Discolored Grout Around Toilet [Solved]

After buying a home, people tried so many things to keep it looking better. Apart from other parts of your home, many of us experience the unpleasant task of cleaning bathroom tiles. 

Grout between the tiles get grime, water stains, oil, and grease particle over time, and discolored and dull grout can be a real eyesore. 

So, if you’ve got discolored grout around your toilet, you’ve to try to fix it as soon as possible because discolored grout not only makes your toilet looks bad but it can also be not good for your family’s health. 

This is why this article has been written. In this article I’m going to share the following helpful information about discolored grout:

• Why Does Toilet Grout Look Dark, Brown, Or Yellowish?
• Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner To Whiten Discolored Grout?
• What Are Some Natural Ways To Look Dull And Discolored Grout Fresh Again?

So Without further ado

Let’s get started…

Some Possible Reasons For Discolored Grout Around Toilet

If you want to know why toilet grout looks dark, brown, or yellowish then I’ve listed some strong reasons behind the discoloring of your toilet grout:

Reason 1: Hard Water Supply

If there is a hard water supply through the pipeline in your area then your toilet grout can easily get a brown stain with time. According to the USGS report, nearly 85% of USA homes got a hard water supply. 

Reason 2: Soap Scum

Soap scum contains fatty acids that react with minerals present in the water and discolor grout around the toilet or your bathroom tiles. You have to immediately take the necessary steps to clean it. 

Reason 3: Oil And Grease

Oil and grease particles stick to the surface of your toilet grout and tiles and attract dust and grime. In most cases, oil and grease make white grout dark. If you don’t take proper attention to them, it becomes hard to clean them. 

Reason 4: Grime

There are many reasons grout becomes dark and grimy such as dirt, mildew, etc. The grout is slightly below the surface of the tiles which makes it difficult to clean.

Reason 5: Improper Cleaning 

This is the main reason behind the discoloring of grout. Most of us keep our attention on cleaning the tiles but forget about grout. Not Giving importance to the cleaning of grout is also a big reason for discoloring grout.

Also Read: 6 Easy Ways To Remove Shower Drain Cover That Is Grouted In

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Natural Ways To Make Dull And Discolored Grout Around Your Toilet Look Like New And Fresh 

In this section, I will share some natural and safe ways to keep toilet grout new and fresh, if it turns dull, yellowish, or brown with time. 

Method 1: Make Your Toilet Grout Whiten If It Becomes Brownish

If you notice the color of the grout turns brownish from white, it means your home has a hard water supply. Manganese and iron components make grout color brown and rusty from white. 

Follow these steps to make grout again white from brown or rust color:

Step 1: Use Vinegar

If your bathroom has synthetic or ceramic tiles then you can use vinegar to clean it. 

• First, wear hand gloves and safety glasses before starting the process.
• Take a spray bottle and fill it with white vinegar. Don’t add anything else to it. 
• Now spray gently over the surface of the grout around the toilet and leave the surface for 5 to 10 minutes. At this time vinegar penetrates the grout and makes the cleaning process easy. 
• Now wear a silicon scrub hand glove or use a brush to rub the grout surface. 
• Now clean the surface using a dump cloth.
• Now Mop the surface for thorough cleaning.

Note: Don’t use vinegar on marble, travertine, or limestone because it will damage the grout and its sealant and you will end up with a costly repair process. 

Also Read: 5 Effective Ways To Clean Urine Stain Around Base Of Toilet

Step 2: Use Oxygen Bleach 

Apart from using Oxygen bleach on ceramic, and synthetic grout, you can also use it on natural stone tiles. 

Required Ingredients:

1. Oxygen Bleach
2. Hot Water
3. Shop Towel
4. Plastic Bucket
5. Mop

• First, take 4 tablespoons of oxygen bleach and pour it into a plastic bucket. 
• Now pour hot water into the bucket and mix the solution so that oxygen bleach will dissolve completely. 
• Now take a shop towel and wet it with that mixture and rub it over the surface of the grout thoroughly. 
• Now leave the surface for half an hour so that the solution of oxygen bleach and hot water starts working on the grout.
• Now mop the surface of the tiles to remove the oxygen bleach. Now check if it turns white from brownish color. 
• Light brownish or yellowish color can be cleaned using a brush and rubbed over the surface hard. 

Method 2: Clean Dark Grout Around Toilet Using A Steam Cleaner

A steam cleaner is a very effective method to clean dark grout from stubborn dust, dirt, and grime. This is also very easy and convenient to use, just follow these steps:

Step 1: Fill the steam cleaner box with water by removing its top lid. After that press the on button so that it begins to make steam for cleaning.

Step 2: After a few minutes when the button color turns green from red, you are ready to go.

Step 3: Now take a bristle attachment and put it to the mouth of your steamer pipe and down your knee and hand and rub over the surface of the grout. 

Step 4: If you want to clean grout standing then a long pipe attachment makes your job much easier.

Step 5: After cleaning the grout around the toilet attach a mop attachment and clean all the dust and dirt from the tiles for thorough cleaning. 

You are all done. 

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Can I Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner To Clean Grout Around Toilet?

I would advise not using toilet bowl cleaner to clean grout because it contains harsh chemicals which may damage the grout sealant and can damage it. You can read out the detailed article to know 5 strong reasons not to use a toilet bowl cleaner for grout cleaning. 

Conclusion

You can clean discolored grout using some household items in a very easy manner. Avoid using regular cleaners which contain harsh chemicals. Use vinegar, baking soda, and oxygen bleach instead. 

I hope this article can solve your problem and make your bathroom grout white from yellow or brownish dull color. 

FAQ