Bathroom tiles tend to get discolored, dull, and shabby over time for various reasons. Your tile cleaner could be way too harsh and strip the natural shine of the tiles, you do not know how to get rid of hard water stains, or you haven’t found the right home remedies to keep your bathroom tiles as new. If you are dealing with these issues, you can say goodbye to them because we are going to tell you how to clean bathroom tiles.
But before we jump into the cleaning process, tips, and home remedies, it is vital to understand the root of the problem. Why do bathroom tiles keep getting so dirty that nothing works efficiently? Let’s find out together.
Bathroom tiles can be difficult to tackle. Their texture can be a real challenge to keep clean, as stains, grime, and hard water deposits can cling to the surface. Often these contaminants on tiles – whether floor or wall – refuse to budge and can ruin the health and overall aesthetic of your bathroom.
Now, here comes the issue: we keep on cleaning with the same old approach to clean the bathroom tiles, with a cleaning agent and water. But when these stains seep into the pores, they need stronger solutions and a lot of elbow grease.
You can mop the smooth surfaces, but that approach will not be as effective on bathroom tiles. While you can rely on stronger chemical agents, they are likely to strip the tiles of their natural shine and beauty. What to do then, you may ask? Just go to your kitchen and grab a few staples to make your gentle yet highly effective cleaning agents. Don’t be confused, we are talking about staples like baking soda, distilled white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. Read on to learn how to use these agents to clean bathroom tiles like a pro.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
The oldest and most reliable kitchen staples happen to be reliable cleaning solutions. A mixture of baking soda and vinegar can do wonders in your bathroom, too. This DIY tile cleaner fizzes up and breaks down grime, mineral buildup, and soap scum. You don’t even need much effort to scrub it off afterward.
How to Clean Bathroom Tiles With Baking Soda and Vinegar
- Mix baking soda and distilled white vinegar to make a thick, spreadable paste
- Apply the paste evenly onto the bathroom tile using a cleaning brush, ensuring the grout is covered, too, as it is one of the spaces that harbors most stains and grime
- Let the solution sit for 15 to 20 minutes on the surface
- Wipe everything down with a dampened microfiber cloth
- Rinse with warm water and gently scrub any stubborn spots if needed
- Dry the tiles and grout with a dry cloth to prevent water spots
Since these staples are relatively cheap, you can use them to clean a large bathroom space. It can take you a lot of time and some effort to apply, scrub, and clean if you are cleaning a larger surface area, but the results remain the same: more than satisfactory.
Also Read: How to Clean Tile Grout with Homemade Solutions
White Vinegar and Warm Water
The vinegar and baking soda mixture can be slightly abrasive, though not as much as chemical solutions. If you want a gentle alternative, swap the soda with warm water. This solution is effective for cleaning bathroom tiles without heavy scrubbing.
How to Clean Bathroom Tiles With White Vinegar and Warm Water
- Mix equal parts of warm water and distilled white vinegar in a clean spray bottle
- Spray the mixture onto the tiles, ensuring any stubborn spots with stains and buildup are covered
- Let the solution sit on the surface for 15-20 minutes
- Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the tiles
- Rinse any remaining residue using warm water
- Dry the tiles with a dry microfiber cloth
This gentle solution is ideal for everyday, regular, and quick cleanups. You can perform this task every day to prevent the buildup of stains and hard water residue.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a great disinfectant for around the house. But it can irritate the skin, so whenever dealing with this cleaning solution, ensure to wear gloves and keep the room well-ventilated. You can use a 50/50 mix of water and peroxide in a spray bottle to disinfect objects and surfaces.
How to Clean Bathroom Tiles With Hydrogen Peroxide
- Pour hydrogen peroxide into a dark spray bottle to prevent reaction with light
- Let it sit for 15 minutes
- Wear cleaning gloves, wipe down the bathroom tiles and grout with a cleaning sponge
- Rinse residue with warm water and then dry with a clean, dry microfiber cloth
The hydrogen peroxide and water mixture is gentle on surfaces and cleans grime, stains, and water spots with incredible ease. It is perfect for a whole-bathroom deep cleaning.
Water and Baking Soda
We have established the potential of baking soda in cleaning various surfaces. Although not as strong as white vinegar and baking soda, it still gets the job done and works like magic when you are in a pinch and do not have readily available white vinegar at home.
How to Clean Bathroom Tiles With Water and Baking Soda
- Combine a large amount of baking soda and warm water to make a thick, spreadable paste. The amount of the solution depends on how much surface area you are going to clean
- Apply an even coating of white paste onto the bathroom tiles using a cleaning brush
- Let the paste sit and harden for 15 minutes
- Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the paste-covered tiles
- Rinse the mixture with warm water, ensuring any remaining residue is gone
- Dry the surface with a dry cloth
Even though the cleaner is gentle, it helps clean wood surfaces, tiles, mirrors, and glass with just a simple mixture of water and baking soda.
Bleach and Hot Water
Working with bleach requires the same precautions as with hydrogen peroxide. It needs your bathroom to be well-ventilated, and you need to wear gloves.
How to Clean Bathroom Tiles With Bleach and Hot Water
- Mix equal parts of bleach and hot water in a clean spray bottle
- Spray an even coat of the solution onto the bathroom tiles generously and let it sit for 15 minutes
- Rinse the bleach with hot water and ensure there is no residue remaining on either the tiles or the grout
- Dry everything using a clean, dry microfiber cloth
One thing to note is never to use this one method frequently, as the bleach can leach off the color and shine of the bathroom tiles over time. Only use it to tackle the most stubborn of messes.
Tips to Keep Bathroom Tiles Clean for Longer
Bathroom tiles will get dirty with hard water stains, grime, and soap residue over time. There is no escaping it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t prolong the time between deep cleanups. Here are a few tips with which you can keep the bathroom tiles clean for longer.
- Use a squeegee after a shower to wipe down the water. The everyday wipe will help prevent the buildup of minerals, soap residue, body oils, and hard water stains
- Keep sanitizing wipes near the sinks and give them a daily wipe-down, along with faucets and counters, to prevent grime buildup
- Put a hair catcher or nylon netting over shower and tub drains to keep hairs from clogging the drains and staining the bathroom tiles with soap residue and skin oils
- Consider installing a proper ventilation system in your bathroom if you don’t already have one. Proper airflow reduces moisture and bacterial growth on the bathroom surfaces
These tips will help you keep the gruelling task of deep cleaning to a minimum. However, you can clean the bathroom tiles using one of the above-mentioned home remedies every two weeks to keep the space shining.
