Grout that hasn't been sealed, needs to be resealed, or is in poor shape should not be cleaned with vinegar. The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away.
Acidic cleaners can corrode and damage grout. Anything with a pH under 7 is acidic. Examples of acidic cleaners that are not safe for grout are vinegar, lemon juice, and toilet bowl cleaner.
You can use different methods depending on the type of tiles, the grout and the stubbornness of the contamination. The first thing to try is to clean the tiles with a scouring pad and lukewarm water. If this does not work completely, use a mixture of 50% water and 50% vinegar.
You can safely use vinegar to clean ceramic or porcelain tiles, whether they are glazed or unglazed. For other types, however, like terracotta, marble or grante, we recommend you look for ph neutral cleaner that will not harm the material.
Avoid Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and other acids are also a bad idea for stone tile because the acid can etch the stone. Another widely praised household cleaner, baking soda, is alkaline (not acid), but it is not very effective as a grout cleaner.
Highly caustic or acidic cleaners, like bleach or vinegar, will corrode and slowly destroy grout and tile finishes.
A good way to clean bathroom tiles is with vinegar. Simply create a 50:50 diluted solution with white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray directly onto the surface. It can be used to clean soap scum from any surface including glass and tiles. All you have to do is buff it dry to avoid any streaks.
White vinegar will not damage your concrete. However, leaving this solution for an extended period will damage the cement that binds the concrete together. Hence, you should be careful when using vinegar on your concrete, especially if you will use this solution on polished concrete.
Wait for the grout to dry before using grout haze remover. Typically this takes around 24 to 48 hours, but you should consult your grout's packaging for the exact duration. However, don't wait too long.
Unfortunately, vinegar penetrates unsealed grout by seeping into the air spaces within the material. Once lodged in these spaces, vinegar will corrode grout with the passage of time. The grout will eventually wear off. So you should take not to apply vinegar for cleaning purposes if you have unsealed grout in the area.
Method 2: How to Get Grout White Again with Lemon Juice or White Vinegar. Saturate the grout with lemon juice, a mild disinfectant that gets rid of grout stains naturally. You can also use white vinegar for chemical-free grout cleaning.
Grout that hasn't been sealed, needs to be resealed, or is in poor shape should not be cleaned with vinegar. The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away.
Vinegar kills germs, dissolves soap scum and mineral deposits, and leaves tiles sparkling clean. But before you go soaking your tiles with it, there are a few precautions you'll want to take to make sure they don't get damaged.
White vinegar is an acidic solution that can etch or corrode some tiles, particularly those made from natural stone or unglazed ceramic. The acid in white vinegar can also weaken and deteriorate certain grouts over time, particularly if the grout is already damaged or in poor condition.
Vinegar is safe to use on machines made using natural rubber seals and parts constructed from ethylene-propylene, silicone, fluorocarbon, virgin Teflon, and butyl synthetic rubber seals.
Acidic Cleaners
Cleaners that have a high chemical pH or are acidic will begin to eat away at your grout and make it more fragile and porous. Stay away from cleaners that contain vinegar and citrus. This will eat away at the top layer of the grout and cause the need for replacing grout lines sooner.
One of the most common reasons is that the grout was not properly sealed when it was installed. If the grout is not sealed, it can easily become stained and can be easily removed when cleaning.
Apply a baking soda paste and then spray with vinegar.
If the grout is unsealed or needs resealing, apply just the baking soda solution and scrub carefully.