How to clean your bathroom

You should clean your bathroom once a week, and even more often if it’s used by a large family. Luckily for us, most bathrooms are made of materials that are easy to keep clean. Tile and porcelain surfaces are stain-resistant if dirt and grime are not allowed to build up on them. Try rinsing out your bath or shower immediately after use to keep on top of your bathroom cleaning.

How to Clean a basin

To keep limescale and soap grime away, wipe down the sink every day. To reach behind taps and other awkward spots and to clean the plug and chain use an old toothbrush. Clean your basin with bathroom cleaner, work it into the base of the taps, overflow and plughole. Rinse off and make the taps shiny by wiping them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

How to clean a bath

Wipe down the bath after each use to stop limescale building up. Don’t use abrasive cleaners on plastic or acrylic baths to prevent scratching them. Use a soft cloth and gentle bathroom cleaner. If your bath is really dirty fill it with warm water, add a couple of scoops of washing powder and leave overnight.

Enamelled baths are more resistant to scratching than acrylic, but are not totally scratch proof either, so leave the scrubbing brush. Stained enamelled baths can be cleaned with a paste of bicarbonate of soda mixed with a drop of water.

Cast-iron baths – take great care with these – always test new products on a small area. Avoid products with anti-limescale ingredients as they may cause the enamel to dull. As an alternative, remove limescale with a solution of half vinegar, half water, applied with a soft cloth to the area of limescale – avoiding other parts of the enamel.

How to clean a toilet

Most of us use a toilet brush to clean it. Don’t forget to soak the brush and the container in bleach after use to kill all the germs. If you feel brave enough, you could use a cloth and then chuck it away. Use bleach or other suitable toilet cleaner for the bowl, you can leave it overnight or leave for a few minutes then scrub, don’t forget under the rim, and flush. To clean the seat and handle use warm soapy water or bathroom cleaner.

How to clean taps

The easiest way of preventing the build up of limescale on your taps is to wipe them dry after use with a clean soft cloth or paper towel. Keep taps looking good by using a mild bathroom cleaner, or white toothpaste is effective for most tap finishes (except brass or gold) – add just a small amount and buff to a shine.

Limescale removing cleaners are practical, especially in hard-water areas – if it’s persistent, soak a cloth in the product and wrap it around the tap. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions as you could cause damage to the taps if you leave it on too long. To remove from chrome taps, rub with half a lemon, then rinse with water and buff dry.

How to clean tile grout

To clean up stained grout (caused by soap scum, mildew), use an old toothbrush and a suitable cleaner and scrub over the grout lines. If possible, find a product with mould inhibitors, as these will prevent mould or mildew from returning. Always check manufacturer’s instructions first and try a test patch first.

How to clean shower, shower doors and screens

Even with regular bathroom cleaning there comes a point when you have to use a different cleaning products to get rid of limescale and soap scum in your shower. The best way to clean your shower doors or partitions is to use a white vinegar on a non-scratching sponge and apply with circular motions for a few minutes. Then rinse with hot water and wipe dry with a clean cloth. To clean stubborn hard-water deposits and soap grime try repeating the process. You can use white vinegar to clean your tiled walls in the shower but first rinse them with hot water, this will ease the dirt and make it easier for you to clean it. Again, use a non-scratching sponge and then rinse with hot water and wipe dry with a clean cloth.

For deep cleaning your metal shower head first take it off the main appliance and take it apart. Soak all the parts in a bowl of white vinegar until the limescale has cleared. You can use a toothbrush to clean the limescale and grime and if you need to clean the shower head holes use a toothpick. To keep your shower and the glass screens / doors clean it’s best to clean it daily either by using a daily shower cleaner spray that is sprayed on after you shower or wipe dry the surfaces after you showered.

If all this seems a bit too much why not get your house cleaned on a regular basis so you can put your feet up and relax.