How To Restore Your Bathroom To Those Vintage Tiles

Believe it or not, vintage-tiled bathrooms are making a comeback. Due to the typical circulation of eras in design and fashion, we are seeing a rise in vintage shades, particularly in bathroom tiles with pink and green hues. If your bathroom tiles have been painted over with a less-exciting color and you want to return them to their former glory, it's totally possible. Luckily, we've discovered a way to restore them to that original vintage look. Just grab a bottle of Citristrip from your nearest hardware store and get to work.

Citristrip is a varnish and paint stripper that comes in a variety of different forms, from gel to paste. It's an easier alternative to sanding away the paint, and takes much less time and effort — and not to mention eliminates a whole lot of dust. Coming in at $13 for a 1-quart bottle, it's an affordable way to get those bathroom tiles of yours back to their charming, historical condition.

So, how do you use this product to restore your bathroom tiles? You're going to need a few more materials to complete this project, like a disposable brush and nitrile gloves. It's vitally important that you choose nitrile gloves instead of latex since Citristrip dissolves latex substances.

This DIY project requires you put a lot — and we mean a lot — of Citristip onto your painted tiles. Slip on your gloves, safety goggles, and mask before using your brush to apply an overly-generous amount. It might be a good idea to lay down a drop cloth if you're stripping paint outside of the tub to protect your floors.

Once it's applied to all your tiles, it's critical that you let the product sit for at least a few hours, or overnight, to attack the paint. Just be sure to keep pets and children away, as it's toxic to ingest. Once you've let your product dry, take a putty knife to the surface and begin scraping the paint off. You should now see your vintage tiles make their grand reappearance.