How to Clean Shower Tiles

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Soap and hard water build up on your shower tiles can make them gray and dirty looking even if you just cleaned them. Hard water is hard because of the calcium in the water that causes the staining that attaches to your tiles. Soap scum is the soapy residue that is left from the use of soap in your shower. Removing these can take hours of hard scrubbing, or 10 short minutes with these tips.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Toothbrush
Cleaning supply with the chemical sodium hypochlorite in a spray bottle
Old wet rag
Spray bottle of water
Gloves

How To Clean Shower Tiles

Step1

Put the gloves on your hands before beginning. Use the wet rag to wipe over a 2 foot by 2 foot area of your shower tiles. This moistens the soap and calcium so it is loose enough to remove.

Step2

Spray a generous amount of your sodium hypochlorite cleaner onto the area you dampened, and let sit for 1 minute. This allows the agents to soak in and continue loosening the dirt.

Step3

Brush the area briskly with your toothbrush for about 10 seconds on each tile. This removes the build up of hard water and soap by manual force. You don't have to scrub hard, just use circular motions over 1 tile at a time. Make sure to hit the grout in between as well.

Step4

Wipe down the area you just cleaned with your damp rag. This removes the dirt and build up before it can dry again on the surface. Spray the area down with the water bottle and let dry naturally. Repeat this process on each 2 foot by 2 foot area until your entire shower is clean. Depending on the size of your shower area, this can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours.

Tips & Warnings

Sodium hydrochloride can be found at a 6 percent concentration in most bleaches and in Mean Green products. Bleach is not suggested to use, as the fumes can be toxic and the liquid is corrosive. Always wear gloves when using a cleanser designed to eat away grime or mildew. If you do not want to use chemicals to clean with, you can always use the trusty alternative Mr. Clean Magic Eraser dampened to wipe over the entire area. This is just as effective and has no odor, and causes on corrosion to the skin while using.
When using chemicals of any kind, always use proper ventilation. Open a window or turn on a fan to disperse the odors while you are working.