It may not be the most thrilling subject, but grimy bathroom tiles is something that many people get very frustrated by. In a naturally moist and wet environment it’s understandable that your tiles will attract mould and dirt, as does shower glass. But you can stop them from getting beyond the point of no return. Stop staring at your bathroom tiles wishing they were shiny and clean! It’s time to get your hands dirty and restore them to their original sparkly clean state. Our experts are here to provide you with some handy tips on how to clean bathroom tiles and tile grout. Here are our top tips:

• Make sure you use rubber gloves at all times to protect your hands.
• If you are using strong cleaning products, open windows and make sure your bathroom is well-ventilated.
• If you run the shower at a high temperature and rinse your tiles in the hot water before cleaning it can help to open up the ceramic pores and make cleaning easier.
• Whatever cleaning solution you are using, always do a test on a small area to make sure it doesn’t damage your tiles. You will need to check with the manufacturer as to what chemicals/solutions you can and can’t use on their tiles, as every surface and material is different.
• Don’t mix different chemicals. So if you try and clean your tiles with one thing and it doesn’t work, don’t try again straight away with more powerful chemicals. Rinse your tiles, wait a few days and try again.

Clean the grout first It’s a good idea to clean the grout before the surface of the tiles. If you do it the other way around, the dirt and grime from the grout will simply spread onto the tiles, forcing you to clean them again. Here are some tips for cleaning bathroom tile grout:

• Use an old toothbrush to scrub the grout, this is an excellent way of lifting dirt and debris.
• Use an old toothbrush in combination with a cleaning agent. You can either use a homemade solution or commercial cleaning product (see below).
• Always try the mildest cleaning solution first, there is no point using harsh cleaning products if you don’t need to.
• If you have grout that is covered in mould and dirt that just won’t seem to come out, try a steam cleaner.
• To prevent an ongoing buildup of mould, dry your tiles after each use. Open your bathroom windows regularly and invest in a decent bathroom fan.

Next, tackle your tiles Once you have cleaned the grout, you can move on to cleaning the tiles. Use a homemade solution or commercial cleaning spray and damp sponge or cloth to wipe away dirt from the surface of the tiles. Again, check that the product you are using is OK to use on the type of tiles you have, the last thing you want is to embark on a cleaning mission and ruin your bathroom tiles. Homemade solutions [caption id="attachment_622" align="alignnone" width="625"] Nicole Van Putten[/caption] If you want to avoid using harsh chemicals then you can try making your own cleaning solution for your tiles. It’s pretty simple to make, just dilute vinegar and baking soda in water and put the solution into an empty spray bottle. Baking soda is great for getting rid of odours and cleaning the surface and vinegar is good for removing grease and grime. Leave the cleaning solution on your tiles for a few minutes before wiping off.