How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean Your Tile

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I am still in new house mode with a long project list and unpacking to do.  We finally have the old house on the market and we are living in the new house.  I do feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  One project I wanted to get done right away was the laundry room.  Not only was the pile of clothes almost as tall as me, the previous owners kept their dog in the laundry room during the day.  It needed a fresh coat of paint, cleaning, and some serious deodorizing in order to hook up the W/D and get to work. 

I knew from my trusty book that hydrogen peroxide is a great household cleaner, especially for deodorizing.  (I'm starting to love it as much as apple cider vinegar.)  I was concerned about pouring the liquid all over the tile floor;  It needed to be concentrated.  This is the part where you'll find that my mind gets a little twisted.  Having two hair stylists in the family I also knew hydrogen peroxide is an agent in "bleaching" hair.  So I called up my sister to ask her what the salon calls peroxide: Developer!  It comes in creme, which has the consistency of shampoo, making it much easier to keep in one place on the floor.  I headed over to the beauty supply store and picked up...a gallon. 

I started with a small section.  I poured about a cup of the creme on the floor and started to scrub with a good stiff brush.  WHOA!  Flashback: When you were little and an injury incurred that required the use of peroxide, do you remember what it did, other than hurt like hell?  Major foam action.  Back to the floor; Major foam action. So my note of caution is that a little goes a long way.  You won't need a gallon. 

After scrubbing with the brush, I took a bucket of water with an old rag and wiped the excess off the floor.  What I realized later is there was still a film on the floor.  The feeling resembled hair that had not been properly rinsed after shampooing.  To solve the problem I filled my bucket with warm water and took a mop to it one more time and that took care of the problem. 

The entire process was a little time consuming, and hard on the knees, but it's really more of a deep cleaning process than one to use in the regular cleaning schedule.  Along with the fresh paint on the walls and cabinets, the developer did take care of the smell and grime, and I'm very pleased with the results.

Now on to other projects and laundry.