Why You May Want To Avoid A Viral TikTok Grout Cleaning Hack

With so many new and innovative cleaning hacks popping up all over the internet, it's no wonder people are so eager to try anything that promises to make chores a little easier. Many of these TikTok trends are actually very helpful and can offer a different way to approach an old problem. Other ideas, however, can actually be detrimental to your home, and might even end up ruining certain elements.

One viral trend for cleaning grout has homeowners jumping for joy at the prospect of a quick and fairly simple hack — but it might be too good to be true. While some people have seen success, one Tik Tokker in particular found out the hard way that easier isn't always better. The internet has a plethora of answers as to how often you should be cleaning your grout, ranging from biweekly to once every two years. Regardless of how often you choose to do it, you may want to avoid this trend if you want to keep your tiled floors and walls in good condition.

Using toilet bowl cleaner on grout has become a TikTok trend in recent years. Not only does the substance remove stains and dirt once you scrub it away, but the bottle is the ideal shape for covering grout lines. It almost seems like this household cleaner was meant to help keep your floors looking fresh, but it appears that the trend is too good to be true. While the toilet bowl chemicals do remove grime, it also eats away at the grout. Mr. Handyman points to the porous composition of the cement used in grout, which absorbs everything it comes into contact with, meaning harsh chemicals will corrode it.

In a recent Tik Tok video by @megasmr12, the user shows herself adding toilet bowl cleaner to her grout, then scrubbing it away with a firm bristled brush and water. Once all of the chemical had been removed, you can see her marble floors have also been affected by the cleaner, and not in a good way. Turi associates the negative effects of toilet bowl liquid with the acidic ingredients it is comprised of, which can ruin and break down floor tile sealant. Once the sealant has been compromised, your floors can deteriorate quickly, which will result in expensive replacements.

There is nothing wrong, however, with wanting to find a simple solution for cleaning grout. It can be an arduous process, and sometimes it still looks less white than grey or beige, even after a good scrub. After the first year of installation, grout sealant begins to wear off, so unless you are reapplying it regularly, it is better to avoid harsh, acidic chemicals that will eat away at it. Hydro Clean mentions reapplying sealant once a year, to help protect the tile's surface and the grout. 

There are a few different ways you can approach cleaning your grout. Home Depot suggests purchasing a mixture specifically designed for grout and tile, then using a sponge to apply it and scrub away dirt. If your floors are extremely grimy, you can also try making a mixture of oxygenated bleach and warm water, then leaving it on stubborn stains to lift them off. If you prefer a homemade option, add 3/4 cup of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of dish soap, then stir in 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. The result will make a paste that you can spread onto the grout and then gently wash off with a sponge.