Cleaning tile and grout can be a nasty job, but it doesn’t have to be! I am going to share with you a simple secret on how to clean tile and to keep it that way.
I’m all about using non-toxic and natural cleaners in my home and have done so for many years. You don’t have to use powerful chemicals to get things clean and sanitized. The KEY is…PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE!
Here’s the deal, when it comes to shower tile & grout; you can’t wait for weeks between cleaning it. If you do, hard water deposits, soap scum, and even mold will start to accumulate. Now you have a nasty job ahead of you, and one that most likely you’ll procrastinate until it gets REALLY bad. I don’t think anyone likes scrubbing their guts out on tile, I know I don’t. It’s exhausting!
This is how you keep your tile and grout clean
So what is the big secret? I got this cool SQUEEGEE and I use it every day! Doing this one simple thing has made my life so much easier! When we added the new master bath onto our house, I swore that I would keep the tile clean from the get-go. I haven’t had to do a major scrub job yet and we have had the new shower for almost four years now.
This squeegee is the bomb! Most shower squeegees are not very wide and are made of plastic that really just smears the water around. This bad boy is wide (makes the process much quicker) and really grabs the water. LOVE IT!
It doesn’t come with a handle, but you can use any handle. You can cut a piece of 3/4 inch dowel 6 inches and you are good to go. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere but on Amazon. I have one in each bathroom. Get a suction holder to hang it on.
What do I use to clean my tile and grout?
I make my own cleaner. I have tried several types of store-bought “natural” cleaners over the years only to be very disappointed. They just didn’t do the job. So I started tweaking recipes I found online until I found something that really works.
I have a few cleaner recipes that I like. The first one is a basic tub & tile cleaner that is good for the tub, tile, toilet, and sink.
The other one works really well if you have a lot of built-up water deposit residue, and mold going on. It’s not a totally green recipe, but so much better than using serious chemical cleaners like Lysol or Clorox.
Blue Magic Dawn Cleaner
This recipe is pretty common in the Pinterest world. It uses only two ingredients; Dawn dish cleaner and vinegar. Many of the recipes on Pinterest call for much more soap, but I find them WAY too sudsy. You spend too much time getting rid of the soap slime.
- 1/4 cup Dawn Dish Detergent
- 2 cups hot vinegar
I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).
Fill the rest of the bottle with hot (microwaved) vinegar.
Shake well and squirt on shower tile, toilets, and sinks.
Turn on the fan, because it does smell quite strong!
Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It really works like magic.
I looked up the rating for Dawn on EWG’s website and it scores a D for being toxic to the environment.
If you wanting to know what cleaners to avoid and what ones are safe, EWG has a great article. It gives you a list of 10 cleaners to avoid and 10 of the best ones to use. You can find it here.
My recommendation
- Get your tub, tile, and toilet clean with the Dawn recipe (if they are bad).
- Maintain the tile by squeegeeing after each use.
- Clean the toilet and sinks weekly using the tub scrub.
- Monthly clean the tile with the tub scrub. (It is a snap if you’ve been squeegeeing)!
If you are getting overwhelmed with all that it takes to keep your house clean, you may find this cleaning system helpful. This is a fun way to spread out all the tasks so they are doable.
If you enjoy my tutorial videos, please be sure to “LIKE” my Youtube videos and “FOLLOW” me, so you don’t miss out any new upcoming tutorials.
Remember, cleaning does not have to be a pain. Unfortunately, it IS something that inevitably needs to be done, one way or the other, but we can “choose” to make the process a joy!
Happy cleaning!
Jan Howell
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I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).
Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
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