Cleaned with toothpaste, baking soda, vinegar, acetone or hydrogen peroxide, your tile joints will look like new! Discover practical and economical techniques to restore tile joints brilliance!
Toothpaste
Use toothpaste only for white joints! Using a toothbrush, apply toothpaste on joints, let it act an hour (or longer for stubborn stains) and rinse with cold water. Dry with a clean cloth.
Toothpaste contains detergents, abrasive substances and antimicrobial agents that prevent impurities and bacteria, the main causes for yellow joints.
White vinegar
Fill half a bowl with white vinegar and add a tablespoon of dishwashing detergent in it. Rub the tile joints using a toothbrush. Let it dry and don’t rinse! Vinegar is an acid product which has antifungal effects. You can replace the dishwashing detergent with 30 drops of lemon or lavender essential oil. You can pour the mixture in a vaporizer bottle and spray it directly on tile joints.
Lemon juice
There are two techniques based on lemon juice:
Mix lemon juice with coarse salt until you get a paste. Rub the tile joints with this mixture, using a cloth or a toothbrush. Leave it on 10 minutes, then rinse. This mixture is good for removing rust.
Boil 250 ml water, cut a lemon in half and put the two halves in water. Let the water to infuse for a few minutes then rub the joints with the product. Caution: the product must still be hot when you rub the tile joints!
Chlorine
Put your gloves and goggles and open the windows. In a container, prepare a mixture of 50% chlorine and about 50% water. Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle. Sprinkle over the tile joints and leave it a few minutes or all night for a deep cleaning effect. Wet a toothbrush in water and rub the joints, then rinse well.
Steam
Steam cleaning is eco-friendly and it’s possible if you have a special machine that will heat the water will disperse it in vapors. Steam is highly effective against grease stains, but will not help if the joints are covered with black stains of mold. On the contrary, humidity and heat will favor mold development.
Baking soda
Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with baking soda until you create a paste. Rub the tile joints with this mixture using a toothbrush. Leave on 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Baking soda is especially recommended for removing cooking oil and animal urine stains.
Acetone
Before applying acetone, wide open the windows, because it is a toxic substance with strong odor.
Put your gloves on, pour acetone on a piece of cloth and rub the tile joints. Wet the cloth: remember that acetone is very volatile! Avoid fire, because acetone is flammable.
Tile joints whitening
After you’ve cleaned the tile joints, and if they are white, it’s a good idea to whiten them better! To do this, put your gloves on and soak a piece of cotton wool in hydrogen peroxide, then wipe the tile joints. Your patience and thoroughness will be amply rewarded, because joints become white as snow!
