Simple Housekeeping

Housekeeping tips of the day:

My sweet friend Shawnda asked me if I had any tile cleaning tips that I could share.

Well, I have lived in houses that had some tiled rooms, mainly bathrooms or mudrooms. These floors tend to take a beating on a daily basis, with all kinds of dirt and muck to battle. I find these simple cleaning tricks keep the floor tidy.

Tips of the day:

• mats in the doorways are excellent dirt catchers-I have one at each entrance, both on the inside and outside of the house.

remove all rugs from the floor (thinking bathmats) and anything that may be hiding extra dirt.

• sweep, dust/dry mop or vacuum tile floors daily or as needed (here with all the 2 legged and 4 legged creatures, well it is sometimes twice a day).

once a week or as needed, wet mop floor with either a tile cleaner specific to the type of tile you have (terra cotta, unsealed tile, stone or ceramic sealed tile)or use a homemade tile cleaner. Two of our bathrooms are sealed tile and I use this solution weekly.

Homemade floor tile cleaner:

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 gallon hot water

a squirt of clear dish soap (mine is lavender bergamot.)

Mix ingredients together, wash floor, rinse. Drying the floor by using a soft dry towel or chamois will make sure it is shiny...I know extra work, but use it as prayer time. You can open a window and let it air dry of course.

Grout cleaning tips:

If needed I will give my grout a little extra love (if it is looking dingy.) This is a once a year only type of job, though if you want to do it more, go crazy. In front of toilets may be done more often if needed.

need:

1 cup baking soda

1/4 ammonia

juice of 1-2 lemons (optional, but helps to lighten the dirty tile- lemons are a natural bleach- you also could use 1/3 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide)

*depending on which ingredients you chose, you may need to add a bit of warm water to achieve paste consistency.

toothbrush

bowl

bucket

mop

hot water-add a drop or two of essential oil as a treat! (peppermint or lavender is nice!)

Mix ingredients in a bowl, add enough water to make a paste. Get an old pillow to kneel on and go at the grungy grout areas with the toothbrush and your handy-dandy cleaner. Scrub in the paste- let sit. I then come back with a mop and bucket of hot water to rinse away the cleaner, you might have to rinse twice. I add a drop or two of my favorite essential oil to the last rinse, for a nice clean scent. I let it air dry.

Mildew tile/grout cleaner (for sealed areas only):

spray bottle (recycle one!)

1/2 cup chlorine bleach (not green, but will kill mold and mildew!)

2 cups hot water

old toothbrush or scrub brush

large sponge or rag

spray on mildew areas, let sit, scrub with a toothbrush to get into the crannies. I let mine soak 15-30 minutes, respray and then rinse with a large clean wet sponge. Towel or air dry.