Do you know how to clean shower tile? It may look clean but it’s home to slimy bacteria, fungi, and yeast. Keep reading to learn the best way to clean shower tile for a sanitary, sparkling bathroom.
Gathering the Cleaning Supplies
Here’s a big secret from the pros: being prepared. Have an action plan that starts with getting your equipment and products together first. Although a variety of effective products are available, most contain toxic chemicals and are packaged in plastic. You can get the job done yourself with some common household products that are cheaper and safer.
- Microfiber cloths: Washable, efficient, long-lasting, better for the environment than disposable wipes and paper towels
- Spray bottles
- Brushes: Soft or medium bristle brushes for scrubbing like good natural brushes made with palmyra fibers or ixtle (Tampico) fibers from agave and yucca plants
- Long-handled scrubber
- Long-handled squeegee
- A mixing bowl
- A bucket
- Protective gloves
- Face masks to prevent inhaling fumes and droplets
- Towels to dry surfaces and spills
- White vinegar to dilute with water
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Mild eco-friendly dish soap
- Optional: A handheld steam cleaner
Pre-Cleaning Steps
Know what your bathroom’s surfaces are made of. Use the right products and equipment for each surface. For example, knowing how to clean white grout doesn’t mean you know how to clean stone tile or caulking. Stains, usually from rust and limescale, respond to different cleaning methods. Many surface materials are discolored or worn down by improper cleaning. Pitting and scratching provide homes for bacteria, mold, and yeast to grow. Sometimes suggested techniques don’t work unless you’re patient enough to let time work its magic.
Preventing Problems
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As first responders will tell you, preventing damage is more effective than repairing damage. Cheaper, too.
- MAKE TIME to read labels. DO NOT mix cleaning products without checking safety warnings first.
- Use a rubber or plastic bath mat and a floor rug to prevent slipping? Hang them up to dry after every shower and wash them weekly.
- Shower caddies and other items collect bacteria and spores, so clean and dry them often.
- Wipe down tiles with a squeegee or microfiber cloth after each shower to prevent soap scum and limescale (white spots from minerals in hard water).
- Understand the power of good ventilation to minimize moisture buildup: run the exhaust fan during and after showering.
- Neglect allows invading mold to loosen grout and penetrate more deeply.
Cleaning Shower Tiles
Step One of how to clean tile is knowing what the shower tiles are made from.
Step Two is regular maintenance to prevent permanent problems.
Step Three is starting with the gentlest cleaning methods before using harsh chemicals.
Ceramic & Porcelain Tiles Cleaning
The best way to clean shower tile if you’re in a hurry is a quick squeegee after each shower. For weekly washing, use a gentle dish soap with warm water followed by a rinse, then wipe dry. Some people use mild acidic solutions like one part white vinegar or lemon juice to one part water, but they can damage tile over time.
When removing stains from ceramic and porcelain tiles, avoid the grout lines. Apply a paste of lemon juice and baking soda, then allow it to sit for at least half an hour. Scrub and rinse well. A commercial rust remover with oxalic acid helps old, dark stains but be sure to read the label.
Natural Stone Tiles Cleaning
The suggestions on how to clean tile are a little different when your walls are made of slate, marble, granite, or travertine. Those materials erode more easily. Acid solutions like vinegar or lemon juice will damage the surface, so instead use a tablespoon of dish soap in one quart of warm water.
Start at the top and gently scrub in circles working down. Rinse well and dry.
Deep Clean Every Other Month
Mold, mildew, and yeast thrive in humid settings, so deep clean the bathroom from top to bottom regularly.
- Since spores settle where they land, remove and sanitize all objects from the bathroom. Clean everything.
- Remove hair from the drains and pour down boiling water or vinegar with baking soda.
- Open the windows often and use the fan to pull in fresh air.
How to Clean Grout
The tricky part about how to clean grout without damaging it is cleaning gently and watching the time so you don’t oversoak. Repeated use of straight vinegar without adding water can cause damage, especially to unsealed grout.
Apply a paste of baking soda and water, oxygen bleach powder and water, or half-strength white vinegar and water, scrub with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and let it set till it dries. Brush away, rinse, and allow to dry.
Be gentle around caulking because when it separates from the wall, grime and mold get into the crevices.
If you’re wondering how to clean white grout vs. colored grout, the methods are the same unless you use commercial grout cleaners. Then read the labels to avoid color changes. The best way to clean tile grout that remains discolored is to check out using a grout colorant and sealer.
Preventing Future Tile & Grout Build-Up
1. After every shower, wipe down surfaces with a squeegee or microfiber cloth.
2. Use the bathroom fan and open the windows often to allow fresh air to replace humid, stale air.
3. Consider a water softener to prevent hard water minerals from forming limescale.
4. Seal your grout to prevent mold from penetrating the porous, damp surfaces. After a deep cleaning once or twice a year, allow the grout to dry for at least 24 hours.
Call in the Pros
The fact that you’re reading this means that you care about your home and health. If your time and energy are limited, or you just need a break, asking for help is okay.
How We Can Help You
MaidThis is a full-range cleaning service to help people just like you. Whether for your home or vacation rental, you can have regularly scheduled visits, deep cleaning, move-in/move-out cleaning, housekeeping for elderly and disabled loved ones, work by the hour, or custom jobs to meet your needs. You get professional cleaners who have passed tough screening tests and background checks. Scheduling is easy, your data is secure, and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Explore our blogs on how to clean carpet, how to clean your room for kids, how to clean your house fast, and many more topics like how to clean shower tile and how to clean grout!
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MaidThis was created by a young man who cared about his parents. Today it’s a nationwide franchise network made up of independent owners and operators fulfilling the need for residential and vacation rental cleaning services. Are you tech-savvy? Do you want to work from home with the flexibility to choose your own hours? Connecting professional cleaners with people who need top-level cleaning services changes people’s lives!
