Oh gods...Tilex SUX!

DBF got some Tilex for the shower walls and I sprayed them down and came downstairs to check the board and do some stuff.  I'm, quite literally, getting sick from the fumes.  And I've already rinsed the walls off.  This is baaaaaaaaad.  I'm never using that crap again.  Oh, did I mention that it smells like it's nothing more than bleach water. 

LMAO!! 

Bite me, you would think it was funny for someone to get sick off of cleaning fumes. 

I had the same problem . it's a good cleaner.

but you need a good exhaust fan running

when you spray it on the tiles.

 

Pags2:

Oh, did I mention that it smells like it's nothing more than bleach water.

 

Your first thought was correct - Tilex is no more than bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and water ...  nicely packaged and marketed as a miracle product.  You could mix the same thing yourself, put it in a spray bottle, and save a lot of money.  Though it would remain a major health danger.

It's nothing to joke about.  Even used with good ventiliation (including fans and open windows), this product can kill you, though perhaps not immediately.  Over time, the fumes from the chemicals, along with other cleaning and household products, will build up in the body's soft tissues and bloodstream, causing respiratory and digestive ailments that are often irreversible.  Sodium hypochlorite can also cause both external and internal burns.  The fumes and gasses can stay in the house beyond the time you can actually smell them.  Children and pets are very susceptible to the bad effects of these household chemicals.

A safer and effective treatment for indoor mildew is equal amounts of Borax and white vinegar.  It may require some scrubbing with a stiff brush, but the extra work is worth it.  (If you don't like the smell of vinegar, mix in a few drops of lavender or citrus oil.)  Used regularly, this formula will help prevent buildup of mildew, without risking your family's health.

1/4 cup of ORIGINAL Dawn dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with regular household vinegar. I use the biggest handled nylon scrubbrush Wal-Mart sells. Not difficult to remove at all. It takes off the worst bathtub grime. It's for greasy dishes so it has to be good on tub grime too. Good luck with that cleaning.

Actually, the worst part of it Bunny is that it didn't do what I had hoped that it would. 

The tub and walls are basically clean, but I don't know the last time that the tile was really, REALLY cleaned and there are spots in the grout inbetween the tiles that I want to get rid of. 

Thank you for the suggestions Labrat and 2Mags.  I will definitely be sure to tag this so that I can find this again. 

Pags, mildew will always continue to grow on porous surfaces that are damp.  Bathroom tile grout is one of mildew's favorite growing places!

You might want to go ahead and clean it well, let it dry thoroughly (like a couple of days with a fan on it), then use grout sealer.  In my old house with a number of old tile walls and surfaces, I use a light coat of S.C.Johnson Paste Wax to protect the old tiles and seal the grout (any paste wax made primarily from Carnauba is good).  Note though -- do not use paste wax on tile floors!

Both grout sealer and paste wax may contain petroleum-based ingredients, but in small quanitites, are less dangerous than the mildew itself.  Read labels carefully.

Neither grout sealer nor paste wax lasts forever, and the mildew eventually regrows, but regular cleaning and occasional reapplication of wax definitely minimizes it.

I use the same thing for the tub that I use to clean the hood over my range: Dissolve some washing soda in hot water, don rubber glove and wash, rinse and wipe dry. Washing soda really cuts grease and grime. For the tub surround I use my home made spray cleaner (equal to Windex): an empty one gal jug: fill in one pint of rubbing alcohol (on sale cheap), 1/4 cup of non-sudsing ammonia, 3-4 drops of dish-washing detergent and fill with water. Fill into spray bottle and use on windows, countertops, mirroors, laminate walls, fiberglass, cabinets, stove top, outside of fridge ect ect.

I use "Scrub Free" sometimes and it is caustic smelling too, you have to spray and run and hours later it still irritates me. I think I'll switch to good ole comet or even baking soda.

I use scrub free on my tub and it works wonderfully. I haven't noticed a bad smell tho. There is a slight 'cleaner' smell but nothing overpowering. When it says wipe with a damp cloth they mean it! The grime just wipes up!!!!