How to clean the joints between the tiles in the bathroom?

If we neglect cleaning the walls and floors after each swim, dirt and mold will soon appear on the walls and the floor sooner or later. In the joints between the tiles accumulates water, lime and dust, which is an excellent breeding ground for the growth of fungus.

Tile - an excellent finishing material, which belongs to the category of durable and easy to maintain. However, rarely anyone can avoid darkening, against which the usual wet cleaning is powerless. The scruffy look of tiled joints, which have recently been white, will upset any hostess.

Before proceeding to the study of ways to clean the seams, let's see why the tile joints darken. The level of pollution depends on the purpose of the room in which the tile was laid. Often in the corridor and in the kitchen, the coating quickly loses its appearance, because these rooms are more polluted than others. The tile itself is cleaned regularly, but to clean the seams is much more difficult, so this space is rarely cleaned. The way to combat darkening should be chosen depending on the type of pollution. To them lead the remnants of food and detergents, dust, street dirt.

Even after a general cleaning, tiled joints can have a sloppy appearance. But there are still ways to return the original state to the seams, and there are quite a lot of them.

It is necessary to make a mixture of water and table soda in a ratio of 3 to 1. You should get a thick paste that is suitable for cleansing colored joints, but can harm natural materials from limestone and marble. The algorithm is as follows:

1. The paste is applied to the butt with rubber fingers to prevent microtrauma to the skin of the hands;
2. The solution is made of water and vinegar in the ratio of 1 to 1. The solution is poured into the container with a spray;
3. Means is sprayed on the applied paste. The mass begins to bubble, hence the chemical reaction process has begun;
4. Wait until the bubbling stops;
5. Clean the joints with a stiff brush;
6. Wet clean several times to wash off any residual mortar.

This method is not recommended for colored joints, but for tiles it is absolutely safe. The solution should be used immediately after preparation, otherwise it will be ineffective. The order of execution:

1. The oxidized bleach in a volume of 2 tablespoons is dissolved in 2 glasses of water;
2. It is necessary to test the fluid in an inconspicuous place before applying it to the entire tiled surface. In some cases there is a change in the color of the seams, so make sure that you do not spoil the grout;
3. Water the joints with the solution.
4. We make cleaning in small areas so that pools of liquid do not collect on the floor;
5. We rub solution into a joint with a brush. Especially carefully you need to walk around the corners and edges;
6. At the end, rinse the floor well.

Make a paste of 3/4 cup soda, 1/4 peroxide and 1 tablespoon of dish detergent. This method is very effective due to its components:

1. Soda works as an abrasive;
2. Peroxide reacts with soda, thereby providing a whitening effect;
3. Detergent for dishes easily copes with the fat.

Steam cleaners perfectly clean and disinfect the gaps between the tiles without the use of chemicals. This appliance does not have to buy, for sure you will find offers to rent it. A steam cleaner with a hose and a brush nozzle is suitable for you.

Clean the steam cleaner according to the instructions. After switching on, wait until the machine reaches the required temperature. The manual will indicate how much time you need to wait. The steam method is effective not only to remove dust and dirt, but also mold.

Another enemy that is extremely difficult to overcome is black mold. Her hideous growths on the walls and the floor between the tiles able to cross even the most expensive and exquisite repairs in the bathroom.

There are several methods that can get rid of this blackness. Let's start with homemade recipes, because many housewives do not welcome the use of chemistry in everyday life for fear of harm to health. In addition, homemade methods are much more economical than buying expensive detergents.

The most effective recipes for the destruction of mold:

• Soda and chlorine powder paste. Whiteness or any other cleaning powder containing chlorine will do. The resulting mixture of soda and whiteness effectively brightens and disinfects the surface. But as mentioned above, blends containing bleach are not suitable for colored joints. Wear gloves and a protective mask when working with such an aggressive substance as chlorine. The mass is applied with a spatula to problem areas before drying. Then it is all washed off with water.
• Citric acid, soda and vinegar. Another working home method of dealing with mold is a solution of water, vinegar, citric acid and soda. If the moldiness is insignificant, you can treat the lesions with vinegar without dilution, then rinse.
• Ammonia. Two spoons of ammonia dissolved in two liters of water. Then spray the solution onto the affected surface. After a quarter of an hour walk with a damp cloth and wipe dry. Antimicrobial action of ammonia helps to get rid of black plaque.
• Par The steam generator will help to cope not only with dirt, but also with a mold. The device delivers hot steam under pressure, which softens and pushes contamination out of the tiled joints, and the high temperature destroys mold and fungus.

It is not always possible to get rid of blackness by home methods, and then you should turn to specialized tools aimed at fighting mold. Home chemistry does not always give the desired results, and a pleasant little in the smell of vinegar and bleach. Today, you can buy many effective tools that will relieve mold and protect against its appearance in the future. The most popular products include:

1. "Atlas Dolphin" - it is a protective emulsion, it does not clean, but creates a film that prevents the accumulation of dirt and bacteria. It is applied immediately after grouting or after stripping seams.This protection will help keep the bath clean.
2. "Bozo" - the concentrate relieving from lime and a rust, disinfecting and eliminating smells. Diluted in a ratio of 1 to 4, but the fungus itself is processed with pure concentrate.
3. "Mellerud" - perfect tile care in the bathroom. Quickly eliminates stains of soap and lime, refreshing the color of grout and tile. For routine cleaning, it is recommended to dilute 125 g of money per bucket of water. For old contamination use without dilution.
4. Snowball - A special pencil that whitens the stitches and kills the fungus. The tool is effective for shallow lesions.
5. Melamine sponge - This is not an absorbent object for cleaning, as you might think, but a detergent. It is a kind of eraser that erases the dirt and erases itself. It is enough to wet the sponge and try to clean it with dirt.

All these substances are much stronger and more concentrated than household components, and this is certainly a plus, and the disadvantage is their high toxicity, therefore, it is better to work in a respirator, ensuring room ventilation.

In advanced cases, more serious measures are needed, since the fungus managed to settle deep in the grout. Best of all, of course, will be to remove the old tile, to clean up and disinfect the surface and put a new one. If the overhaul is not included in the plans, you will have to deeply clean the seams.

Grouting is tedious and hard work, but worth it. The work can be carried out with a spatula, but it is better to use a drill with a nozzle in the form of a half disk, this will somewhat simplify the task. Before work, inter-tile stitches should be wetted with water and vinegar so that the grout becomes more pliable. After this, the joints should be washed, dried and treated with anti-fungal agents, and then wiped again.

Be careful to move on a wet floor - the floor of the cleaning solution becomes too slippery. This applies to all cleaning methods in the bathroom.

On the seams after cleaning, you can apply a sealant, then they will remain clean longer. Do not use metal brushes - they will scratch the tile and ruin the seams. It is strictly impossible to use vinegar on the surface of natural granite, travertine and marble. Acid will corrode the stone, this will lead to serious problems. When working with these materials, choose products with a neutral pH.

How to clean the seams between the tiles, see the following video.