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Cleaning tips that'll make your bathroom a better place

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - 10:30am
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No one wants to clean the bathroom, but everyone enjoys and appreciates it when the bathroom is clean. It may be surprising, but there are many ways you can cut the time you spend cleaning and have a cleaner bathroom. You don't have to rush out and buy fancy products or commercial cleaners.

All you need are these simple cleaning tips to keep the bathroom cleaner without harsh chemicals. In no time at all and at very little added cost, the bathroom will be fresh and sparkling.

  • Clean the tank (h/t Raising Whasians): How often do you open the toilet tank and peak inside? Many of the stains happening in the toilet bowl could be coming from your tank. Dumping Vinegar in the tank and let sit should fix this problem.
  • WD-40 toilet bowl cleaner: What's your first thought when you hear about WD-40? Squeaky brakes? Rusty tools? A front door that doesn't open as easily as it used to? WD-40 can be used for all of these things, but it can also be used to clean a toilet bowl.
  • Whiten grout (h/t Making Lemonade): You don't need bleach or other harsh chemicals to return grout to a sparkling white. Make lemonade and put it on the grout, take a lemon cut in half and go across, cleans it right up.
  • Remove hard water stains (h/t Cute as a Fox) : Hard water leaves a visible buildup around the handles of bathroom faucets that is almost impossible to remove. Soak paper towels in vinegar than wrap them around the handles and let them sit. When you take them off they are clean, get rid of this problem for good.
  •  Bathtub/Shower Cleaner: Want to really make that bathtub shine? Simply add 1 part Dawn Dish soap to 1 part vinegar in a dish-wand, seal it tight and it’s ready to go. Run the water in the shower to get it lightly coated, and scrub away to your heart’s content. The mixture cuts right through the soap scum, leaving a squeaky-clean feel to your oh-so-loved shower!
  • Shower Head: So to get that nasty buildup off of your shower-head, immerse the head in a plastic resalable bag filled with vinegar, secure the bag with a rubber band and let it sit for around an hour. When you remove the bag, run the shower for a minute or two, and then give it a quick wipe down. You’ll be amazed at the difference, and will never run out of vinegar again.
  • Drip-Dry Your Toilet Brush : Allow the brush to drip-dry each time you use it by wedging it between the bowl and the seat.
  •  Get Rid Of Mold In Grout And Caulking: All you need to do is mix just enough bleach with baking soda to make a thick paste. Make enough to line every place you see the mold in your shower (works on countertops too). Then lay it on thick and let it sit for at least 8 hours (while you catch your zzz’s). Wipe off the paste in the morning, gently scrubbing any stubborn bits off with a toothbrush, and rinse.
  • Clean Hard water Stains Using a Lemon: Cut a lemon in half and use each half like a little scrub brush, thoroughly going over all the stains. This works especially well on chrome fixtures.
  •  Get Those Glass Shower-Doors Sparkling Again: There are two ways to approach cleaning your shower that are both effective and easy. The approach you’ll want to use is totally dependent on how much soap-scum has built up on your shower doors. If you are just doing maintenance cleaning, and there isn’t much soap scum, using worn-out, balled up pantyhose can do wonders for clearing up the water deposits on the shower doors. However, if you are like most of the population and your shower doors haven’t seen a good squeegeeing in a while, then the Magic Eraser is your BEST friend. This works not just for shower doors, but also bathroom mirrors, chrome fixtures, and glass in general.
  •  When There Is No Magic Eraser: That’s right! Dryer sheets can do more than soften up your laundry and smell nice. You can use these as an alternative to cleaning your shower doors and mirrors. They remove water spots like a charm, and their anti-static effect makes them perfect for wiping down all the dusty spots in your house.
  • Get Stains Out Of Porcelain: Depending on the shape your sink is in, this a 1 to 3 step process. If you’re only battling a little soap scum, you can get away with using a small amount of Bar-Keeper’s Friend. If your sink is looking pretty miserable though, you can first wash it with dish-soap/detergent to remove any grime and most of the buildup. Then spray your whole surface down with bleach and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Go ahead and wipe it down, and if it’s clean enough for your liking, go on with your day. If you still have a few marks or stains in the sink, put Bar-Keeper’s Friend on each mark and gently rub it in, then wipe away. You’ll be thrilled at how your sink shines!
  •  Deep Clean The Toilet With A Screwdriver: No kidding. I can’t believe I never thought of this before! When things start to smell a bit funky, wrap a Clorox wipe around the tip of your screwdriver, and run it beneath or around those hard to reach places. You will be oh-so-happy you did!
  •  Keep Paper towels In Reach and out of Sight: This is more of a tip than a hack. It’s always nice to have a paper towel handy, especially in one of the dirtiest places in the house. However, they don’t exactly pass for home decor. Have your cake and eat it too, with this nifty mounted shelf paper towel holder!
  •  Keep Your Toilet Wand Fresh: In addition, to drip-drying your toilet brush, you can add a small amount of Pine-Sol to the holder. It will keep the whole room smelling fresh, and be ready to use when you go to scrub the toilet next. Just make sure you remember it’s there so you can give your brush a little tap to let the excess cleaner drip down into the holder first, and avoid splashing yourself.
  •  Cleaning Faucet Handles: When is the last time you deep-cleaned your faucet handles? I know, not a common question. When you think about it though, that faucet handle sees a HUGE amount of traffic. That traffic is usually comprised of hands that just flushed the toilet, so you can imagine the bacteria’s that hide beneath those faucet covers. Fortunately, in order to get things nice and clean, you only need to remove the cover and use a screwdriver to remove the handle. Soak it in vinegar, and give a quick scrub, and you’re back on track! Can you believe these hacks? I only wish I would’ve known sooner!
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