Grout is like the forgotten middle child of your bathroom—until it’s stained, grimy, and impossible to ignore. I used to reach for store-bought cleaners until I found out I could make the best homemade grout cleaner using ingredients I already had in the pantry. It’s simple, powerful, and smells way better than those store-bought options. Whether you’re spring cleaning or just catching up on… well, years of grout neglect, this easy DIY recipe is a tile’s best friend.

Let’s be honest—grout rarely gets the love it deserves. Most of us don’t think twice about it until it’s turned a suspicious shade of gray and suddenly screams for attention. When ignored, it doesn’t just get grubby—it can crack, wear down, and even compromise the structural integrity of your tile. Yes, that unassuming line of dusty grout could actually hurt your home’s value if left to decay.

Why I Switched to Homemade Grout Cleaner

I used to think homemade cleaners were for people with way too much time on their hands or a deep love of chemistry experiments. Meanwhile, I was grabbing the harshest grout cleaner off the store shelf, holding my breath while scrubbing, and wondering why my bathroom smelled like a chemical factory for the next 48 hours. Not exactly the spa vibe I was going for.

Then one day, I ran out. No backup bottle, no time to run to the store, and definitely no desire to breathe in more fumes. So I did what any desperate person would do: I mixed up a few pantry staples, gave it a go… and never looked back.

Making my own grout cleaner means I know exactly what’s in it. It’s safer, smells better, and costs next to nothing. Best of all? It works. Like, really works.

What You’ll Need & Why It Works

This homemade grout cleaner is strong enough to tackle grime, gentle enough to use regularly, and made with ingredients I can actually pronounce:

Baking Soda: It’s mildly abrasive, which gives you just enough grit to scrub without damaging tile or grout. Plus, it helps deodorize and lift stains like a champ.
Washing Soda: Think of this as baking soda’s beefed-up cousin. It’s more alkaline, which means it packs a punch against greasy residue and soap scum. It softens water too, helping the other ingredients do their jobs more effectively.
Borax: A natural mineral that’s been cleaning since your grandma’s day. It boosts stain-fighting power, deodorizes, and helps cut through mold and mildew.
Liquid Blue Dawn or Castile Soap: You need a little soap in the mix to loosen up grime and get that satisfying clean finish.

So, why does this combo work so well? It’s all about chemistry.

Individually, each ingredient has a job to do—but together, they create a synergistic reaction that tackles grime on a molecular level. The alkaline trio—baking soda, washing soda, and borax—raises the pH, making it harder for greasy dirt, mildew, and soap scum to hang on. Meanwhile, the soap’s surfactants break the surface tension of water and grime, allowing everything to lift away more easily when you rinse.

MORE: How to Make a Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner That Actually Works

How to Use This Homemade Grout Cleaner

Once you’ve mixed up your paste (it should be the consistency of pancake batter—loose enough to spread, thick enough to cling), you’re ready to roll up your sleeves.

Start by giving your tile and grout a quick clean with plain water and a cloth or sponge. You want to remove any surface dust or soap residue first, but don’t dry it—leaving the surface damp helps this cleaner really grab on and do its thing.

Next, apply your homemade cleaner directly onto the grout lines. You can spoon it on, dab it with a sponge, or use your fingers if you’re not afraid to get a little gritty. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes—longer if your grout is in poor shape. This gives the ingredients time to loosen up the grime and get to work below the surface.

Grab a sturdy scrub brush and work in small sections. You’ll get better results and avoid letting the paste dry out before you’ve had a chance to scrub. Rinse well with warm water and wipe dry.

Pro Tip: If you’ve got stubborn areas, don’t be afraid to repeat the process or let the paste sit a bit longer. Just don’t let it dry completely—it should stay moist to be effective.

When to Use a Stronger Grout Solution

Sometimes, even the best homemade grout cleaner needs a backup plan—especially when mold has taken up residence in your shower grout. Mold isn’t just ugly; it can be stubborn and, more importantly, a health risk if left unchecked.

If you spot dark spots that won’t budge or that tell a story of moisture and neglect, it’s time to bring out the big guns. I’ve put together a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to safely and effectively tackle grout mold using a simple DIY solution made with bleach, baking soda, and a little plastic wrap. If stubborn mold has you feeling stuck, check out The Ultimate Trick for How to Clean Shower Grout Mold for everything you need to know to get your grout back to looking fresh, clean, and mold-free.

