How to Clean Kitchen Wall Tiles (and Grout)

You know your way around the kitchen and often prepare meals at home? Then you may have noticed that your confidence as a chef isn’t the only thing building up. Over time, you will see grease and dirt can (and will) accumulate on all kinds of kitchen surfaces. Notably the wall tiles and grout near the stovetop. 

Even if you have the best-looking tiles in the world, if you don’t maintain and clean them regularly, they will end up looking far from appealing. So, prepare your cleaning supplies, get ready to put in some elbow grease and make your tiles sparkle again with the following tips.

So, if you are someone who:

• Need to deep clean your kitchen wall tiles;
• Are a messy cook and splash oil and food all over your kitchen tiles;
• Want to find an easy way to clean the wall tiles in your kitchen,

Keep on reading for spotless kitchen tiles!

Preparation

Even if you just decided to clean your kitchen tiles and haven’t done any preparation, you are probably good to go. There are several methods for cleaning kitchen wall tiles and grout to choose from. For most of them, you will need common household items like baking soda, vinegar, rubber gloves, toothbrush etc. and a dose of diligence. 

Grease is often quite difficult to remove, especially if you aren’t able to clean it immediately. So take a look at the options that we prepared to tackle this task.

Cleaning your tiles should be carried out regularly, so add it to your kitchen cleaning checklist. Making sure that they are regularly cleaned will mean that the next time you have to do it, your job won’t be too difficult. No one wants to clean grout layered with grease and grime that has been there for a year and a half. Trust us. 

How to clean kitchen wall tiles with baking soda

For the first method, the ingredients you will need are probably already in your kitchen. The staple of every household – baking soda and vinegar can work wonders on your greasy kitchen tiles and grout. To take advantage of their cleaning power, do the following:

Baking soda is an abrasive so when attempting this method, be careful. Don’t scrub with too much vigour if you suspect that you might damage the surface of the tiles.

How to clean kitchen wall tiles with vinegar

White vinegar is a natural and non-toxic product that can be used for a variety of cleaning purposes. It is a mild acid which works very well on grease, thus it is perfect for your greasy white kitchen tiles. To eliminate that build-up from your tiles, follow these steps:

1. Prepare vinegar.
   Pour white vinegar in an empty spray bottle;
2. Spray.
   Apply a generous mist to the greased tiles;
3. Let it sit.
   Let the vinegar sit for 5-10 minutes and wipe the surface with a cloth;

If the grease is very persistent and doesn’t come off after a couple of rounds of this treatment, you can take this next advanced approach:

1. Soak.
   Take paper towels and soak them in vinegar.
2. Wring.
   Wring the excess vinegar out.
3. Apply.
   Stick them to the tiled areas – when they are wet they easily stick to the surface.
4. Let it sit.
   Let the paper towels sit for a while, this way the vinegar won’t drip down to the ground.
5. Spray.
   If they start to dry out spray them with vinegar or a vinegar and water solution. This will also prevent them from falling down.
6. Rinse.
   After 20-30 minutes take the towels off and rinse the area with a clean cloth.
7. Repeat.
   Repeat if necessary.

How to clean kitchen wall tiles with Borax

Sodium borate, commonly known as Borax, is another household product that works great for cleaning. It has been used for years for various cleaning tasks around the home. As for cleaning kitchen wall tiles, we recommend the following method for spot-treating the stubborn grease and food stains.

1. Prepare Borax.
   Pour some Borax in a bowl.
2. Add lemon.
   Add lemon juice until you make a paste.
3. Apply.
   Use a sponge or a tool of your choice to apply the paste to the stained area.
4. Let it sit.
   Let the mix sit on the area and leave it there for 15-20 minutes to absorb the dirt.
5. Rinse.
   After that, scrub the mix off with a damp sponge or cloth, rinse and dry.

Using commercial products to clean kitchen tiles

Commercial cleaners are more concentrated and have chemicals that are very effective in cutting and removing grease or dirt from your kitchen wall tiles. Thankfully, such products are quite common and you can easily find them in your local supermarket.

