Every household has at least one bathroom and or shower room. These are used every day and sometimes many times during the course of a day. All members of the family use them and very few will clean up after themselves consequently they can very quickly become horror zones. This is often the area that nobody likes to clean but should be cleared and cleaned on a regular basis. How regular depends on how many individuals are in the household if there are many then it should be done every day. as this is a task we hate doing this clearing and cleaning is often superficial. As a result all bathrooms should be deep cleaned also on a regular basis, say at least once per month but it can be more frequent again depending upon how frequently it is used and by whom.
The more frequent the deep cleaning is the more you can keep on top of the build up of grime and dirt and the quicker and easier the cleaning becomes each time until it reaches a point where it becomes normal routine. That way you will always be able to take a pride in your bathrooms and never get caught out by that unexpected visitor. By and large we are often judged as individuals by the cleanliness or otherwise of our bathrooms or toilet areas which are open to visitors.
You will of course have your normal cleaning routine and areas that are cleaned on a normal basis this you will continue to adhere to but below you will find additional information which will assist you in this deep cleaning process. They are in addition to your normal cleaning and do not supplant it.
Many of us live in locations where our water supply consists of very hard water. Hard water produces two problems. One is that more soap has to be used to produce the lather which then generates more scum deposits and the second is the problem of limescale. The calcium carbonate will quickly settle out of the water wherever it becomes stationary even for a second or two consequently it is found covering shower screens, the bases of taps, the ends of the taps and shower heads, streaking the wall tiles and quickly building up as a ring in the toilet bowl at the interface of the water and air. All of this build up makes your bathroom look uncared for and slightly dirty. To remove it you require an acid based cleaner. The general bathroom and shower cleaners will not shift it. You require a dedicated limescale remover product of which there are some on the market for the consumer. Do not use a multi-purpose cleaner which also happens to remove limescale it will take much longer and require more effort on your part to get it off. Purchase one where that is its sole function as cleaning will be much easier and quicker.
If you get any condensation within your bathroom which is a normal part of using it then you can be guaranteed that the limescale will have coated every single surface even where you cannot see it. It will not just be in those high build up areas like taps and shower screens where it is eminently visible, it will be everywhere. Therefore using your dedicated product which is probably in a spray bottle spray all the surfaces making them thoroughly wet and then leave for a minute or two before wiping off with a clean dry cloth. Where the limescale has built up to become highly visible such as around the base of the taps then it is a good idea to get an old toothbrush to use as a scrubber. Where there has been considerable build up then your product no matter how good will not be able to remove it. In this situation you require something such as a flat headed screwdriver which you can use to carefully chip off the limescale. When doing this be very careful not to scratch the ceramic or metal surface. You may have to use this method in the toilet bowl if you have a visible ring. Ensure that on the metal surfaces the product is rinsed off as it can strip the chrome from chrome plated fittings and will easily damage brass fittings. It is wise not to use these strong products on any brass, gold plated or cast iron fittings.
Discoloured Grout between tiles can spoil the appearance of a clean bathroom and once it becomes discoloured it is very difficult to remove by general cleaning. There are some innovative products on the market such as touch-up paint pens that can transform the look of discoloured grout. However for general cleaning you can use household bleach to whiten yellowed grout by applying to a soft cloth, dabbing onto the grout, scrub with an old toothbrush and then rinse off completely. The same goes for acid cleaners; bleach and acid solutions are caustic and can degrade the grout and other surfaces, so make sure that you rinse thoroughly after treatment. It should go without saying that you should always wear protective gloves and in particular if you are cleaning high level areas, you should wear goggles. Never mix bleach as the result can be highly toxic fumes.
A major problem that many bathrooms have, especially those which suffer from excessive condensation is the growth of mould or mildew along the grout lines and sealant areas. Supermarkets sell a variety of products which will do the job quite effectively and if you choose this method then simply follow the instructions on the bottle. However if you wish to save some money then you can very easily make up your own mixture. All you need is a clean and empty spray bottle and some bleach. Mix the bleach with water in the ratio of three parts hot water to one part bleach. This is then sprayed onto the affected areas until they are thoroughly soaked and then go and have a cup of coffee whilst it does its work. After about 20 minutes wash off with plenty of water and dry the area using clean dry cloths. Some stubborn areas may require you to agitate your mixture. Again you can use the old toothbrush to do this but do be careful of splashes so protect yourself appropriately.
For those of us who do not have a separate shower unit but have the shower over the bath then invariably we have some sort of shower curtain. More often than not this is of a plastic material which will over time discolour and maybe subject to some mildew growth also. To remedy these problems you can simply spray the curtain thoroughly soaking it with your bleach mixture and leaving it before rinsing it off using the shower unit. Alternatively put some water and bleach into the bath and immerse the shower curtain in this. This is a more effective method if the curtain is in need of more serious attention. 30 minutes soaking should be long enough to restore it to like new. Don’t forget to thoroughly rinse the curtain before rehanging.
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Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!