If you are like most people, you probably enjoy the look and feel of tile in your home. Tile and tile grout however, can be some of the hardest areas in your home to keep clean. This article provides 8 easy tip to help you keep your tiles looking like they were just installed.

Regularly cleaning and maintaining tiles is a must to avoid gunky grout build up. Cleaning kitchen tiles daily prevents food and grime from building up a residue in the grout. Cleaning shower tiles on weekly or bi-weekly basis will prevent most mold and mildew growth from occurring. Regular cleaning can actually cut down on the amount of time it take to clean and make gout cleaning a lot easier.

A useful tip is to clean the floor with a mild mixture of vinegar and water. Make sure to allow the vinegar/water solution 5 to 10 minute to clean and disinfect the tile, then rinse and wipe dry.

If you use a toothbrush around grout, fixtures, faucets, and sink you may find it a lot easier to clean the grout. Give your water or cleaning solution a few minutes to wet the grime, then scrub off. If this is not enough, you may also want to use a solution of baking soda and salt for a deeper scrub.

You also want to avoid harsh chemicals when ever possible. Over time, these chemicals will eat up your grout and ruin your tile.

Another tip is to take especially good care of tile in high trafficked areas such as in the door way or in front of the sinks. Well positioned mats will help keep dirt from getting tracked into the tile. Also be sure to clean or replace mats as needed.

With with tile grout, use bleach to clean and brighten. Because bleach is a strong chemical, avoid direct contact with skin. (Never, never mix bleach with ammonia.) Allow bleach to sit on tile for a few minutes, wipe with water and then dry.

After cleaning grout and tile, you can use a grout sealer to help you finish the job and make it easier four next time. Sealing the grout makes it easier to clean in the future because it prevents dirt and grime from accumulating in the grout.

An organic way to remove grout strains is to use lemon juice. Apply to discolored ares. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and dry. Lemon juice leaves your house smelling fresh and also acts as a mild disinfectant.