Cleaning Bathroom Tile and Grout

Bathroom tile and grout can get really dirty. It is one of the most labor intensive jobs we do when house cleaning.

Tile gets mold and mildew in the grout not to mention covered in soap scum and body oils when not cleaned regularly.

Use these tips to make bathroom tile cleaning a breeze.

Cleaning Recipe:

No need to buy a specialty cleaner. Clean the ceramic tile with a mixture of cleaning solutions you already have at home:

• 1/2 cup of ammonia
• 1/2 cup of plain white vinegar
• 1/4 cup of washing soda
• 1 gallon of warm water

Removing Mold and Mildew

Mix up a 50/50 solution of water and bleach and put it into a spray bottle. Spray it on the whole stained area, wait about 30 minutes then spray it down or rinse it off and then wipe it clean. You can also use a scrub brush if you need some extra scrubbing power.

For very heavy mildew stains, try the commercial mold and mildew removers. Make sure you use goggles and gloves though. The ingredients are caustic.

Just a note never to mix ammonia and bleach. The combination will give off a toxic gas which is very harmful. You can also apply pure chlorine bleach for extra strength bleaching power. Leave the bleach on for about 15 minutes then rise and scrub with a brush if needed.

Cleaning Grout

Acid-base grout cleaners do a good job, but most are toxic due to the strong ingredients in them and/or the fumes they can produce. The chemicals in the cleaners if used incorrectly can damage carpet, metal, wood and even glass.

Acid-base cleaners not only toxic but they can frost or burn tiles and glass depending on the strength if used incorrectly. Of course use goggles and gloves when using them.

Non-acid pH neutral grout cleaners are safe and effective for use on marble, granite, ceramic and tile floors. pH neutral cleaners are non acidic so there is less of a risk of damage to the surface.

If mold and mildew has permeated too deeply into the grout to be able to scrub or bleach it out, you can call a grout repair company which can grind off the top level of the damaged surface and regrout and seal the grout for a few hundred dollars.

Prevent Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew comes with any area that has high humidity and a moist environment. To prevent the reoccurrence of mold and mildew especially in the grout, you should make sure the grout is sealed with commercially available grout sealer.

It is a water repellent and stops water from seeping into the cracks. Clean and dry grout means no more mold and mildew.

Clear silicone waterproofing can also be applied to grout. This will repel the water and prevent mold and mildew from reoccurring in the grout.

Note: Even the best grout sealer will need to be reapplied every 6-12 months, so there is no way out of the fact that the reapplication is required.

Here is another really good tip I've tried myself- Apply rain-x to your clean glass shower doors (follow manufactures directions as if you were applying it on your windshield)

When taking a shower, the water will just run down in sheets, you won't get hard water spots or soap scum building up on the glass, and your shower doors will shine like new for 6 months or more. (Be careful here and don't spill any on the shower floor)