Bathroom floors sadly get overlooked and do not get the same maintenance that other areas of the house usually do. This can often lead to mould and grout deposits on our bathroom tiles making the whole bathroom look dull, unhygienic, and can also lead to weaker fundamental construction as fungus and bacteria seep deeper into your cement. So, if you too are suffering from dirty bathroom tiles, then this article is going to tell you how to clean your bathroom tiles with home remedies.
However, before we tell you how to clean bathroom floor tiles, it is essential to understand what causes the staining and discolouration. Years of exposure to bleach, strong disinfectants, cleansing acids, water, soap residue, and in general, the negligence of the bathroom floor are the main culprits. Now that we know the problem, we would reasonably find that the solution lies in cleaning agents, and people often look towards bleach when it comes to cleaning tiles. However, bleaches don’t just provide a temporary solution, they also end up degrading the strength of your bathroom floor. It is therefore important to look for more home-based solutions.
Here’s how to clean bathroom tiles using home remedies
Baking soda
Baking soda is a natural cleansing agent and is found in most kitchens. But did you know it could work a charm on your bathroom floors as well? All you need for this method is a tablespoon of baking soda, liquid dish soap, white vinegar, a damp sponge, and some hot water. You need to gently dip the sponge in the mixture and squeeze the residual out of it before you start scrubbing the scum off your tiles. This method works wonderfully, and you should make this a regular part of your bathroom cleaning rituals.
Salt
It is another common household ingredient that is probably even more common than baking soda. You could find a kitchen that doesn’t have baking soda, but you’re not likely to find any kitchen anywhere that doesn’t have common salt. All you have to do is prepare a solution of hot water and mix more salt in it than it can dissolve. Or you could simply sprinkle the salt over moist bathroom tiles and scrub aggressively. However, this would require some effort from you, but the results will be nice and mild. This remedy works wonderfully if your bathroom tiles are not grossly stained and you do daily clean-ups.
Lemon juice
Lemons are natural bleaches and rich in acidic content, which works great against stains that just won’t go. Moreover, lemons aren’t exactly common allergens, which means the aroma or contact with lemon will not cause you any harm. All you have to do is regularly sprinkle lemon juice onto your bathroom tiles. You can do this once every week for effective cleanup. Keep in mind that the residual of lemon juice can be sticky and you should wash it off after 2-3 hours.
Borax
Borax is a naturally occurring alkaline substance with a very high pH value. It means that it can disinfect and remove stains while also providing a stable balanced neutral ground where fungus and acidic stains do not blossom. All you have to do is make a solution of hot water and Borax and dip your porous sponge into the solution. Then you just have to scrub and clean your bathroom floor using the wet dampened sponge.
Vinegar
There’s a reason why vinegar is used as a natural preservative. It not only keeps infectants away, but it also helps in cleaning the composition that it is used on. You can use the same formula in your bathrooms. All you need to do is mix vinegar with either hydrogen peroxide or common salt and take out the soap scum that has been deposited on your bathroom tiles.
Hydrogen peroxide
Most families keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide around because it is usually used to sanitise wounds and deep cuts. However, in this case, we’re going to use hydrogen peroxide in the form of a bleach. Yes! Did you know that hydrogen peroxide is known to whiten floors and prevent fungal growth? So, if you have white bathroom tiles that are now covered in layers of oil and mould, use a solution of hydrogen peroxide alone, or mix it with lemon juice to increase its effectiveness.
You could also make a thick paste by mixing some corn flour or regular flour into this magical compound and then apply it to your bathroom tiles. Make sure to put extra coats in the areas with more deposits and leave them overnight. You can also cover it with plastic to ensure that the harsh chemicals do not get on the feet of your children or your pets. You can take it off the next morning and wash it off with warm water.
Using the right tool
As you can see, in most of the cases we’ve used a sponge. However, in some cases, you may have to make use of a toothbrush or a longer brush. In other cases, a simple cotton cloth will be fine. How to determine which goes on what? The best way to do so is by hit and trial. If you’re dealing with stains of smaller sizes, then you should look for brushes, and if you’re dealing with bigger and larger areas of deposits then sponges can do the job. However, this may not always be the case. You can start the cleaning process with a sponge and then move over to a cloth to wipe the area dry, and you can then remove the remaining deposits with the help of a brush.
Although all of these ingredients are natural and are known to not harm the skin, it is advised that you wear protective gear while using these compounds. Your hand should be covered in gloves and your eyes should be covered in goggles. Also, while you are using these chemicals, make sure not to touch your skin even with the gloves on. In case you are making use of stronger compounds like vinegar, it is advisable not to enter the premises for 3 to 6 hours because the fumes can be allergic for some and may even cause nausea.
Please bear in mind that most of these solutions can be intermixed and inter-used. You can also swap between different ideas to observe which one works the best in your case. However, even after applying all these home remedies you do not see any major change, then it may be time to get professionals involved. One more appliance that you can bring to your home, which is not really a home remedy, is a steamer. A steamer is an appliance that ejects high-pressure hot steam that can effectively take out any stubborn mould/ grout.
Before resorting to any harsh chemicals, it is always advised that you try removing dirt and grime using the home remedies listed above. Have a good time cleaning; and if you need our expert services, do reach out to us in the comments below.
How to clean marble floor in bathroom
About MyGate
MyGate is India’s largest apartment maintenance app, benefiting thousands of housing societies, developers, society facility managers, and millions of homeowners in every Indian city.
Home Services