To clean grout by yourself, here’s what you can do:

1. Before grout cleaning, wipe away any excess wet buildup with paper towels or a white terry-cloth towel. If grout is crumbling, consider replacing it.

2. While cleaning, make sure you wear rubber or latex gloves and safety goggles. Open all windows to avoid exposure to the harsh chemical fumes of bleach-containing solutions.

3. Spray on a commercial grout cleaner or a heavy-duty all-purpose cleaning solution with bleach. Wait for several minutes.

4. Scrub grout with a stiff scrubbing brush or a grout brush, then rinse thoroughly.

5. Eradicate mold, mildew or tough stains with a bleach-containing cleanser, or you can make your own by using 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) of chlorine bleach and 1 qt. (32 fl oz/1 l) of warm water. Let the disinfectant sit for at least 10 minutes to thoroughly kill the mold and mildew.

6. Scrub the grout with a stiff brush or a grout brush, rinse, then dry with a white towel or paper towels.

7. The grout should now be sparkling clean. Make sure to keep it that way. Apply one to three coats of commercial grout sealer with a small brush or paintbrush.

8. Reapply the grout sealer annually.

• Keep mold, mildew and stains in check through regular cleanings with a bleach based cleanser.
• Make sure you seal the grout after cleaning.
• Warning! Never mix bleach with an ammonia-based product such as glass cleaner.