How to Clean Bathroom Tile

Co-authored by Art Fricke

Cleaning bathroom tile is a crucial part of home maintenance. For a basic cleaning, you can use materials you probably have lying around the house like lemon juice, baking soda, and all-purpose cleaning agents. For cleaning more deeply soiled bathroom tile, use a steam cleaner or a chemical cleaning agent like bleach or ammonia. Don't forget to clean the grout between the tiles, as well.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Conducting a Basic Cleaning

1
Use vinegar to clean the tile. Mixing water and distilled white (or cleaning) vinegar in equal amounts produces an effective cleaning agent. For instance, you might mix five tablespoons of vinegar with five tablespoons of water. Dab a rag in the mixture and scrub the tile until clean. Wipe dry, or allow to air dry.^{[1]
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EXPERT TIP

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional
Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018.

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional

Did You Know? Vinegar is a great cleaner because one side of the molecule is hydrophobic, which means it hates water, and the other side is hydrophilic, meaning it's attracted to water. When you spray it on grease or grime, the side that hates water bonds to the grease, going underneath it to lift it off of the surface of whatever you're cleaning.
2
Apply lemon juice to the tile. Lemon juice is slightly acidic, and therefore effective as a tile-cleaning agent. Fill a spray bottle with lemon juice and spray the juice onto the tile directly, then wipe it away with a damp sponge.^{[2]
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- Alternately, dampen a sponge with some lemon juice directly, then use it to wipe the tile down. Rinse the tile off with a sponge or cloth dipped in warm water.
- If you wish, you could sprinkle your bathroom tile with a thin coat of baking soda before spraying it with lemon juice or wiping it down with a lemon juice-soaked sponge.
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3
Spray your tile with a cleaning product. There are a variety of all-purpose cleaning products available that can effectively clean your bathroom tile. While specific directions for use vary with the product you've decided to use, you can generally start by spraying the tile with a light coating of the spray you've decided to use, then wiping it down with a clean cloth.^{[3]
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- Powdered cleaning products might need to be mixed with water before they can be used.^{[4]
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  Art Fricke
  Home Renovation & Repair Specialist
  Expert Interview. 1 July 2020.}
- Before you begin, you might want to close the door and windows to your bathroom and run the hot water in your tub (with the drain stopper engaged) for several minutes. This will build up the steam in your bathroom and make cleaning easier.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Heavy-duty Tile Cleaners

1
Use baking soda cleaner. Mix ½ cup (90 grams) of baking soda, one teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and ¼ cup (63 milliliters) of hydrogen peroxide. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the bathroom tiles you wish to clean. Wait 10 minutes, then wipe the tiles off with a damp sponge or rag.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Art Fricke
Home Renovation & Repair Specialist
Expert Interview. 1 July 2020.}
2
Mix water and bleach to clean tile. Combining bleach and water in a 1:3 ratio will yield an effective tile-cleaning solution. For instance, you might mix five tablespoons of bleach with 15 tablespoons of water. Fill a spray bottle with this solution and spray it on the bathroom tile you wish to clean. Rinse the tiles clean with a cloth dampened with warm water.^{[6]
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- Bleach exudes noxious fumes. Open doors and windows before you get started to prevent the fumes from building up.
- Bleach can also irritate the skin, so wear thick rubber cleaning gloves when cleaning your bathroom tile with it.
3
Utilize ammonia. Combine ammonia and water in a 1:2 ratio. For instance, you could mix 10 tablespoons of water with five tablespoons of ammonia. Fill a spray bottle with the mixture and apply it to the bathroom tile you want to clean. Let it sit on the bathroom tile for about 60 minutes, then wipe it away with a clean, damp cloth.^{[7]
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- Ammonia, like bleach, exudes noxious fumes. Ventilate the bathroom you're cleaning by opening doors and windows.
- Additionally, ammonia can irritate the skin, so wear thick rubber cleaning gloves when cleaning your bathroom tile with it.
4
Use a steam cleaner. A steam cleaner is a cleaning machine that uses steam to clean tile floors and other flat surfaces. Generally, steam cleaners work the same way that vacuum cleaners do – simply turn the machine on and push it along the surface of your bathroom tile.^{[8]
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- You'll probably have to fill the steam cleaner with water before using it.
- Consult manufacturer directions before using your steam cleaner.
- You may be able to rent a steam cleaner at your local hardware or home goods store.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cleaning Grout

1
Make a baking soda paste. Combine baking soda and water in equal amounts. For instance, you might mix three tablespoons of water and three tablespoons of baking soda. Use a stiff-bristled brush to wipe the paste onto the grout. Work the paste into the grout, then wipe it away using a damp cloth or sponge.
2
Create a salt and vinegar cleaning agent. Combine one cup (237 milliliters) of plain white vinegar, one cup (273 grams) of salt, two tablespoons of liquid dish soap, and one cup (237 milliliters) of hot water. Dab a sponge in this mixture and wipe your bathroom grout with it. Wait ten minutes, then wipe the grout with a clean, damp sponge.^{[9]
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3
Scrub the grout with bleach. Dip a stiff-bristled grout brush in bleach. Scrub the along the grout using the brush. After scrubbing, rinse the grout with a clean, damp cloth.^{[10]
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- Throw open the windows and door before you get started in order to ventilate the noxious bleach fumes.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Adopting Strategies to Clean Effectively

1
Use a cotton ball to clean corner tiles. Cleaning corner tiles with a regular sponge or brush can be difficult. Instead, soak a cotton ball in the tile cleaner of your choice and press it into the corner you wish to clean. Wait several minutes then remove the cotton ball. Wipe the corner with a damp rag to remove any excess grime.^{[11]
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- Alternately, you could use an old toothbrush to scrub the corner area clean.
2
Apply a coat of wax to ceramic tile. Once annually, apply a coat of car wax after cleaning bathroom tile. This will cause water to roll off and prevent the growth of mildew. Plus, it gives your bathroom tile a nice shine.^{[12]
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- While the exact technique for applying the car wax varies with the specific wax you've chosen to utilize, you can generally dab a clean cloth in the tub of wax, then rub it in a thin layer across the bathroom tiles after cleaning.
- After applying the wax to bathroom floor tile, buff it down to prevent the bathroom tile from being too slippery.
3
Clean floor tile last. If you're cleaning the whole bathroom as opposed to just the bathroom tile, you should clean the floor tile last. This will prevent you from wiping dust and debris from shelves and countertops onto the floor after you've just cleaned it, thereby soiling the bathroom tile you just worked so hard to get clean.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I make my tiles shine again?

Art Fricke
Home Renovation & Repair Specialist
Art Fricke is a home renovation and repair specialist and the owner of Art Tile & Renovation based in Austin, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in bathroom and kitchen renovations. Art focuses on a single contractor approach to customized renovation work, and performs projects such as installing custom tile showers, fixing tiled shower leaks, replacing cracked tiles, and installing floor and wall tile.

Art Fricke

Home Renovation & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

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Scrubbing your tiles with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can bleach the surface of your tiles. Scrub it on and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it off.