So your grout's looking a bit dark and dingy, right?

It happens to everyone - those annoying black stains that show up between your tiles and just won't budge no matter how much regular cleaning you do.

Well, I've got good news for you! You can actually get rid of those stains using some simple items from your kitchen.

In this post, I’ll show you how to remove black grout stains from tiles step by step.

The best part? You don't need any harsh chemicals or expensive cleaners!

Cleaning Supplies You’ll Need

First things first, let's gather up your cleaning supplies. Here’s what you’ll need to remove black grout stains from tiles:

Baking soda
White vinegar
Old toothbrush or grout brush
Warm water
A cloth or a sponge

Also Read: How To Remove Hair Dye From Cabinets

Step 1: Create A Paste

Let's start by making a cleaning paste.

Take some baking soda and mix it with a bit of water in a bowl. You want it to be about as thick as toothpaste - it needs to stay on the grout lines without running down the tiles.

The baking soda is going to help break down all that built-up dirt and grease.

Start with around a quarter cup of baking soda and slowly add water until you get it just right. If you accidentally make it too watery, just add more baking soda. The perfect paste will stick to your brush without dripping off.

Take your time getting this consistency right - it'll make the rest of the job much easier.

Step 2: Apply The Paste To Grout

Now that you've got your paste ready, grab your toothbrush or grout brush and start spreading it on all the stained areas.

Really work it into the grout - you want to make sure you're covering every bit of those dark spots. Put a nice visible layer on there. If you notice some spots are particularly bad, don't be shy about adding extra paste to those areas.

The tiny bristles on your brush will help push the cleaning paste deep into the grout where it needs to go. Take your time with this step - it's worth being thorough.

If you're cleaning a large area, you might want to mark where you left off so you don't miss any spots.

Don't worry if you get some paste on the tiles - it'll clean off easily later.

Step 3: Spray Vinegar

Here comes the fun part. Get your white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it right onto the grout lines where you put the paste.

You'll see it start fizzing right away - that's exactly what you want! The baking soda and vinegar are working together to break down those stains.

If you don't have a spray bottle, you can carefully pour a thin stream of vinegar along the grout lines, but spraying gives you much better control. Work systematically across your treated areas so you don't miss any spots.

The fizzing reaction might make some of the paste bubble up - that's totally normal and means it's working.

If some areas stop fizzing quickly, give them another light spray of vinegar.

Step 4: Let It Sit

Now you need to be patient. Leave your cleaning mixture alone for about 15 minutes.

During this time, it's doing all the hard work of breaking down those stains.

The cleaning mixture is getting deep into the grout to lift out all that trapped dirt that's causing the black stains. The fizzing will eventually stop, but don't worry - the cleaning is still happening.

If your stains are really stubborn, you can leave it for up to 30 minutes.

While you're waiting, you can prepare your rinsing water and cloths for the next steps. This is also a good time to check if you missed any spots with the paste or vinegar.

Step 5: Scrub The Grout

Time to put some muscle into it. Take the old toothbrush (or grout brush if you have one) and gently scrub the grout lines.

Take it one section at a time - there's no need to rush. You might need to do this a couple times for the tougher stains.

As you scrub, you should start seeing the black marks coming off.

If some spots aren't coming clean, just add more paste and vinegar, wait a bit, and try scrubbing again. Grout can be pretty stubborn about holding onto stains, so you might need to keep at it.

You might notice the paste turning gray or black as you scrub - that's just the dirt coming up from the grout. You can wipe this away with a damp cloth and apply fresh paste if needed.

How To clean Black Grout Stains From Tiles

Step 6: Rinse And Dry

You've done the hard part - now it's time to clean everything up.

Take some warm water and your cloth or sponge and rinse off all the cleaning mixture. You'll probably need to rinse a few times to get everything off.

Make sure to check the corners and edges where the cleaning mixture might collect.

Once you've rinsed thoroughly, grab a dry cloth and wipe up all the extra water.

Getting the grout completely dry is really important - you don't want any moisture sitting around that could lead to new mold. Opening some windows or turning on a fan can help speed things up. It's best to keep everyone off the floor until it's totally dry.

Bottom Line

And that’s it! You’ve just cleaned your grout without any fancy cleaners or harsh chemicals.

All it took was some baking soda, vinegar, and a little bit of time!

If you clean your grout regularly, you can prevent these tough stains from building up again. After you're done cleaning, you might want to put on some grout sealer to help protect against new stains.

How To Remove Black Grout Stains From Tiles