Making the switch to natural cleaners for tile and grout is incredibly easy and very inexpensive. You likely already have all the things you need, and they are more effective, in my opinion, than store-bought alternatives. You also don’t have to worry about your kids bathing in a chemical cocktail after you clean the tub, or a toddler crawling around on a floor covered in carcinogens.
I’m a big fan of homemade cleaning recipes and these were born out of necessity for me. A few years ago, we moved in to our first home (that we ever owned). It needed a lot of work and we remodeled most of it ourselves. One thing we left was the vintage tile in the hall bathroom. Thankfully, it was a light blue color and not a horrible yellow or bright pink as many other 1970s bathrooms.
Unfortunately, this bathroom came with complimentary mold in the grout and tile and I had to figure out how to get rid of it. I read that bleach doesn’t actually kill mold but just bleaches it so you can’t see it so I didn’t want to go that direction. (Plus, with toddlers in the house, bleach wasn’t something we kept around anyway). These natural tile and grout cleaner recipes were created in response to our mold-decorations in the bathroom and they cleaned them right up. 🙂
Natural Tile and Grout Cleaner Recipes
Light cleaning of water spots or dirt- Get a damp sponge, dip in a bowl of regular baking soda and wipe down tub or tiles. Rinse with warm water.
Tough stains or set in dirt- Use a damp sponge in full strength white vinegar to wipe down entire surface. Immediately scour with baking soda and a brush or sponge.
Really tough stains and spots– Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 2 TBSP of washing soda and 2 TBSP of borax. Add 3 TBSP of Liquid castile soap and stir (if you don’t have liquid castile soap, you can use liquid dish soap). Pre-wipe with full strength white vinegar and scrub with baking soda mixture. For tubs, wipe with white vinegar, sprinkle with mixture and let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub with heavy-duty brush and rinse.
Moldy Grout Stains- For mold on grout make a mixture of 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray on grout until saturated. Wait 45 minutes and wipe down with sponge and rinse well.
Have you ever made homemade tile or grout cleaner? How did it work?
Homemade French Dressing
I am SO very appreciative for your thoroughness. I’ve been hating the mildew in our master shower for ages and haven’t found a tough enough natural recipe that worked and this did it. I did one side of the shower and left the other for comparison and it is astounding. Only one tough spot that needs more. I’ll have to try it a few times there, but everywhere else it’s gleaming.
Thank you!
Hello! Great article. For the record though, bleach absolutely does kill mold on non-porous surfaces. Bleach damages the DNA of any organism it comes into contact with. However, on porous surfaces, bleach does not kill mold.
What do you mean by ‘washing soda’?
Floor cleaning is always a tough job; you need to maintain proper method in order to get them cleaned without affecting the quality. The best experience is using the vinegar and water combo, it’s really helpful! I have recommended that to many people. I don’t know about the brands of cleaners that you used but I hope they are as good as the DIY methods.
Can I use Oxygen Bleach on the grout between marble tile on a shower floor?
I have tried the 50/50 solution of water and peroxide and I have also tried the baking soda paste with very little improvement. Help!
Vinegar is not good to use on grout because of the acidity (like with marble and granite)… maybe using it once to do a thorough clean is ok, but repeated use runs the risk of breaking down your grout, which isn’t fun to replace.
I have colored grout the baking soda will bleach it white? Right now I am using Seventh Generation but want a homemade all natural because of autoimmune disease.
For soap scum in my tub, I use coconut oil on a sponge, magic eraser or paper towel. It comes right off with no soak in time required.
The oil+magic eraser also makes my water-marked brushed nickel bath fixtures sparkle like new.
For tuff water stains in toilet I use sand paper.
Could oil also help loosen and remove mold in grout?
What is washing soda?
You can make it from baking soda: https://wellnessmama.com/76866/washing-soda/ and here are some uses for it: https://wellnessmama.com/76877/washing-soda-uses/