There’s nothing more relaxing than sinking into a hot bath! But this blissful state can be ruined if, as you lie back, you notice mould or mildew on the walls. The green and black stuff is the bane of many a bathroom cleaner, particularly in older bathrooms, as Jennifer knows only too well. Shannon loves cleaning the bathroom because she ends up with plenty of sparkling surfaces. Grab the right cleaning items, put on a favourite CD and in no time your bathroom surfaces will be gleaming.
INCIDENT: ‘I’ve got sealed timber walls in my bathroom but there are numerous toothpaste and soap stains around the vanity area. It ruins the clean Swedish image. What do you suggest?’
SOLUTION:Roll pantyhose into a ball, dampen with water and rub over the stains. It’s likely the toothpaste will have bleached the timber. If this is the case, wipe with a damp tea bag. The tannins in the tea draw out the tannins in the timber and replace the lost colour. Always remove toothpaste marks as soon as possible.
Cleaning the toilet is easier if you don’t allow grime to accumulate—and, besides, most toilets are easy to clean (for instructions, see Spotless and use the search feature of your ebook reader to search for ‘toilet’).
One of the most common toilet stains is urine. Now, how do we put this delicately? There are often ‘spray’ issues that not only stain but leave a noxious smell as well. Fix by wiping the area with white vinegar or lemon juice on a cloth, making sure you also wipe the pipes at the back and the floor area around the toilet. If your floor is unsealed marble, dilute white vinegar and rinse with clean water when you have finished or the vinegar could damage the surface.
Shannon isn’t keen on the ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’ approach to water saving. She thinks it’s okay to leave urine in the bowl for a few hours but says it can remove the surface from the porcelain, leaving a rougher surface for bacteria to stick to. To neutralise acid in urine, sprinkle bicarb into the toilet bowl after peeing (½ teaspoon should do the job) and flush every 24 hours. You’ll add a layer of protection to the surface of the toilet bowl if you lightly spray with a mix of 1 teaspoon of lavender oil to a 1 litre spray pack of water after cleaning.
For a super-duper clean, scoop the water out of the toilet bowl with a paper cup (you don’t want to chip your good china) and lightly sprinkle the entire bowl with a little bicarb, followed by an equal amount of white vinegar and, as it’s fizzing, scrub with a toilet brush. Repeat if needed. If there are very grotty stains, flush first with hot water (pour it straight from the kettle) to dissolve fats and oils that build up on the surface. And there’s always the Coke solution! Many people swear that adding Coke to the toilet bowl gives a great clean; however, it can damage the ceramic glaze, leaving a greater surface area for bacteria to stick to. (If Coke does that to a toilet, imagine what it does to your stomach.)
Q: ‘We have a septic tank and live near a stream and are therefore careful about the cleaning products we use’, says Melanie. ‘The toilets have marks on the bottom inside the bowl (below the water level) and I’d like to remove them. What do you suggest?’
Q: ‘I’ve got a pale blue stain (water stain, I think) at the back of the toilet’, says Joan. ‘The house is near the coast with a lot of limestone in the ground which probably affects the water quality. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Water stain on back of toilet. |
| What to use: | Talcum powder, disposable rubber gloves, CLR/Ranex. |
| How to apply: | The blue line running down the back of the toilet is likely to be from mineral deposit in the water. Flush the toilet, lightly dust the bowl with talcum powder and allow to dry. Put on rubber gloves and apply CLR or Ranex to the talcum powder. The talcum powder holds the CLR or Ranex in place, allowing it to soak in. To prevent the problem, add 1 capful of CLR or Ranex to your cistern when you do a regular clean of your toilet. |
To clean your bath, lightly dust with bicarb, add equal parts white vinegar and, while it’s fizzing, give a good scrub with a cloth or soft broom. That’s all your bath should need to be clean and gleaming. If you have a build-up of dirt and it’s difficult to shift, try the denture tablet trick. Fill your bath with hot water, add 12 denture tablets and leave overnight. When you pull out the plug and give it a rub, the dirt will wash down the drain. If you’ve got seriously ingrained dirt in your bath (old ones are susceptible to this), commercial sponge products are available where you just add water and scrub over the muck. Be aware that these products actually remove the top surface of the bath. It might be necessary to try one of these if you have a century-old bath but use the sponges sparingly in other cases. An alternative method is to cut a lemon in half, sprinkle the cut surface with non-iodised salt and scrub the lemon over the surface of the bath. It’s abrasive but the salt crystals break down so it’s not damaging to the surface of your bath.
