8 Bathroom Cleaning Habits To Enlighten Your 2017
Cleaning your bathroom can be a tedious task. For a lot of people, it can be the most dreaded of all the household chores to tackle the bathroom. We explore 8 ways to make it a bit easier for yourself this year and how you can sharpen up your cleaning habits.
1. Use natural ingredients
A lot of detergents and cleaners you buy can contain harsh chemicals including bleach that are dangerous to breath in and touch if not diluted properly. Using natural ingredients such as baking powder, essential oils and vinegar is a cheap and effective alternative. They work just as well as the branded cleaners and won't leave any nasty chemicals behind. Martha Stewart says 'Here's a nontoxic but effective way to clean your tub: Add one teaspoon of liquid soap and several drops of an antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) to one cup of baking soda. Add just enough water to form a paste, and use it with a sponge or brush to scour bathtub surfaces'. The natural ingredients are better for you, your home and the environment and will still leave your bathroom smelling fresh.
2. Clean pipes regularly
Everyone has experienced clogged drains, and there's nothing more revolting than trying to pull out clumps of hair and dirt from the plughole. Cleaning the pipes fortnightly or monthly is one way of keeping on top of the situation to make sure it doesn't get too bad. If you're not keen on the idea of puling out hair and gunk from the drain yourself, you could use hair removal cream. By putting a small amount of hair removal cream in the pipe, the hair will disintegrate and should easily wash away for a clear drain. Leave the cream to work for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour and then wash away with hot water. Put some lemon juice down the drain for a fresh smell.
3. Use Coca Cola
Aside from being one of the most favoured drink choices, Coca Cola can also be used as an excellent cleaning product. Business Insider tells us 'Diet Coke is better than most chemical cleaners. Pour it around the rim and let it flow into the bowl. Let it sit for about an hour and then scrub off any stubborn stains with a toilet brush. Flush once you’re done'. This won't leave any strong chemical smells in your bathroom and is something you may already have in your home. Another use for cola is to clean tile grout- 'Because it’s caustic, Coca-Cola can lessen tile grout stains and build-up. Wet the grout with Coke and let the area sit for a few minutes before wiping with a clean cloth. Repeat until the grout is clean'.
4. Bath toys
It's really important to remember to clean your children's bath toys as they can hold stagnant water that can become toxic. Bath toys can harbour faecal contaminants, such as E. coli and streptococcus, as well as staph aureus and other germs and viruses - these are toys that your children often put in their mouths! Clean your children's bath toys once a fortnight by soaking them in a bowl of hot water and vinegar to eliminate any dirt. This is a non-toxic and cheap way to get them sparkling. You can also throw them in the dishwasher if it's easier. Remember to throw them away if any signs of mould appear visibly.
5. Shower curtain
Shower curtains can grow mould and mildew if not straightened out and cleaned properly. But cleaning your shower curtain is really simple. It's a good idea to soak your curtain in the bath with some biological washing powder to break down the dirt. When it's been soaking for a few hours (or overnight if it has a lot of dirt), take it out and put it into the washing machine. Make sure you check your shower curtain care label in case it is not machine washable and try and wash it under 40 degrees. Experts at Cleanipedia suggest 'When machine-washing shower curtains add a couple of towels to your wash – the abrasive texture can help to dislodge dirt'.
6. Keep beauty products out
Items like makeup, perfume and medicines should all be kept at room temperature. Due to the fluctuation in temperature throughout the day in your bathroom, this is an unsuitable place to store these items. There is also a lot of moisture in the air that can ruin them too. The heat and humidity in your bathroom can speed up the oxidisation process in perfume, causing them to smell different or bad, and can alter the composition of your makeup and can tamper with medicine according to Good Housekeeping.
7. Clean towels
This may sound completely obvious, but one of the most important parts of your bathroom ritual should be ensuring your towels are clean. Towels can start to smell if left unwashed for a long time, so to get rid of th, add a cap of vinegar to the load along with your usual detergent when you are washing them. The vinegar will get rid of the odour. When you hang your towels, try and ensure that they are not folded or creased as this way they will dry fully and reduce the amount of bacteria building up. Always remember to clean your towel rail as well as your towels.
8. Keep on top of it
Now that your bathroom is clean, the best thing to do is to keep it clean. The easiest way to do this is to clean as you go. If you spill toothpaste in the sink, clean it. If you use a dirty towel, wash it. It's as simple as that. Then, by the end of the month, you can focus on the 'big jobs' like cleaning the floor, mirror or shower. A good tip from Homify is to 'Keep antibacterial wipes in a bathroom dresser to wipe the sink and toilet once a day. Little tasks like this will prevent the need for a 'big clean' once a week'.
