Unmasking Your Grout: The Ultimate Guide to Banishing Hard Water Scum

The majority of American households use hard water – water that is rich in minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium. This mineral-rich water can leave an unsightly residue on your grout and tiles, commonly known as soap scum. Over time, this soap scum can dull and darken your grout while also fostering bacterial growth.

So how do you remove soap scum?

While there are numerous ways to clean soap scum, from lemon juice to vinegar, a proper grout cleaner is required to thoroughly cleanse your grout of this build-up.

Grout’s porous nature allows it to easily absorb soap scum, leading to discoloration. However, with the right grout cleaning and sealing products, you can eliminate the soap scum, restoring your grout to its original state. Regular cleaning of soap scum is recommended not just for aesthetic purposes but for health reasons as well.

At Grout Shield, we offer products designed specifically to tackle hard water scum in your grout and tile, leaving them looking as good as new.

Persistent stains in your grout can make your home appear old and dirty, regardless of how often you clean. Thick, scummy films in your grout lines are particularly difficult to hide.

Our products not only remove discoloration, but they also eliminate bacteria and other harmful germs that accumulate in the grout lines over time.

While many home-cleaning products and resources advise using bleach, ammonia, or white vinegar to clean grout stains, these chemicals can actually damage your grout, causing it to crack or break. Instead, we recommend Grout Shield’s Grout & Tile Deep Cleaner, which effectively cleans and lifts deep, stubborn stains from the pores of the grout.

To use this cleaner:

1. combine 1 ounce of the product with 8 ounces of warm water
2. then apply the mixture to the grout using a brush applicator.
3. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it away with a sponge and towel-drying the floor.
4. If soap scum has left a stain, you can restore your grout to its original color with Grout Shield’s color sealer. Simply apply the sealer into the grout lines, spread it evenly with a brush applicator or your finger, and wipe away the excess with a towel or chamois.
5. You can choose any color to recolor your grout, whether you want to match your existing grout color or recolor the entire room.

It’s recommended to seal your grout with a clear grout sealer after cleaning it, to protect it from future spills, accidents, and further soap scum build-up. This sealer will prevent anything from penetrating the grout lines, making future clean-ups easier and leaving no stains behind.

Our grout cleaners and sealers are easy to use and apply, ensuring the removal of soap scum and leaving your home looking clean and refreshed.

For more information on Grout Shield products, visit our grout cleaning product page, or call us toll-free at 1-800-631-0716.