If the surface is badly scratched or you want an update, you can have baths professionally resurfaced for around $500.00 (depending on the size). If yours has been renovated in this way, be careful when adding hot water because the new surface will expand at a different rate to the base surface and may crack. Protect the new surface by putting a little cold water in the bath before adding hot water.
Reduce your cleaning time by wiping the bath with a rolled up pair of pantyhose immediately after using it. You won’t get dirt rings and it will minimise any etching.
Q: ‘I have a fibreglass bath with stains from essential oils’, reports Jodie. ‘The stains look like tiny little brown marks. Can you help me?’
| Problem: | Essential oil on fibreglass. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose, soft cloth. |
| How to apply: | Mix 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, 1 teaspoon of glycerine and 1 teaspoon of talcum powder and scrub over the stain with pantyhose. Leave for 20 minutes and polish off with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary. |
Q: ‘I’ve spilt liquid shoe polish onto a white enamel bath’, admits Anne. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Liquid shoe polish on enamel. |
| What to use: | Tea tree oil, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Wipe the stain with a dab of tea tree oil on a cloth. It should come away easily. |
Q: ‘We have bore water’, reports Frances. ‘And it’s left a stain on the ceramic bath. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Bore water stain on ceramic. |
| What to use: | Disposable rubber gloves, water, CLR/ Ranex, nylon brush. |
| How to apply: | Put on rubber gloves, fill the bath with water and add 2 capfuls of CLR or Ranex. Leave for 2 hours, drain the bath and scrub with a brush. Don’t get CLR or Ranex on your skin because it can cause irritation. |
When you’re sitting back enjoying a jet-filled soak, don’t use soap because it gets into the filter and creates a cloggy mess. Instead, use shower gel or liquid soap. To clean a spa bath, put 1 cup of bicarb in a full tub of water, run the spa bath for 5 minutes and allow the bicarb to circulate. Add 2 cups of white vinegar and run for a further 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with clean water.
In these water-saving times, we’re encouraged to spend only 3 minutes taking a shower—and it’s a lovely 3 minutes. One of the most common problems with showers is mould, particularly in the silicone. The reason mould grows is from a combination of moisture and lack of ventilation, so get into the habit of wiping up any water in the shower area and allow air to circulate in the room. You could even leave a squeegee in the shower area and encourage users to wipe over the area after each shower. If your shower is vulnerable to mould, spray with ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves in a 1 litre spray pack of water.
If your shower includes polymarble, clean it with a rolled up pair of pantyhose after each use. It doesn’t react well to soaps or shampoos left on the surface. Don’t clean with bicarb or vinegar or it will damage the polymarble.
Some modern bathrooms are designed as wet rooms that are completely open with nothing separating the water spray from the shower from the rest of the bathroom. If this is the case in your home, you’ll know it’s important to have a protected area for your towel!
| Problem: | Rust marks on shower tiles. |
| What to use: | Water, talcum powder, disposable rubber gloves, CLR/Ranex, white vinegar, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Wet the affected area with water and sprinkle with talcum powder, to help with absorption. Put on rubber gloves, apply CLR or Ranex and leave for 10 minutes. The rust should be gone. Neutralise the chemicals by wiping with white vinegar on a cloth. |
Q: ‘My shower recess has a fancy border tile along the wall which is made of marble and runs right around the bathroom’, reports Kerry. ‘The tiles in the shower (that get wet) are turning white-ish and have lost their shine. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Dull marble in shower. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose or cloth, marble wax. |
| How to apply: | The marble is reacting to the caustic properties in soap. Polish with a paste of equal parts glycerine and talcum powder on a pair of pantyhose or cloth. Finish by polishing with a quality marble wax, such as Cera Wax. In high-traffic areas such as the shower, marble needs to be cleaned after every use, even if it’s only a wipe down. Marble should be waxed once a week if used regularly. |
Q: ‘I’ve had a rubber suction mat on the bathroom floor’, reports Dawn. ‘And it’s left marks. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Rubber on tiles. |
| What to use: | Water, coarse salt, stiff scrubbing brush or broom, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Damp the tiles with water and scrub salt over the marks with a brush or broom. Remove the salt with a damp cloth. |
To remove make-up and dead skin cells, place unprocessed wheat bran in the toe of a pair of pantyhose, tie to enclose, dampen with water and gently rub over your skin. It’s a great exfoliator.
