What's in Truly Free Home Tub & Tile Cleaner? Every Ingredient, Explained
Quick Start Guide
- Tub & Tile Cleaner contains eight ingredients. Every one of them is listed below with an explanation of what it does.
- Citric acid, a naturally occurring acid from citrus fruits, helps dissolve hard water deposits and soap scum. It works alongside the surfactants and chelating agent to provide the overall cleaning performance.
- Plant-derived surfactants create the foaming action and help lift grime from surfaces.
- The formula is completely unscented. No fragrance ingredients of any kind.
- Free from bleach, ammonia, chlorine, phosphates, and toxic or harsh fragrances.
The Full Ingredient List
Deionized Water
The primary carrier of the formula. Deionized water has been treated to remove dissolved mineral ions, such as calcium and magnesium, helping minimize interactions with other formula ingredients and providing a consistent water quality for product performance and stability.
Citric Acid
This is the engine of the formula. Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits. In a bathroom cleaner, it works by breaking down the mineral bonds in soap scum and hard water deposits, dissolving the buildup that makes tile and tub surfaces look dull and feel rough. It's effective without being harsh, and it's biodegradable.
C10-C16 Alkyl Polyglucoside
A plant-derived surfactant made from coconut oil and corn glucose. Surfactants are what make a cleaner actually clean. They lower the surface tension of water so it can penetrate and lift dirt, oil, and grime instead of just sitting on top of it. Like all the surfactants in this formula, it's gentle enough to be used in personal care products.
Decyl Glucoside
Another plant-derived surfactant, also from coconut oil and glucose. Decyl glucoside is one of the mildest surfactants available and is commonly used in baby wash and sensitive-skin products. In Tub & Tile Cleaner, it contributes to the foaming action that helps the product cling to vertical surfaces like shower walls and tile instead of running straight down the drain.
Lauramine Oxide
A foam booster and stabilizer. It helps boost and stabilize foam and can contribute to the formula's viscosity and surface contact. It also helps the surfactants work more effectively. When you spray it on a shower wall or grout line, the foam stays put long enough to break down buildup before you wipe it away.
Potassium Citrate
A pH buffer derived from citric acid. It keeps the formula at the right acidity level so the cleaner performs consistently from the first spray to the last. Without a buffer, the pH could shift over time and reduce the product's effectiveness.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
The name is a mouthful, but the job is straightforward. This is a chelating agent, which means it binds to the calcium and magnesium minerals in hard water. Hard water makes cleaners less effective because those minerals interfere with the surfactants. By binding these mineral ions, it helps reduce their interference with the cleaning system. It's derived from glutamic acid (a naturally occurring amino acid) and is biodegradable.
Glycerin
A plant-derived ingredient that helps the formula spread evenly across surfaces and contributes to the clinging action on vertical tile. Glycerin is one of the most widely used ingredients in personal care and cleaning products, and it's gentle on skin.
What's Not in the Formula
What we left out of Tub & Tile Cleaner matters as much as what we put in. There's no bleach, no ammonia, no chlorine, no phosphates, and no fragrance. A bathroom cleaner shouldn't leave you turning on the fan and rushing your kids out of the room while fumes clear. This one doesn't.
A Note on Surfaces
Tub & Tile Cleaner is designed for ceramic tile, porcelain, fiberglass, and sealed grout. If you have natural stone surfaces like marble or travertine, test a small area first. Acidic cleaners, including those with citric acid, can etch certain types of stone.
