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Homemade Hard Water Tile Cleaner (Frugal & Effective)

Try this natural solution for a grout cleaner that’s simple and cheap to make at home.

If you’re like me, cleaning your bathroom or kitchen tile sometimes falls to the bottom third of your cleaning tasks.

Ok, mayyyybe even farther down that that.

Really, I’m lucky to keep up on the big, glaring, everyday cleaning tasks.

Things like dirty grout and hard water stains annoy me, for sure. But I’m not exactly staying up late to tackle it, either.

Vertical graphic with image of tile cleaner and text "DIY hard water tile cleaner"

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The Problem with Tile Cleaning Products

Part of my lack of motivation was that the tile never really got clean with the methods I used in the past.

I would scrub and spray and end up with a headache from cleaning chemicals.

Or, I would use natural products I was familiar with, but didn’t really do the job completely. I would spray vinegar solutions frequently, but it seemed to drip off the shower walls too quickly to be effective.

And you know how that goes…at some point, you just sort of become grime-blind and forget that there might be a real solution to this problem.

(Or, ignore it completely. I’m super good at that.)

Grout and tile cleaner in glass jar, top view

A Homemade Hard Water Tile Cleaner that WORKS

Anyone with hard water (or extremely hard water, in our case) knows how much more this compounds your cleaning chores.

I mean – the weekly lime buildup on my shower tiles alone would make anyone want to give up.

Then I stumbled across a new combination of ingredients that made me curious to try it.

The results? It made my shower tiles shiny and new again!

Grout and tile cleaner recipe ingredients on a speckled countertop in ceramic containers.

How to Use Homemade Hard Water Cleaner

Part of what makes a difference with this homemade tile cleaner is that it makes a thick paste. This is perfect for the walls of a tile shower, but also helpful on floors.

You can clearly see where you’ve rubbed on this cleaner, and where it needs wiped off. And it stays put while it’s soaking in and doing its magic.

Vertical image of white grout cleaner in a small glass jar.

For walls of the shower, you can apply it with a toothbrush or a cloth. You just want a generous amount to be able to sit on the surface for several minutes.

Then, simply scrub with a brush, rinse or spray off.

I have this long-handled scrub brush that I have found a dozen uses for.

It’s great for showers, tubs, and I even use the squeegee side to push the water off our back deck.

Essential Oils for Homemade Grout and Tile Cleaner

I’ve made essential oils optional in this recipe, but it really helps to boost the cleaning power.

So if you have them on hand, I recommend oils such as:

  • Lemon (disinfectant, degreaser, deodorizer)
  • Lime (antibacterial, removes sticky residue)
  • Orange (degreaser, antimicrobial)
  • Grapefruit (antibacterial, antimicrobial)
Pouring essential oils into the grout cleaner ingredients.

Basically, all the citrus oils can be great for cutting through gunk and grime that build up on surfaces.

They are especially helpful in deep cleaning projects where you want the mixture to “sit” on the surface and work its way into the pores of the grout.

Feel free to experiment with your preferred essential oil combinations. I enjoy the oils from Plant Therapy for many cleaning tasks like this one.

Homemade Hard Water Tile Cleaner

Grout and tile cleaner in glass jar, top view

This recipe is a great solution for hard water stains as well as the typical buildup on all of your grout and tile.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons Baking soda
  • 4 Tablespoons Castile Soap
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 20 drops essential oils (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small glass container, add the castile soap to the baking soda. Stir until fully mixed.
  2. Slowly add in the lemon juice. It will bubble up, but once you mix it, it will settle down.
  3. Add 20 drops of citrus essential oils such as orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit- or your preferred oils for surface cleaning. (Optional)

Notes

To use: Apply to shower walls and floors with a rag or toothbrush.

Let mixture sit on surface for several minutes. Then scrub with a scrub brush and rinse or wipe well with a clean, wet cloth or sponge.

Plant Therapy essential oils are what I recommend for a budget-friendly option.

Recommended Products

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6 Basic Essential Oils for Beginners (and how to use them)

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DIY Toilet Cleaning Tablets

Orange Vanilla Body Butter Recipe

Vertical graphic with image of ingredients and finished cleaning solution in glass jar, and text "Homemade grout & tile cleaner- cheap and effective recipe!"

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