There probably can’t be anything more frustrating than entering a bathroom that does not seem to come close to your hygiene standards. The look of your bathroom should be one of cleanliness to allow anyone the comfort of being there comfortably.
This will not be the case if your tiles are lined with greasy stains from all that it has endured. The aroma-infused stuff you use, air fresheners, or potpourri for that matter, will not be able to cloud the germy look off the tiles, which can make others cringe.
The task of cleaning them to flaunt sparkly shine may be daunting to even think about.
But not to worry. Here are a few ways you can maintain the tiles with minimal effort.
Preheating
Whenever you head to clean your bathroom next time, make sure to give it a pre-heated session. You can do this by filling up the bathtub with very hot water. Turn on the heat to its maximum for the water. Also fill up the basin.
The heat is meant to flow around and heat up the stains on the tiles. Throw hot water on all the affected areas where you think more work may be required. Heat can weaken the bonds which stain form with the tiles and facilitate easy removal.
Hot water effectively complements the work of alkaline stain removers.
Cleaning techniques
If you are a clumsy cleaner, this one is for you. The way you clean your tiles or anything else decides the amount of effort and effectiveness of cleaning. Also keep in mind that you have all the required wholesale cleaning supplies with you.
For your tiles, you should start cleaning from the top and progressively move towards the bottom. This way, you can avoid the mess of stains coupled with cleaner, running over the areas you have already cleaned. Smart work always outwits hard work.
One more piece of advice would be to spread your cleaner evenly over the walls or areas to be sparkled. You can dab a cloth or even better, use a sponge. Whatever you use, just make sure that the cleaner reaches all the areas evenly.
Make sure you let the cleaner stay on the tiles for a while. It takes time for the cleaner to weaken the stains before you can effortlessly wipe them off. Let the cleaner sit on the ties for about 5 minutes before proceeding to scrub.
For scrubbing, use a soft material as you don’t want the porous grout to be damaged. You may use a softer scrub brush or a non-scratch pad for this purpose.
Once you are done with the cleaning and scrubbing, you should rinse the tiles thoroughly with water. This should be done to ensure that the cleaning agent has come off completely. If not, the cleaner will damage the look of your tiles with all its harsh chemicals.
Vinegar and Soda
These ‘not so hard to find in the kitchen’ ingredients can work wonders for the tone of your tiles.
Just mix some vinegar and baking soda and use water to dilute the mixture. The vinegar here tackles the greasy stains while soda works on their odor along with giving your tiles a healthy scrub.
Take the solution in a spray bottle and spray it over the tiles. Leave for 2-3 minutes before wiping it off. Use a moist microfiber cloth to wipe the surfaces.
Soda-Bicarbonate with Bleach
This is again an effective homemade remedy for your sanitary problems. Done well, it shouldn’t fail to amuse you.
Take Bleach with soda-bicarbonate in equal proportions to prepare a paste.
The bleach helps to whiten up the tiles along with disinfecting them in the course.
The bleach can give off a nasty odor and also damage your skin. So it’s preferable to wear hand gloves and also a mask if possible while applying the paste on the tiles.
The wait in this method is a bit longer; around an hour for visible results. You may then wash the tiles.
Grout it out
The area between the tiles is filled with grout. This portion can accumulate debris if left unchecked for long. Luckily, the same ingredients and mixtures described above will cover up this area too.
The only extra effort for the grout would be to clean it off with a toothbrush. Use a regular brush to scrub off the debris from the grooves between the tiles and wipe them off before cleaning with water.
Salt
As simple as it may sound, just use some good old salt to glisten to your tiles.
Just use a moist cloth to rub the surfaces and then sprinkle them up with some salt. Be generous while using salt. Then use a brush to scrub out the grout and then leave it for an entire night. You can use any kind of salt. Salt here kills all the bacteria and germs.
So try out these methods the next time you clean your bathroom and be mesmerized at what you find.
