Why I stopped using store-bought grout cleaner and switched to vinegar and baking soda

For years I used that orange bottle of grout cleaner from the grocery store. Cost me about 8 bucks every time and the smell would knock me out. Last spring I had a really grimy kitchen backsplash and ran out of the store stuff. I mixed baking soda with white vinegar to make a paste, spread it on the grout lines, let it sit 15 minutes, then scrubbed with an old toothbrush. Honestly it worked better than the chemical stuff and cost me maybe 50 cents. Has anyone else had luck with homemade cleaners for tile or grout?

2 comments

2 Comments

reed.elliot1d ago

Hang on, you're mixing vinegar and baking soda together? That's not really how it works. When you combine them, they fizz and react into mostly water and some salt. You're basically just making water with a tiny bit of sodium acetate left over. The real cleaning power comes from the scrubbing with the paste and the scraping action, not the chemical reaction. Try using baking soda with a little bit of water to make the paste instead, and then spray straight vinegar on it after you scrub. You'll get the same result without wasting the fizz. Just a heads up because I see a lot of people make that mistake.

the_linda1d ago

Did you ever try using just the baking soda and water paste on its own first without the vinegar? I've cleaned my oven racks and stovetop that way for years, just a thick paste left on for 15 minutes then a damp cloth to wipe it off. The grit does the real work scrubbing away the grime, and the vinegar spray afterward just cuts through any leftover grease or smell.