DEAR TIM: Cleaning a tile floor is my next big project. The grout lines are filthy, and I’ve not discovered an easy way to restore the tile. Is there a magic product that will clean floor tile? Once they are clean, what’s the easiest way to keep the floor grout clean? Should I invest in one of the tile floor cleaning machines? Michelle S., Corvallis, OR

DEAR MICHELLE: Cleaning tile floors used to be a nightmare for me, as we had a boatload of them in our last home. To make it worse, we had brilliant white floor tile with light-gray grout in our kitchen and breakfast area. I knew when I was installing each piece that it was going to be a challenge to keep it clean. Add to the mix three small kids and soon the grout around the refrigerator, stove and kitchen sink was nearly black.

It took me years to discover how to clean tile floors the easy way, and one that didn’t harm my family, pets and the colored grout. Little did I know that I was way ahead of the current Green Movement, as the solution I made was perhaps one of the most eco-friendly products out there. I experimented with different products, but finally settled on using powdered oxygen bleach.

Oxygen bleach is non-toxic, doesn’t produce harsh fumes, is color safe and fabric safe. It removes all food and grease stains with no or minimal scrubbing. The oxygen ions in the solution attack the stain molecules breaking them into pieces that rinse away with little effort. I was so impressed with this product I started to create my own formulation, that I trademarked as Stain Solver, and still use to this day.

To clean floor tiles, all you need to do is mix my Stain Solver powder, or any high-quality oxygen bleach, with warm water. You stir it until it dissolves. The next step is to pour the solution onto the floor tile so the grout lines are flooded with the solution as if you had spilled a glass of water. It’s best to apply the oxygen-bleach solution to dry grout so the solution soaks deeply into the grout. You let the solution sit on the grout for at least 15 minutes, allowing the oxygen bleach to work on its own. If it completely soaks into the grout, you add more solution making sure there is always plenty of the cleaning liquid on the grout.

Cleaning floor tile grout doesn’t have to be a battle. The longer you let the solution sit on the grout, the less work you have to do cleaning tile flooring. You can let the solution sit on the grout for hours, as the oxygen ions work for up to six hours. To get maximum cleaning results, it helps to scrub the grout lightly after 30 minutes. Always pour new solution onto the grout as you scrub. Most of my friends who have used my secret Stain Solver powder for cleaning floor tile get perfect results within a half an hour.

My stuff is as close to magic as you can get. It will remove red wine stains in minutes. Beet juice is not a problem. I’ve not discovered one stain it can’t remove. Friends have tried the tile cleaning machines, but they say my Stain Solver oxygen bleach does a much better job. You have to always scrub a little, but that’s how anything gets clean. Mechanical agitation of any surface is almost always necessary. You rub your skin when you shower, clothes rub against each other in the washing machine, and you rub a sponge across your car when you clean it. It’s just the best way to clean things.

Once you have clean floor tiles, you can keep the grout looking like new by just adding Stain Solver oxygen bleach powder to your mop water. Apply a liberal amount of mop water to the floor scrubbing the tile surface with the mop. But leave the mop water in the grout joints without rinsing the floor. The oxygen ions clean the light dirt in the grout without scrubbing. Come back 30 minutes later, and rinse the floor with clean water. If you do this each time when cleaning your tile floor, you’ll never be on your hands and knees again with a scrub brush.

The best thing I discovered about my Stain Solver oxygen bleach is that it’s an all-purpose emergency cleaner. In the past, I freaked out if one of my kids spilled grape juice or cranberry juice on the floor. But now I just shrug my shoulders and wipe up the spill. After we’re finished with the meal and people are relaxing, I mix up a little bit of the solution and pour it on the freshly stained grout. Within minutes the grout looks like new with no scrubbing. It’s always best to work on stains while they’re fresh if at all possible. But tile floors that have been dirty for years will come clean in no time if you use Stain Solver oxygen bleach.

Cleaning floor tile grout makes most people grimace. I clearly remember scrubbing and scrubbing seeing little improvement. That’s why years ago I gave up and threw in the towel, just letting the grout get dirtier. When I used the oxygen bleach for the first time, I couldn’t believe it. After soaking on the grout by itself, much of the grime and stains came up with little effort. A second soaking and a little scrubbing in the worst areas made the grout look like the day I installed it.

Some tile floors are installed adjacent to carpeting. If the Stain Solver oxygen-bleach solution gets onto the carpet, there will be no problems. It will actually clean the carpet. What you may discover is that you have to clean the carpet as there is often a dirt pathway from the tile onto the carpet. To clean carpeting with oxygen bleach, you simply mix up the solution and use a sprayer to saturate the carpet fibers. Let the solution soak for 30 minutes, and then use a regular carpet shampoo machine to finish the job.

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Comments: Welcome! I, Tim Carter, don't answer questions here. If you post a question here in the Comments Area, perhaps another visitor will help you. You need to go to the Ask Tim page if you want a question answered. Once there, look closely at how many weeks behind we are. Please be patient as you use this free service. If you have an emergency and need to talk to me, there is an option there for you. martha suder 31 Mar 2009, 00:37 in your article in our local paper you talk about oxygen bleach to clean tile and grout. I would like to know what oxygen bleach is. Can you please give me a brand name so I know what to buy. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Martha Suder Roger 31 Mar 2009, 11:16 Martha, Click on any of the oxygen bleach links in the article above. They lead to Tim's oxygen bleach product. Looking at the picture, it appears to be Stain Solver. Kim 03 Apr 2009, 23:05 I believe oxygen bleach is a product such as Oxyclean. The Stain Solver shown is 'the builder's' own trademarked formulation, as stated in the article. I'm going to try it....sometime! Ellie Brown 04 Apr 2009, 18:30 Please, where do we buy this product? My husband went to Lowe's, Home depot & Acme, they looked at him like he had 2 heads!!! Thank You!!!! Ellie Donna Davis 05 Apr 2009, 09:49 I, too, would like to know where I can buy the product, Stain Solver. Cathy 05 Apr 2009, 14:48 Dear Tim, I am going to try the cleaner, but I am wondering if it works on tiles/grout that has been sealed? Is there an easy way to remove the sealant from the tile floors. I looked on your site and wasn't able to see this question anywhere so I hope it isn't a repeat. Thanks for all the info you provide, it's easy enough that even I understand. Cathy penniewyick@gmail.com 05 Apr 2009, 23:14 is this product you have developed safe for grout on old floors? My tile is 70+ years old, and I love it. But gouut is old and hard to clean. I do not want to clean grout so well I will ruin old grout or never be able to seal it again. What do you reccommend as a sealer for older grouty? Thank you! Mary Bruggeman 06 Apr 2009, 17:57 I found a product that contained "Oxygen Bleach" and tried it on our dirty grout. It worked great. We guessed at how much powder to use. Do you have a formula to follow as far as the ratio of bleach powder to water? Thank you the info. grant and sharon blake 13 Apr 2009, 04:21 Can you tell me, can this product get stains out of unsealed terracotta Joe Barker 17 Apr 2009, 15:37 OK,So where do we get this stuff? Sounds like a good product but its no good if we can't find it. HELP!      View all comments *Name: Email: Notify me about new comments on this page Hide my email *Text: Security Image: Security Image Text:   Remember, Tim Carter doesn't answer questions here in the comments. You need to go to the Ask Tim page.