An Instagrammer is showing the world an easy way to clean the grout on a tile floor without the usual toxic chemicals.
Brandon Pleshek (@cleanthatup) describes himself as a "3rd Generation Janitor & Clean Freak" and boasts 632,000 followers.
"Wipe with a damp towel and you'll be amazed," Pleshek says in the Instagram Reel.
The scoop
The video begins with an image of a person's hand wearing cleaning gloves and pointing to a tile floor.
"Check out this before and after," the narrator says before producing a plastic measuring cup and instructing viewers to "mix equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide."
He proceeds to pour the solution onto the dirty grout and then uses a brush to remove the grime. He then wipes it clean with a towel to reveal bright white grout.
How it's helping
Many popular store-bought cleaning products contain potentially hazardous chemicals that can release harmful fumes or cause skin and eye irritation.
Some common ingredients in these cleaning solutions include bleach, ammonia, and strong acids, which can be dangerous if not used properly.
Chemical solutions like those used to clean grout can be harmful to the environment as well. They can adversely affect aquatic life, soil, and air quality when disposed of or rinsed down drains.
Creating your own solution out of nontoxic ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, can be a highly effective way to clean while preventing the environmental and health problems that come with today's commercial household cleaning solutions.
What everyone's saying
Instagram enthusiasts who love to learn about eco-friendly ways to clean the home had a lot to say and were eager to know more.
"Does this work with light gray grout?" one person asked.
"Yes. I've used it on all colors of grout. That being said, I always suggest testing a small inconspicuous area to see how your grout will react just to be safe," Pleshek answered.
Another person added that they've "used this trick before (thanks to you!) and it totally works!"
"I'm so flipping excited to clean my grout now," another expressed.
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