BedVoyage welcomes guest blogger Debbie from Best Price Beds.
Out of all the rooms in the house to clean, the bathroom can be the most challenging. From smelly towels to limescale around taps and grime-covered baths, the bathroom can pose many unique cleaning challenges. However, it doesn’t have to be this way – with a few simple bathroom cleaning tips and hacks you can say goodbye to your bathroom woes for good.
So, stay tuned as we talk bathroom cleaning tips and tricks to help you save time whilst preventing dirt build-up in the future…
Tackle and prevent limescale
Limescale is not only extremely frustrating but inevitable – especially if you live in a hard water area. Luckily there are a few ways you can help to get rid of it and prevent it from building up in the first place.
Hard water is different from softer water as it contains more minerals that remain once evaporated. These minerals cause a build-up of that familiar white, chalky substance.
If limescale isn’t dealt with quickly, it can build up and cause havoc, damaging taps and making bathroom surfaces look unsightly. When it comes to tackling limescale, some of the easiest tried and tested solutions rely on natural substances such as lemon or vinegar.
You can apply lemon or vinegar directly to the limescale and scrub it until it’s gone, or create a spray using either one part lemon or one part vinegar to four parts water. If you’re making a spray, leave it to soak on the surface for up to an hour and then scrub and rinse clean. To prevent limescale build-up, simply clean the troublesome areas of your bathroom with this solution every week.
There are also some good pumice stone cleaning sticks that work wonders, especially for cleaning towel bowl rings, you can find one here.
Change your towels
Some towels are magnets for bacteria as they hold on to damp. Not only can this lead to a smelly bathroom, but it can also cause a build-up of damp in the room and contribute to areas of mold. If you find that they smell even after washing, you could try putting them through a hot wash with 1-2 cups of vinegar, followed by a regular wash.
However, your towels need to be changed regularly to ensure maximum absorbency and hygiene. Change them out every few years. If you struggle with damp or unpleasant smells in your bathroom, consider changing to towels made from bamboo. They are far more resistant to bacteria and mildew, and they’re hypoallergenic too. BedVoyage has a nice variety of bamboo towels to choose from, including Baby Towels, Bath Sheets, and Facial Washcloths.
Prevent grime build-up in the bath
We know that cleaning a bathtub is a hassle. It seems to get dirty again as soon as you’ve cleaned it, especially if you have kids! It’s one of those chores that takes up time and requires some elbow grease. With bathroom cleaning tips, luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of time spent cleaning, and prevent nasty grime build-ups altogether.
Firstly, always rinse the bath as soon as it’s been used. This means that whatever products used, like bubble bath, shampoo, and soap, will be washed away without leaving residue. You should also clean your bath every week with a special cleaner. White vinegar is an excellent alternative to processed bathroom cleaners. Simply mix equal parts of white vinegar to water and spray it all over the tub. Let it soak for 30 minutes and then give it a rinse, you can scrub too if there’s lots of grime.
Wipe down condensation
Condensation can be extremely frustrating, as no matter how well designed a bathroom is, condensation will still form. You might notice it on windows, walls, or ceilings. Even as tiny water droplets on the toilet or bath. The issue is: it can lead to black mold, which can cause health issues, so it’s important to deal with condensation as it happens.
One of the easiest and quickest ways to prevent damp, mildew, and mold from accumulating in your bathroom is to wipe down condensation as soon as you get out of the bath or shower. Other things you can do to beat condensation include:
* Making sure there is proper ventilation (such as installing an extractor fan or opening the window)
* Using condensation reducing bathroom paint
* Investing in a dehumidifier
Banish smells for good
Does your bathroom smell like damp or drains? It can be extremely frustrating when your bathroom has a certain nasty whiff to it despite all your cleaning.
First, investigate the problem to ensure there isn’t a build-up of bacteria somewhere that you can’t see. This could be a semi blocked drain, a toilet that isn’t flushing correctly, or a build-up of hair and shower scum under the plug. If there are no obvious causes, move on to dealing with the smell and employing some preventative measures to stop it from coming back:
* Ensuring proper ventilation
* Always keeping an air freshener handy
* Use candles in the bathroom
* Washing towels and flannels regularly
* Putting bleach in the toilet and drains every week
* Cleaning bathroom grout & tiles
Maintain a routine
The best thing you can do for your bathroom that will help save you time is to stick to a cleaning schedule. Not only will this help prevent issues down the line, such as limescale and bacteria build-up. But it will also mean you won’t have to spend hours tackling long-term build-up.
Little and often is the best way to reduce your overall time spent cleaning. How about 30 minutes every week instead of a lengthy deep clean every month? A bathroom cleaning schedule can help you keep track:
* Some tasks like wiping down condensation, opening the window to allow for fresh air exchange. Wiping up any spills and removing hair from plugholes can be done as needed and will take three to five minutes at most.
* Weekly tasks include washing towels, putting cleaner down the toilet, rinsing the bath, disinfecting the toilet seat. As well, mopping the floor, and cleaning the sink – just a quick 15 minutes here.
* Bi-weekly or monthly tasks (depending on how often your bathroom is used and by how many people) include scrubbing the bath and polishing mirrors. Washing shower mats and curtains, and scrubbing grout. These will probably need up to 15 minutes as well.
Now you know how to clean your bathroom more efficiently, saving you time, money, and stress in the future. Which task will you tackle first?