If you have the option, go for a cleaning solution that comes in a spray bottle. This will make the application on vertical surfaces like wall tiles much easier. If you get a product that can be sprayed the cleaning process consists mainly of spraying the wall tiles, scrubbing and wiping. Here are the steps:

1. Read the instructions.
   Read the instructions for the product, they contain important information like if the product needs to be diluted or the time that it should stay on the tiles
2. Spray.
   After you familiarise yourself with the instructions, spray the dirty tiles with the product. Don’t overdo it, though, you don’t want the cleaner running down the walls and onto the floor.
3. Let it sit.
   For greasy wall tiles, leave the cleaner to do its work for 10-15 minutes before wiping it away.
4. Wipe.
   For the area around the sink that usually has watermarks, you don’t need to wait for 15 minutes – just spray with the cleaner and wipe down, that should be enough.

The oven is another place that suffers from grease and food debris build-up. Make sure you don’t skip cleaning your oven.

How to clean kitchen grout (with or without bleach)

When you clean your kitchen tiles, it’s a good idea to tackle the grout at the same time. Dirty grout can ruin the look of an otherwise clean and well-kept kitchen. It’s important to note that if you plan on cleaning the tiles and grout, you should start with the grout first. The dirt from this part will get on the tiles and you can clean it when cleaning them afterwards.

The most common things that plague the grouting are cooking grease and food splatters. However, around the sink, you can notice little black spots. That is mildew (check the difference between mould and mildew)which releases its spores around the room. That way you can end up breathing them in, which no one wants, especially if you have asthma or other respiratory problems.

You can find ways for cleaning the sink itself, here.

How to clean dirty kitchen grout with a homemade cleaner

Do you prefer to use a natural cleaning solution to chemicals? You can clean your kitchen wall grouting with vinegar and baking soda.

1. Mix vinegar and soda.
   Mix white vinegar and baking soda, forming a thick paste.
2. Apply.
   Take an old toothbrush and apply the mix to the grout. Don’t be afraid to rub the solution in well.
3. Let it sit.
   Leave it to work for half an hour.
4. Wipe.
   Wipe the residue away with a clean cloth.
5. Repeat.
   Repeat if there are spots that need more attention.

How to clean dirty kitchen wall grout with bleach

If you decide to use a stronger commercial cleaner like bleach, do the following:

1. Get bleach.
   Apply the bleach. Working with a vertical surface can be tricky, but you can go about it in two ways. The first one is to dip a sponge or an old toothbrush in the bleach and apply it to the kitchen wall grout. The second way is to mix the bleach with baking soda to create a paste and apply that to the grouting. You can scrub the grout when applying the bleach to work it in.
2. Let it work.
   Leave the bleach to work for 10-15 minutes.
3. Wipe.
   Wipe the bleach with a damp cloth or sponge.
4. Repeat.
   Repeat the process if necessary.

Hire professionals to do the job

Your schedule is busy and you simply can’t find the time to deep clean your kitchen? Then the Fantastic cleaning experts can take over and leave your kitchen tiles as good as new. They can also do any other areas that need a thorough clean, besides the kitchen.

Prevention of greasy kitchen wall tiles and grout

When you finally get your kitchen wall tiles clean and fresh, the best thing you can do is to make sure they don’t get greasy and dirty soon. Here are some tips on preventing dirt build-up and cooking splatters on your wall tiles:

• Wipe down frequently – the tiles around the cooking area get a lot of oil splashes and food pieces, so wiping down the tiles after cooking is one of the easiest ways to ensure that the tiles stay clean;
• Clean the grouting often – save a spot in your kitchen cleaning checklist to scrub the grout along with the tiles. If you want to avoid cleaning grouting, you can use a dark-coloured grout stain – this way the dirt is less visible;
• For porous tiles use grout sealant – these products prevent tiles from absorbing the oils, liquids and food that end up on the surface;
• Get splatter guards – they are three-sided portable guards that are installed around the stove. They catch the oil or food that would otherwise end up on your tiles;
• Use splatter screens for your frying pans – pans are the main source of misplaced grease around the kitchen. The splatter screens are made of mesh and prevent the oil from getting out of the pan and landing on your tiles.

Takeaways

• Cleaning kitchen wall tiles is a task that is easily achievable with some household items;
• Wear gloves and other protective gear when cleaning – especially with bleach and commercial cleaners;
• When cleaning tiles and grouting do the grouting first;
• Clean from top to bottom;
• Clean kitchen tiles are a result of regular cleaning and preventative measures.

This whole process may seem tiresome, however all the work is worth it because the look of sparkling tiles and a spotless kitchen is guaranteed to impress anyone that walks in.

***

So, which method did you choose? You have tips we didn’t cover? Leave us a comment below!

Image source: Shutterstock / Dariusz Jarzabek