Correct Cleaning Techniques for Bathroom Fixtures: The Key to a Perennially Attractive Bathroom - Here's How to Achieve It
Maintaining Your Bathroom Fixtures: Expert Tips and Tricks
Keeping your bathroom clean and well-maintained is essential for both hygiene and the longevity of your fixtures. Here, we share some advice from cleaning and bathroom design experts on how to effectively clean and care for your bathroom fixtures.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Products
Avoid using all-purpose kitchen sprays or harsh chemicals like bleach in the bathroom. These can degrade finishes, damage silicone caulk, rubber seals, and toilet seat coatings, leading to leaks and mold. Instead, opt for bathroom-specific cleaners designed for moisture-heavy areas or gentle natural alternatives such as a mixture of 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon dish soap for an all-purpose cleaner. For stubborn stains, consider cream-based bathroom cleaners or mild limescale removers with non-scratch sponges or microfiber cloths.
Effective Cleaning Techniques and Tools
Spray the all-purpose bathroom cleaner generously on surfaces like shower walls, tubs, and toilets, allowing it to sit briefly before scrubbing with a melamine sponge or power scrub brush. Use a toilet brush thoroughly inside the bowl, scrubbing under the rim using a melamine sponge for hidden hard water stains, and wipe down the outside with disposable towels or microfiber cloths. For deep cleaning crevices and seams, handheld steam cleaners with nozzle attachments are effective and natural.
Additional Cleaning Tips
Turn on the bathroom fan during and after showers (about 30 minutes) to reduce moisture, mold, and mildew build-up, which decreases cleaning frequency and effort. Quick 10-minute wipe-downs of high-touch areas (faucet handles, toilet seats) reduce the need for intensive scrubbing during deep cleans. To clean mirrors, use glass cleaner with paper towels or microfiber cloths, preferably while multi-tasking such as during tooth brushing for efficiency.
Specific Cleaning Hacks
To clean a shower screen, experts recommend mixing white vinegar, soap, and water, and using a non-abrasive scrubber or a microfibre cloth. For the shower head, Alex suggests a simple hack: fill a Ziploc bag with white vinegar, wrap it around the shower head, and let it sit overnight before scrubbing with a toothbrush.
Preventive Measures
Preventing build-up is key to easy maintenance. Soaking the shower head in white vinegar monthly for deep cleaning, wiping faucets daily and deeply cleaning them weekly, with internal mechanisms cleaned at least every six months, can help prevent limescale build-up. Drains need regular maintenance to prevent bad smells and reduced water flow due to hair and grease accumulation. Plug holes can be cleaned by pouring hot water and white vinegar.
Maintaining Your Bathroom as Part of Your Regular Cleaning Schedule
The bathroom needs to be a regular part of the household cleaning schedule. Built-in bathtubs or shower trays should be rinsed after each use and thoroughly cleaned weekly, with a focus on corners and non-slip surfaces. Bathroom basins can be cleaned with environment-friendly cleaning agents like Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser.
Avoiding Damage
Harsh chemicals can damage bathroom fixture finishes and shorten their lifespan. To avoid this, use non-abrasive and pH balanced cleaning products, and be mindful of the tools you use. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of drying bathroom fixtures to avoid mildew and limescale buildup.
Maintaining a Clean and Healthy Bathroom
By following these expert tips and tricks, you can effectively maintain your bathroom fixtures, ensuring they remain clean, hygienic, and long-lasting.
- To complement your bathroom's cleanliness, consider incorporating trendy colorful tiles in the home-and-garden, adding a contemporary touch to your lifestyle and interior design.
- When redesigning your bathroom, consider the latest trend of using mirrors creatively for expanded visual space, enhancing the overall lifestyle appeal.
- Besides maintaining the cleanliness of your bathroom fixtures, don't overlook the importance of artwork in creating a more inviting and personal living environment.
- Kitchen tiles and backsplashes can follow the color scheme you've established in your bathroom to create an organic flow between your bathroom and lifestyle spaces.
- A smart bathroom design can incorporate subtle elements of artwork, such as a geometric pattern on tiles or a unique mirror frame, helping to integrate style and functionality seamlessly into your lifestyle.