MORE: The Ultimate Trick for How to Clean Shower Grout Mold

Gloved hand scrubbing tile with homemade grout cleaner

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Grout Cleaner

No fumes, no mystery chemicals—just pantry staples that actually work.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Sit Time15

Total Time35

Category: Cleaning, DIY, DIY Household Cleaners

Cuisine: Cleaning, Natural Cleaning

Yield: ounces

Materials

½ cup baking soda
2 tablespoons washing soda
2 tablespoons borax
3 tablespoons Blue Dawn Ultra or liquid Castile soap

Instructions

Prep the surface: Clean your tile and grout area with warm water and rinse well. Do not dry—slightly damp grout helps the cleaner activate more effectively.
Mix the cleaner: In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until a loose paste forms. It should resemble a gritty batter—spreadable but not runny.
Apply and wait: Sprinkle or apply the paste directly onto grout lines. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes to give the ingredients time to work their magic.
Scrub it down: Use a heavy-duty brush to scrub in small, manageable sections. Rinse well with warm water.

Notes

Work in sections: Cleaning an entire bathroom floor at once is a surefire way to give up halfway through. Small areas = less stress and better results.

Storage: This recipe is best used fresh, but if you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container for up to one week.

Optional Boost: For extra whitening power, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide right before application—but test on an inconspicuous spot first.

Question: Be honest—when was the last time you cleaned your grout? (No judgment… just solidarity.) Got a trick that works wonders? Jump down to the comments below.

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Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

Ok but says:

June 18, 2025 at 9:30 am

I use straight peroxide to clean around the toilet especially but also just to mop the bathroom floor. It’s been 10 years since we remodeled and the floor is still nearly perfect. In fact, a friend asked how we keep the white grout clean? And BTW What is washing powder?

Mary Hunt says:
June 19, 2025 at 12:48 pm

Super Washing Soda. Go to any page on this blog. Look to the lower right and click on the search icon. Type in anything—a subject, keyword. Hit Enter! Do that right now. Type in Washing Soda. BAM! See how that works. You have a full director, index at hand here at EC. You can find it on every page. Yep … little magnifying glass icon. You have NO IDEA how many times I type this directive in response to emailers. So many of you think I have a full index in my head for every single post on this site which is in the thousands. I don’t. I go to the bottom of any page on this site, I click on the little search icon. I type in the word(s) you just requested that I resend or republish. Yep I do and you know what? I’m tired of doing that. So if you are reading this now … see how you can do this yourself? Quite tech, isn’t it. I’m about to stop handholding by creating an auto reply that will probably turn out like this: “Dear [Name]: I love you but at this moment I am unable to assist you. Find it yourself: Little icon. Click on it. Type in a keyword or subject. There. Goodnight.” Too harsh? Help me come up with a better response by commenting below! OR … take a few minutes and try it yourself! Little icon. Click on it. Type in a keyword or subject … Prepare to be amazed.

Sterling Hill says:

June 16, 2025 at 12:19 pm

I am stunned with the homemade grout cleaner – I can’t tell you how many grout cleaners I have bought over the years that ‘maybe’ helped a bit. This is the one that really works. My kitchen grout looks new again. Thanks so much!!! My only suggestion would be to use less soap and a bit of water as the soap was hard to clean off the floor. Took several washings. Terrific results. I thought I’d finally have to hire somebody.

Krista says:

June 10, 2025 at 5:15 am

Hi Mary, I recently tried LA’s Totally Awesome on my white grout on the master bath floor. (previous owner must have been crazy to pick white grout.) It worked so great! I shared before and after pics with family and friends. I have two more bathrooms, laundry room, and entry way yet to clean. Is the Totally Awesome safe to use or do you recommend the homemade version? PS $1.25 cleaned my MBR and the smell was so mild, I was surprised.

Faye says:

June 9, 2025 at 3:09 pm

SoftScrub with bleach works in one minute.

Best Homemade Grout Cleaner to Clean Tile Naturally

Why I Switched to Homemade Grout Cleaner

What You’ll Need & Why It Works

How to Use This Homemade Grout Cleaner

When to Use a Stronger Grout Solution