How to Clean Kitchen Tiles & Grout

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Kitchen tiles take a beating. Every tadka, every fry and every pressure-cooker whistle sends oil and steam onto the walls. Over time, that oil mixes with dust and turns into a sticky brown layer — and the grout lines darken until they look almost black. Here’s how to get kitchen tiles and grout properly clean, and how to keep them that way.

What You’ll Need

Dish soap (a grease-cutting one)
Baking soda
White vinegar (for ceramic tiles only)
Hydrogen peroxide (3%) for stubborn grout
A kitchen degreaser for heavy buildup
Hot water
A soft scrub brush, an old toothbrush or grout brush, and a non-scratch sponge
Microfibre cloths and rubber gloves

Safety: Switch off the stove and let tiles cool. Never mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia. Keep the kitchen ventilated.

Step 1: Clear and Dry-Wipe

Move everything off the counters and away from the walls. Wipe tiles with a dry cloth to remove loose dust — adding water to dusty grease just makes a paste.

Step 2: Loosen the Grease

Mix hot water with a generous squeeze of dish soap. Wipe the tiles with this solution and leave for 5–10 minutes. Hot water softens hardened oil.

For heavy buildup behind the stove, apply a kitchen degreaser (follow the label) or a paste of baking soda and dish soap, and leave for 10–15 minutes.

Step 3: Scrub the Tiles

Scrub with a non-scratch sponge or soft brush in small circles.
Work from the top of the wall downwards so drips land on uncleaned tiles.
Reapply soap solution where grease remains.
For glossy tiles, avoid steel scrubbers — they leave permanent scratches.

Step 4: Clean the Grout

Grout is porous, so it absorbs grease and stains more than the tile.

Apply a baking soda paste along the grout lines.
Spray lightly with diluted vinegar (1:1) — it will fizz — or use hydrogen peroxide for darker grout.
Leave for 10 minutes.
Scrub each line with an old toothbrush or grout brush.
For very stubborn stains, repeat once rather than scrubbing harder.

Don’t use vinegar on grout too often — repeated acid exposure weakens cement grout over time.

Step 5: Rinse and Dry

Wipe everything with a cloth dipped in clean water, changing the water as it gets dirty. Then dry with a microfibre cloth. Leftover soap residue attracts dust and grease faster.

Kitchen Floor Tiles

Sweep first to remove crumbs and grit
Scrub greasy patches near the stove with dish soap and hot water
Clean grout the same way as wall grout
Mop with clean water and let dry — greasy floors are a slip hazard

Quick Fixes for Common Problems

Problem	Fix
Sticky brown film behind the stove	Degreaser or baking soda + dish soap paste, leave 15 minutes, scrub
Turmeric stains	Baking soda paste; on white grout, hydrogen peroxide
White hard-water marks near the sink	Diluted vinegar on ceramic tiles; see how to remove hard water stains safely
Black mould in grout near the sink	Hydrogen peroxide, scrub, dry well and improve ventilation
Grout still dark after cleaning	Stain is permanent — consider grout colourant, sealing or re-grouting

Granite, Marble and Athangudi Tiles

Don’t use vinegar, lemon or acidic cleaners on natural stone or Athangudi tiles. Use dish soap and warm water, and a pH-neutral stone cleaner. See how to maintain marble floors.

Keep Tiles Clean Longer

Wipe the tiles behind the stove after cooking, while grease is still soft
Run the chimney or exhaust fan every time you cook
Scrub grout lines once a month
Seal grout after a deep clean — it resists stains much better
Consider a glass or steel splashback behind the stove

Need a Hand?

Years of hardened grease and blackened grout can take a whole day to scrub by hand. Professional kitchen deep cleaning uses commercial degreasers and machines to do it faster and more thoroughly. See what’s included in kitchen deep cleaning or use our kitchen deep cleaning checklist.

Shine N Clean is based in Kandanur, Karaikudi. Call 90421 21978 or contact us.