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Cleaning hacks: Dirty grout transforms back to white using a surprising gadget you probably already own
When it comes time to clean grout must of us look for an old toothbrush to get the job done.
While toothbrushes are brilliant for cleaning grout thanks to their slim shape and gentle bristles, it takes an awful lot of time and energy to scrub between tiles.
Well, it turns out a much better solution has been there in the bathroom all along and it’s so good we can’t believe we’ve never heard of it before.
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The clever alternative to the humble toothbrush for grout cleaning is the electric toothbrush, giving the same effective clean without the elbow grease.
The idea comes from an incredible grout cleaning transformation shared on Reddit by someone who usually uses a standard toothbrush.
“It’s just water, bleach, and a very old and kinda moldy Oral-B toothbrush. It took a while to clean between every tile but it was much faster than going with a regular brush (and less exhausting),” they captioned the video.
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In the clip, you can see the dirty grout quickly go back to white by going back and forth between large floor tiles.
It’s a smart idea given many of us have tried using electric toothbrushes before and probably have an old one they never got rid of, though if it is mouldy it’s probably best to swap the head over.
The shape and action of an electric toothbrush is also similar to electric cleaning scrubbers you can buy for around $26, so if you’re reusing something you already have you’ll be saving cash.
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The Redditor’s electric toothbrush tip was well-received with lots of positive comments.
“Wow this is so smart. I never use my electric toothbrush bc it gives me headaches and this just gave me a reason to dust the 5 years of dust off of it,” one said.
“I usually keep two electric toothbrush heads… One with a yellow band (for cleaning up objects) and the other with the red band (to actually brush my teeth). I just swap them whenever I need. I just hope I don’t mix the colors up…” a Redditor commented.
“I was afraid it was going to be baking soda and vinegar But seriously, that’s brilliant! As soon as my toothbrush gets old enough I’ll try this,” another said.
“I was literally about to throw mine out. Thank you for this,” one wrote.
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Other tools for cleaning grout include a long-handled grout brush – to save bending over, grout and specially designed short-handled brushes with a slim strip of bristles.
As for what to use with the brushes there are lots of different options ranging from dishwashing liquid, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and specially designed store-bought grout cleaners.
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If using homemade options dishwashing liquid and water will do a good job if the grime isn’t too bad, but for tougher jobs and discolouration using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can be more effective.
To make this paste mix a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide and half a cup of baking soda. You can also add a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid if you like.
Apply the paste to grout lines leave to sit for five minutes and then scrub before rinsing off.
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