Dear Debora... your questions answered

Dear Debora,

Q

Please could you let me know what you would recommend for the cleaning the grouting between ceramic tiles. Many thanks.

– Diane Scott, St Albans

Dear Diane

AKeeping tiles looking fresh and clean can be surprisingly challenging. Grout is very porous and picks up stains easily. Poor ventilation can encourage black marks from mould and mildew; some shampoos and body washes can turn the grout a dingy yellow. If they are looking very bad, I would be inclined to go in hard with a product such as H&G Mould Remover Spray, 500ml for about £6.50 from DIY and hardware shops, or OxiClean Stain Remover, £4.99 for 1.37kg from jmldirect.com. Once you get them looking smart again, use a gentler treatment, such as a spray bottle filled with half-and-half distilled white vinegar and warm water. Spray it on, leave it for five minutes and then scrub and rinse. You can also mix bicarbonate of soda into a paste with water, rub it on, leave for five minutes, then spray with the vinegar and water mixture and proceed as above. Oxo Good Grips sells a set of two brushes, Deep Clean Grout Cleaning Brushes, £8.99 from Lakeland.co.uk, below, specifically designed for scrubbing grout. I have a friend who swears by a stain-removing toothpaste and an old electric toothbrush, but personally, next time I redecorate my bathroom I am embracing the fashion for dark grouting.