The bathroom… Once it’s clean it is the best room in the house – a sanctuary of calm and peace. Getting it to that stage can be the bane of many people’s lives, but it doesn’t need to be that hard. The 12 steps below are simple and will give you a gorgeous bathroom to enjoy at the end of it all.
Use A Squeegee
The squeegee is one of the most important tools you can use in your bathroom. Use it to wipe the walls down after you’ve had a shower – it only takes a few seconds.
The Shower Curtain
Speaking of showers, keep your shower curtain or screen closed all the time – it stops water collecting in the folds. If your curtain is already mucky, pop it in the washing machine and it should come out looking like new.
Keep The Air Circulating
The warm, damp air left hovering in a bathroom is what causes mould. To prevent this, make sure the air circulates rather than stays static by using fans or opening windows. Use them when you’re in the shower and leave them going for half an hour or so afterwards. Another tip is to keep as much light coming into the bathroom as possible.
Don’t Use Bath Oils
The easiest way to prevent oily rings in your bath is not to use bath oils. But bath oils are lovely, and a fantastic way to relax, so instead of denying yourself the joys of using them, make sure you have a mild abrasive cleaner on hand to wipe your tub with after you’re finished.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Natural
Using chemically cleaning products in your bathroom may well get it clean, but then what? The remnants will be there when you next take a bath or a shower, and you’ll be getting that stuff all over your skin. Try to use simple, natural products as far as possible. Soap and water does a great job, as does vinegar or baking soda.
Keep The Mildew At Bay
Did you know that grout is porous? So anything you use in the bath – soap, bubbles, shampoo – all gets in there. And it stays there. And that causes mildew which quickly spreads. Combat mildew by cleaning your grout using a mixture that is 10 parts water and one part bleach. Rub this on the tiles using a soft bristled brush and it will work wonders.
The Big Clean
Although it’s good to do a little bit of cleaning every time you use the bath or shower (or sink etc), having a ‘big clean’ once a month makes a lot of difference. Use this time to clean out the pipes so that they don’t get full of grease, oil, and hair. Pour half a cup of baking soda into the drains, and then add half a cup of vinegar. You’ll see a lot of foaming and fizzing, so pour some boiling water down and you’ll be left with clean drains.
White Vinegar
Problems with soap scum? It’s a problem no more if you clean it with white vinegar. Just remember, a little goes a long way (and wear gloves).
Towels
There is no need to wash your towels every single time they are used, but when you want them to dry so that they don’t become damp and stinky, fix them to two hooks so that don’t stay crumpled.
Showerheads
Showerheads are mucky things, and all that grime and scale washes down on you when you’re trying to get clean. To remove this issue, simply place a small plastic bag filled with white vinegar (it’s great stuff!) over the showerhead and allow to soak overnight. Secure it with an elastic band to keep it in place.
Bath Toys
If you’ve got little ones, you’ve got bath toys, and while the rest of the room and its contents might get a thorough cleaning, when was the last time those toys did? They could be growing mould inside or harbouring plenty of bacteria. To clean them up properly, soak them in a bucket of warm water and white vinegar. Rinse them and dry them and they’re good to go.
Clean The Caulk
The caulk – that plastic-y stuff that sits between the tiles and bath or shower tray, gets really dirty, but it’s a pain to clean. Unless, of course, you soak cotton wool balls in – you’ve guessed it – white vinegar – and place it along the line of the grubby caulk. In the morning it will be clean.
There is never any need to use abrasive chemicals when it comes to getting your bathroom clean and sparkling. Plus with the tips above, you don’t even need very much elbow grease!