How to clean very dirty tile joints?

1. Clean tile joints with baking soda

A first grandmother’s recipe for naturally cleaning tile joints that have turned gray or black over time is to use baking soda.

1. Mix one part baking soda with 2 parts warm water.
2. Dissolve the baking soda well and pour the solution into a spray bottle.
3. Spray the cleaning solution on the tile joints as well as on the tiles to be cleaned.
4. Scrub the joints with a brush and the tiles with a sponge, rinse with water and dry to finish.

You can also add a little white vinegar to this mixture to make the recipe even more effective in cleaning and whitening tile joints in the bathroom.

2. Clean and descale tile joints with vinegar.

As I briefly discussed in the previous tip, white vinegar is another natural product you can use to clean and descale tile joints.

Here’s how to prepare this cleaning tip:

1. In a bowl, pour 1/3 cup of water and 1 cup of white vinegar.
2. Then add 1 capful of washing up liquid and mix again.
3. Soak a sponge or better yet an old toothbrush in this solution and rub the cement joints.
4. Rinse the joints with water and let dry to finish.

White vinegar is also perfect for restoring shine to tiles. So do not hesitate to clean your tiles with a mixture of water and white vinegar if necessary.

3. Clean and whiten tile joints with toothpaste

If your tile joints are very dirty, yellowed or even blackened, you will no doubt like this next tip which allows you to clean and whiten.

So how do you use toothpaste on cement joints?

1. Put some white toothpaste (paste) on the toothbrush and scrub the dirty joints.
2. Rinse with a sponge and water and repeat if necessary on the still dirty joints.

If the seals are very dirty and very clogged, you can apply the toothpaste and leave it on overnight before scrubbing and rinsing the next morning.

4. Clay stone to remove stains from tile joints

If you don’t take the time to properly maintain and clean tile joints regularly, stubborn stains can appear over time.

Clay stone is a great natural stain remover to try at home:

1. Soak a sponge in cold water and rub the clay stone (lather).
2. Clean the tile joints, insisting on stains.
3. Rinse with water to complete cleaning.

You can also use the clay stone in the kitchen to clean the ceramic hob and in the garden to clean the white plastic outdoor furniture.

5. Clean tile joints with soda crystals

Another product similar to baking soda that you can use for cleaning a multitude of objects and surfaces in the home are soda crystals.

1. Dilute 1 tablespoon of soda crystals in 2 cups of warm water.
2. Use an old toothbrush and scrub the tile joints with this solution.
3. Repeat more than once to thoroughly clean and whiten joints and rinse with water to finish.

You can also mix an equal amount of baking soda and soda crystals in water to clean tile joints even more effectively.

6. Cleaning tile joints with bleach

I agree with you that bleach is not a natural product, quite the contrary!

On the other hand, if the tile joints are really VERY dirty and no other product succeeds in completely removing the stains, then bleach can be a solution.

1. Mix a little bleach with warm-hot water and scrub the tile joints with the solution.
2. Use an old brush or sponge to clean and scrub the joints (protect your hands and face).
3. Leave to act for ten minutes and rinse with clean water using a cloth or sponge.

Do not use bleach on colored joints, as you will discolor them. Use this product only on white tile joints.