If your bathroom tiles have seen better days, it might actually be from mildew on the grout, not the tiles themselves. Mold and mildew grows due to the high humidity in the bathroom. With a few simple cleaning tricks, you will be able to remove mold and mildew from the grout and tiles so you are left with clean and beautiful bathroom tile.

Make a Cleaning Paste

While there are commercial cleaners you can use to remove the mold and mildew, making your own tile cleaning product is often preferred. It is easy to do, inexpensive, and very effective at mild to moderate mildew problems. To make a cleaning paste, add some water and lemon juice to baking soda and mix until it makes a paste. If it becomes thin and watery, add more baking soda until it is a thicker consistency. Apply the paste to the grout and let it sit for several minutes to absorb into the mildew.

Scrub the Grout

Once your paste is sitting on the grout, you can begin scrubbing away at the mold and mildew. You have two options for scrubbing it, including using a microfiber cloth or a scrub brush. You might want to start with the cloth first as it is gentler and also works well on the bathroom tiles. The cloth is very soft, but the close loops still work great at removing mild mildew. However, if you have mold or tough mildew that isn't coming off with the cloth, stick to a strong scrub brush. Continue scrubbing, rinsing, and adding more cleaning paste until you start to see the mildew lift from the grout. Another option is to use an old toothbrush, which has a smaller tip for reaching the corners of the grout.

Use Bleach for Strong Mold

If the mildew has turned into mold with green or black specks, put on some gloves and use bleach to clean it. This type of mold and mildew will be too strong for just baking soda and water. Add bleach to a spray bottle with water, being very careful not to touch your eyes if the bleach touches your gloved hands. Mix it gently, then spray the areas of mold you see on the tiles and in the grout. Let it sit for several minutes, then go back to scrubbing it with your scrub brush. You will need to rinse often and apply more bleach before scrubbing again, in order to see how much of it you are removing.

To prevent mildew growth in the future, keep the bathroom as dry as possible by opening windows or installing a vent.