The tiles are often the most noticeable area that holds dirt in any bathroom and this can be on the tiles themselves or the grouting. However, cleaning your bathroom tiles is a relatively straightforward task in order to restore the sparkle. Regardless to how dirty they are, below are our top tips to clean bathroom tiles and grout.
Equipment and Preparation
Before you begin, it’s recommended that you have a hot shower beforehand. The reason for this is the fact that it can open the ceramic pores, which helps to deep clean the tiles. You also want to gather together the following equipment:
- Old toothbrush
- Grout cleaner
- Bathroom/multi-purpose cleaner
- Scouring pad
- Clean microfiber cloth
- Steam cleaner (optional)
- Window vac (optional)
How To Clean Bathroom Tiles
Bathroom Tile Grout
Tile grout is one of the first areas you should tackle because it makes the area dirtier and is the hardest part of cleaning bathroom tiles. The best way to clean bathroom tile grout is to use an old toothbrush and an effective grout cleaner. You can then begin to scrub away at the grout until all the dirt has disappeared. Once you are happy with the finished result, you can then simply rinse away all of the residue with clean water and a clean cloth.
It’s worth pointing out that if you have dark coloured grouting, you will want to avoid using any harsh cleaners. This may bleach the grout and ruin the overall appearance. Instead, you can mix up a bowl or baking soda and white vinegar to form a paste. Once the mixture has been made, apply it to the grout and work it in with an old toothbrush.
If you find that the grout still isn’t as clean as you wish, you may want to use a grout pen to paint over the existing grout and restore it to a “like-new” finish. The below photo is the result of a few passes with a toothbrush and grout cleaner.
Bathroom Wall Tiles
Depending upon the type of tiles in your bathroom will determine the best way of cleaning them. For example, using a dedicated cleaner or white vinegar and a scouring pad works a treat upon ceramic tiles. However, if you have printed/patterned tiles, it’s advised that you play it safe and use a sponge or microfiber cloth rather than a scouring pad.
To begin, you will want to apply the cleaner or white vinegar to the tiles and gently scrub them with a scouring pad (or sponge if its a printed/patterned tile). Ideally, you want to leave the cleaning solution on the tiles for a short period before rinsing it clear. Once rinsed, we highly recommend that you use a window vac to produce a streak-free finish on the tile. If you don’t have access to one of these devices, use a dry microfiber cloth to finish up.
Bathroom Floor Tiles
The floor tiles in your bathroom are easier to clean as it will involve no stretching into the top corners of the room. You can even use a steam cleaner to power through the dirt and grime more efficiently if you own one. As with the wall tiles, you can use a white vinegar solution or dedicated cleaner and scouring pad to remove any tough dirt.
Conclusion
Cleaning bathroom tiles is relatively straightforward, the only downside is the fact that it can be quite time consuming. As mentioned above, if your bathroom features patterned/printed tiles, we strongly recommend that you test any cleaners or cloths on a spare/hidden tile beforehand. The last thing you want to happen is to accidentally damage the tile by cleaning them incorrectly with too strong of a cleaner.
Whilst you are cleaning your bathroom tiles, you may as well go ahead and clean any shower glass in the bathroom too because it basically uses the same cleaning methods and equipment.
