Nothing makes a bathroom or kitchen look old and dirty faster than grubby grout and tired old tiles. These also tend to harbor mold and mildew, which pose serious health risks.

Here’s all you need to know to give these smooth surfaces a new lease of life – the natural way.

Preventing Mold and Mildew Growth

Kitchens and bathrooms are hot and steamy rooms – which gives mold and mildew
the perfect opportunity to thrive. And the porous and uneven surface of grout is the ideal place for this fungal growth to set up shop.

By reducing the moisture levels in these rooms you’ll reduce the growth of mold in grout and on your tiled surfaces.

A quick wipe down of tiles after showering or cooking may be all you need to do to keep the worst of the mold growth at bay. You could also open windows, or switch on an exhaust fan or dehumidifier.

Soap scum, which can build up from using conventional cleaners and personal care products, helps mold and mildew to adhere to these surfaces, and allows them to multiply quickly.

A regular application of natural products will go a long way toward cutting through this residue.

The Dangers of Bleach

As one of the most commonly used cleaners, chlorine bleach is usually the first line of defense against the mold and mildew that pops up on grout and tiles.

It’s also incredibly effective at removing the buildup of soap residue. However, bleach has some adverse effects that go way beyond discoloring clothing!

As printed on the label, simply inhaling the fumes from this corrosive liquid can be irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.

In fact, a 2015 study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that passive exposure to bleach in the home is linked to a greater risk of children developing respiratory illness and infection.

The children who lived in bleach-using households were found to have a 20% higher risk of flu, and a 35% higher risk of recurrent tonsillitis.

What’s more, bleach is toxic to waterways and aquatic life – it comes from the organochlorine family of chemicals which are rarely found in nature and which take centuries to decompose.

The Importance of Elbow Grease

To effectively clean tiles and grout (with or without bleach) it’s important to note that a hands-on approach is needed.

While bleach can color mold white so you no longer see it, a strenuous scrubbing is necessary to get the cleaning products into the tiny pores of the grout, killing the root of the mildew and removing soap residue.

An old toothbrush is the ideal tool for this, while tiles should be thoroughly wiped with a washcloth or sponge.

Now that you know how damaging bleach is, and that it requires the same amount of scrubbing effort as other products, why not check out some greener alternatives?

Here are a few of the natural products you can pair with elbow grease to get sparkling tiles and clear grout.