Keeping a bathroom clean is an essential chore, but you can avoid using harsh chemical products. Try these traditional cleaners and cleaning methods to ensure your sinks, tiles and fixtures are spotless.
For hygiene as well as appearance, your bathroom needs to be cleaned regularly. Bacteria and mould can build up in mineral deposits and soap scum left in the bathtub and washbasin. However, these sure-fire tricks will keep sparkling clean.
BASIN, BATHS AND SHOWERS
- Clean basins daily with a mild bathroom cleaner and then rub them down with a fabric softener sheet – the water will run off easily, leaving no residue.
- Rub off stubborn dirt or mineral deposits with a slice of lemon peel dipped in salt.
- Scrub bathtubs, basins and tiles with a paste made from salt and with spirit to renew lustre.
- Wipe fiberglass bathtubs with a damp cloth and a little bicarbonate of soda.
- Acrylic bathtubs, which are more delicate than steel tubs, have a reputation for being hard to clean. But as long as you shine them up regularly, all you should need is a little dishwashing liquid and water.
- Help keep shower areas looking crystal-clear with a solution of dishwashing liquid and a soft cloth. Minor soap scum build-up can be rubbed off with vinegar, while serious build-up should be treated with a paste of salt and vinegar applied in a circular motion with a bathtub cleaning brush. Rinse and dry when you’ve finished. Use a squeegee daily to prevent spots and rub-off chalky streaks with vinegar.
- Apply a little petroleum jelly to the shower-curtain rod so that the curtain glides more easily. Soak new or freshly washed curtains in salt water to prevent mould growth.
- If mould appears anywhere in the shower, treat it with vinegar, lemon juice or bicarbonate of soda.
- Make old tiles gleam by rubbing them gently with a piece of newspaper or a chamois moistened with ammonia solution. Use 1 tablespoon ammonia in about 2 cups (500ml) of water. Polish with a little cooking oil to add shine and protect against moisture, but take care to avoid getting oil on the grouting as this will attract unwanted dirt.
- Rub away stubborn stains with a neat solution of household ammonia.
- Remove rust spots by rubbing them with a mixture of water and vinegar.
- Scour discoloured grout between tiles with a solution of household ammonia or bicarbonate of soda. Dab it on with a moist cloth or use an old toothbrush, leave it to work and then rinse it off.
- Whiten grout by scrubbing it with a little toothpaste on an old, soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Use very fine sandpaper to rub severely discoloured grout. Take great care not to damage the glaze on the tiles while doing so.
DRAIN
- Use a small, flat strainer to prevent hair from going down the plughole and clogging the drain.
- Release any blockages with the suction of an old-fashionable rubber plunger.
- Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into the drain and rinse it down with white vinegar followed by boiling water to unclog blocked pipes.
- Eliminate unpleasant smells by sprinkling bicarbonate of soda directly into the drain and leaving it to work overnight.
TAPWARE AND OTHER FIXTURES
- Achieve a scent-free shine by rubbing tapware with a mixture of 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice and about 2 cups (500ml) of water.
- To remove mineral deposits on fixtures, wrap an old rag moistened with vinegar or lemon juice around the fixture and leave it to work for a couple of hours or overnight. Remove the softened deposits with a toothbrush.
- Remove scale build-up in tap aerators and showerheads by leaving them to soak in a solution of vinegar and salt. Then clean the holes in the showerhead with a nailbrush or toothbrush.
TOILET
- De-scale the toilet bowl by placing a layer of toilet paper soaked in vinegar over the mineral deposits and rubbing them off the following morning.
- Avoid urine scale by putting a dash of vinegar in the bottom of the toilet bowl once a week and leaving it overnight.
Quick Tip: CITRUS CLEANSER FOR THE BATHROOM: This fragrant cleanser is also kind to the environment. You’ll need:
2 teaspoons dishwashing liquid
5 drops lemon oil
25g citric acid
1 cup (250ml) water
Mix together the dishwashing liquid and lemon oil. Next, mix the water and citric acid to produce a clear fluid. Add the lemon oil solution to this and store in a bottle for up to 3 months.
Need help cleaning the bathroom — or your entire home? Get help from professional cleaning services for best results.