these marble floorings are known to be sensitive to chemical cleaners and even vinegar is known to damage the flooring.

How does one go about cleaning these tiled floors?

The most easy and conventional method to clean these marble tiled floors is boy using a good mop, citric acid and hot water and if you feel that citric acid is not very effective then you can use other eco friendly alternatives too.

To clean a floor that is made up of hardwood would be difficult if you have to maintain them as wood and water are enemies and the best way to clean these are using mild solutions using some organic soap and warm water, all you need to do is to spray this water and wipe the floor clean this way you will not only clean your floor but will also protect the floor for a longer time period.

If you have carpeted flooring then cleaning this can be a strenuous affair as the filth collects downside. You also don’t need to wash these carpets using soap and water as the soap does not get completely removed thus making your carpet look dirtier sooner than you had expected but then on the other hand using a steam cleaning method or an water extractor will give you a far better result than the traditional use of detergent and water.

Cleaning granite floors is easy because all you need is a mild solution and hot water along with a cloth and you can find your marble flooring sparkling as this is the easiest floor to clean up.

Grout floors are not easy to clean as they are porous thus making them difficult to clean, sometimes when green cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda do not work then use of harsh chemicals is recommended but then using oxygen bleach is far safer than using the chemical bleach to clean these grout floorings.

Green Floors: what are green floors?

Flooring material that which can be recycled in the future, there are many companies that provide you green floor but then you need to know about the company that is going to provide you with the flooring etc before you decide to have green flooring for your house as you are going to keep it for a long time period.

How To Clean A Ceramic Tile Floor

Cleaning ceramic tile floors is much easier as the surfaces of the tiles are smooth. Many people feel that cleaning these ceramic tiles does not need a lot of labor and all that you need is cotton crew socks white in color.

The facts stands true as ceramic tile floors are known to be stain resistant and require very little attention where cleaning is concerned. Though sometimes there are some stubborn stains that make cleaning these ceramic tiles difficult.

Listed below are a few easy methods to clean even these sometimes stubborn stains thus making your ceramic tile floor clean and sparkling.

Firstly, you need to identify the stain as to whether this was caused by red wine, cranberry juice or blood. The first thing to clean these is by mixing baking soda with vinegar forming a moderately thick paste and dabbing this on the stain and leaving it for a quarter of an hour or so.

As the paste becomes crusty all you have to do is to clean this off with water. If the color of the stain is lighter than before than you can repeat the same procedure again but taking care not to let the paste dry completely.

Furthermore to prevent the paste from drying up you can always cover it with a damp cloth so that the paste will take a longer time to dry thus working on the stain for a longer time period giving you lesser time to scrub the floor tiling.

If there is a slight stain on the tile or the grout you can always cover this up with a sponge dipped in white latex paint or white primer or for that matter a dab of toothpaste will also help to hide these slight stains.

In case there is a reddish stain then you need to work on it by using hydrogen peroxide to clean the stain thoroughly. Most of the time you will notice that the stains are removed but then in case they still remain you can try out the alum and lemon juice paste which is known for its prurient qualities but then this should be done after repeating the above mentioned procedure which will definitely help you out.

If all these methods fail then all you can do is to use harsh cleaners which are not only toxic but are also unfriendly environmental cleaners like bleach etc. But then a word of caution chlorine bleach is known to trigger allergies like asthma and in some cases burning sensation to the eyes too. Chlorine is also known for its corrosive tissue damage leading to pulmonary edema or the retention of water in the lungs if exposed for a long period of time. You can always use Barkeeper’s Friend as this has a lesser amount of Oxalic acid which is found in food too but people suffering from kidney stones should avoid using this cleaner as it could be fatal and is eco friendly.

A few tips to prevent ceramic tile grout:

1. Sealing the ceramic tile once in two years but then you need to seal it every six months in areas like the shower, kitchen sink and even your laundry area.
2. Use eco friendly cleaners.

Like the nonskid rugs that prevent you from falling which can be easily replaced after they have worn out there are better options for you from saving yourself from all these scrubbing and cleaning and as an afterthought you need to sit down and decide what is really important when you want to decorate your home.

How To Clean Carpet

Carpets are wonderful as they not only look great but also trap the dust and keep them in one place instead of allowing them to float and settle down on your furniture and not only this they don’t allow dust or dirt granules to stick to your feet, but then cleaning carpet as you certainly will agree can be a great ordeal as it involves the use of a machine and soap along with residue.

Well you can save a lot of trouble by filling up the carpet shampooer with plain water instead as this will make your carpet cleaner and it will remain clear for a longer time period, as soap leaves behind small soap molecules which not only attracts dirt but also keep them trapped in places where you would never want the dirt to get collected thus making it more difficult to clean your carpet.

There are various steps to clean your carpet, stated below are a few methods that will not only make your carpet clean but will also save you from a lot of carpet cleaning ordeal.

1. The first thing is to clear all the furniture from around the carpet as it will expose more of the carpet thus cleaning more of the carpet area. While shifting the furniture always make sure that you have a helping hand to help lift the furniture otherwise you may end up hurting your back lifting the heavy furniture.
2. You should always make it a point to clean the carpet with a vacuum cleaner before cleaning the carpet with water as the vacuum cleaner will pick up dirt, hair and bits of debris etc thus making it easier for you to clean the carpet.
3. To get the best result of cleaning your carpet you will need hot water and this means you will have to fill the water tank in the carpet extractor with very hot water; there are some carpet cleaners which have settings for heating water at different levels.
4. After the water tank is full follow the instructions given in your carpet extractor and start cleaning the carpet without missing out any spot in a methodical manner. Cleaning this way will ensure that you don’t miss out any exposed part on the carpet. Moving slowly but steadily in a methodical pattern will ensure that the grim or dust is pulled from deep within thus cleaning the carpet more thoroughly. So the slower you go about your carpet cleaning work the better will be the work done.
5. You need to refill the water tank whenever the tank becomes empty, carefully emptying the dirty water that has collected in the reservoir thus refilling the water tank with clean hot water. Follow this procedure until you have cleaned the entire carpet.
6. Having done the most tedious job of cleaning the carpet all you need to do is to allow the carpet to dry. When the carpet is completely dry you can rearrange the furniture in its place. Vacuuming your carpet at regular intervals will ensure that the carpet remains cleaner for a longer time period.

If you feel that you still don’t want to clean your carpet yourself than you can always hire professional carpet cleaners who will help you out but then hiring these professional carpet cleaners can have their own set of drawbacks so you need to do a thorough research before you zero down on the best professional carpet cleaners.

The cleaning solution used by these professional carpet cleaners may contain chemicals that are hazardous to both you as well as the environment. The best thing is to call in professional carpet cleaners who are specialized in stream cleaning and use detergents that are specifically formulated for carpet cleaning and is eco-friendly. Carpet cleaning can indeed be fun if you know how to go about cleaning the carpet.