Walk on the Bleach

After an intense session of bleaching my whole kitchen from top to bottom, I realized I had been living among utter filth for 8 months. The before and after difference was really drastic, particularly on the countertops, where I eat my food! 

Before

After

My floor grout, just naturally dark, but totally sterile. 

If you have tile countertops, floor, or shower in your house, I'd recommend bleaching or deep cleaning regularly. Grout is porous, which means it has lots of tiny air spaces where mold and germs breed like bunnies.

I use bleach or lysol or Ajax. 

Don't use pure bleach on your tile, particularly if it's in an area where food is. I use a diluted solution with 3 parts water, 1 part bleach. If you just use a small bowl and a toothbrush, you won't use too much chemicals. Dip the toothbrush and scrub the grout until it is its original color. The bleach solution will get really dirty-looking, but you don't need to change it until it's really dark. The bleach kills the mold, or whatever. 

Note: Keep an open window while you are bleaching. Also, don't bleach for more than an hour or 2. Work quickly. I bleached my whole kitchen, with no open windows, and it took about 5 hours. My throat was burning from breathing in the fumes for so long, and I'm fairly certain I may have throat cancer now. 

Learn from my mistakes.

Also, never mix bleach with any other cleaning product. Ammonia and bleach, when put together, make a very toxic solution, and emit toxic fumes. 

Use these tips, and bleaching your floor will be a walk on the beach! Plus, you'll literally be walking on bleach.