Even dirty floors will not be able to resist!
Tarnished by time and heavy traffic, your tiles need a good deep cleaning to regain their former shine and cleanliness? Leave aside the chemicals and/or so-called miraculous products from the supermarket: to make your tiles shine like the first day, prefer the good old tricks of grandmother which have been proven for generations and will also be much less painful for you. your wallet!
10 grandma’s tips for cleaning the tiles
Tip n°1: to clean the tiles, make a homemade product with wheat bran
Do you think wheat bran is only useful in slimming diets to lose weight? Nay! It can therefore be very useful for cleaning and shining a tile that has become dull from daily use.
Tip n°2: bet on white vinegar and baking soda
Here are two products that work miracles for cleaning your home, and which are leading figures in ecological and economical cleaning: white vinegar and baking soda ! On the one hand, white vinegar eliminates microbes, disinfects, degreases and is as such an excellent alternative to bleach. Baking soda is an excellent anti-limestone and a natural fungicide.
By combining the two, you will be able to easily clean your tiles, for a nickel result. If your tiles show signs of mold, this is also the winning duo to favor to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the kitchen.
Here is how to proceed to clean and sanitize tiles with white vinegar and baking soda: in a large bucket of hot water (about 1 liter of water), dilute 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Once everything is mixed, all you have to do is rub, then rinse! You will see: even dirty floors will not be able to resist the power of vinegar and baking soda combined.
Tip 3: use the cooking water from the potatoes
Want to find a shiny tile without using chemicals bought too expensive at the supermarket? Know that you probably have in your kitchen cupboard a miracle ingredient that can work wonders and is a hundred times less expensive: the potato !
In fact, just like wheat bran, potatoes are tubers that contain starches with degreasing properties . They are therefore just as effective in cleaning your tiles as any store-bought product… especially since, unlike chemicals, they are not likely to damage your tiles.
Tip n°4: trust black soap or Marseille soap
Essential ally of a clean and healthy home, Marseille soap is also an excellent cleaner for your tiles . And just like white vinegar or potato cooking water, it’s also a 100% natural product, good for the planet and your wallet.
To restore your tiling to its former glory and clean it thoroughly, nothing is rocket science: simply pour a little Marseille soap, in liquid or shavings, into a bucket containing hot water. You can also add a spoonful of white vinegar, to boost the efficiency even more when cleaning, and a little lemon juice for the smell. Then pass the mop soaked in this mixture, then rinse with clear water.
Black soap is much more concentrated than Marseille soap, so to use it, pour a small amount of black soap (a tablespoon will be enough) in a bucket filled with hot water (5 liters) and scrub your tiles with a soft brush. This ecological product is formidable against grease stains that could cover your tiles or even your tiled worktop!
Tip n°5: opt for the silver stone
Another ecological and well-known product of our grandmothers to make all the rooms of the house shine from floor to ceiling: the silver stone , also known as the white stone or the clay stone .
It is a clay-based product, which works wonders on dirty tiles thanks to its anti-limestone, antiseptic, degreasing and abrasive properties! It allows you to clean and polish your tiles, whether on the floor or on your worktop… but that’s not all: it also allows you to degrease and clean your hobs, your sink in depth.
To use it, it’s simple: rub the stone until it foams, then apply it to the tiles and then rub gently without forcing.
Tip n°6: choose lemon to shine your tiles
Once your tiles are all clean, there is one last step to make them shine with a thousand lights: polishing.
For this, nothing could be simpler, soak a sponge or a mop with lemon juice and let it act for an hour. Lemon will restore all its shine to dirty and dull tiles with the added bonus of a good smell!
Tip n°7: Chamois skin
The use of a chamois leather makes it possible to directly erase the traces of the tiling after having washed it. It is not recommended to air dry the tile.
Tip n°8: Marseille soap
Savon de Marseille remains very effective for cleaning your tiles. Mix it with a little hot water, polish and rinse with a mop, and you’re done!
Tip 9: Flour
Flour is a very effective way to deep clean the tiles and remove oil stains on the floor. Just like dry shampoo, its absorption capacity is infallible! In addition, this method is very economical, natural, and is within reach of everyone!
Tip 10: Essential oils
Essential oils are known for their scent which soothe the atmosphere and indirectly contribute to well-being. In addition to the sense of smell, the concentrate of oils cleans the floor and therefore the tiles. He will want another solution beforehand to clean your floor, such as white vinegar and baking soda.