Most shower screens can be cleaned with white vinegar or methylated spirits on a cloth. Polycarbonate shower screens can be cleaned only with white vinegar. If you clean shower screens regularly, you won’t get stain build-up. To tackle mould, combine ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves with 1 litre of water in a spray pack, lightly spray the solution over the affected area and leave for 24 hours. If mould has formed behind the silicone join, combine ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves with 1 litre of water in a spray pack and after spraying, scrub with an old toothbrush. If the mould is ingrained in the silicone, you’ll need to replace the silicone. You can replace it yourself or seek professional help.
We get many questions about how to fix streaky marks on shower screens. Sometimes it’s from a build-up of soap or shampoo which can be removed with bicarb and white vinegar. But in many cases, the cloudiness is from tiny air bubbles etched into the screen (often caused by caustic cleaning products) that Shannon calls ‘glass cancer’ and the damage is permanent. You can alleviate the problem by wiping with sweet almond oil on a cloth or pantyhose. To prevent it, don’t use caustic cleaning products and clean with bicarb and white vinegar instead.
Most shower curtains are made of fabric or plastic and can be washed in a washing machine, laundry tub or bucket. Whatever you do, don’t clean them with bleach. The curtains will look whiter but bleach breaks down the surface and makes them more susceptible to mould and you’ll find them more difficult to clean later. Instead clean with 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves and 1 litre of warm water. Fabric curtains look good but wear more quickly and need to be washed each week, more if you’ve got a home full of footballers. Wipe plastic shower curtains after each use and hook up over the rod so they don’t collect water, condensation and mould.
Most people don’t think to clean the shower head but it’s vulnerable to staining. To clean, wipe with damp pantyhose. One problem you may encounter is black prickly things coming out of the nozzles. If this is the case, see Speedcleaning, page 103.
Q: ‘We have green-coloured marks on our shower head’, reports Penny. ‘What should we do?’
Most taps are chrome, gold or brass-plated and can be cleaned with bicarb and white vinegar. Don’t forget to clean the back of the taps—the easy way is to wrap pantyhose around the tap and move them backwards and forwards in a sawing action. An old toothbrush also does the trick, particularly at getting into the area where the tap joins the basin or vanity top.
Reapplying grout between your tiles is relatively easy and really gives your bathroom a great lift. To remove old grout, use a grout rake. Run this nifty tool backwards and forwards along the grout until it becomes powdery. Clean the area thoroughly and apply the new grout. Make sure you wipe off any excess grout before it dries.
One of the common complaints with tiles and grout in bathrooms is mould. The best way to deal with mould is to combine ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves with 1 litre of water in a spray pack, lightly spray the solution over the affected area and leave for 24 hours. After that, clean the grout with bicarb and white vinegar using an old toothbrush. The visible mould should be gone. Lightly mist again with the oil of cloves mixture and repeat every 2 months. Oil of cloves is very strong and will burn plastic, so it must be diluted—once an item is burnt, it’s very difficult to repair. If you have a burn stain from oil of cloves, mix equal parts glycerine and talcum powder and rub with pantyhose. It won’t fix the burn but it will improve the appearance.
Q: ‘I’ve got a black line over my white tiles’, says Bruce. ‘What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Black line on white tiles. |
| What to use: | Pencil eraser or biro eraser, water. |
| How to apply: | It sounds as though someone has accidentally bumped an aerosol can over the tile and left a black line. Remove it with a pencil eraser or biro eraser dipped in water. |
Q: ‘The builder left silicone on the tiles’, says Sarah. ‘What can I do to remove it?
| Problem: | Silicone on tiles. |
| What to use: | Kerosene, single-sided razor blade. |
| How to apply: | Apply a little kerosene to a razor blade and use it to scrape under the silicone on the tiles. The silicone will slide off. |
Q: ‘We’ve laid small dark tiles and a dark colour grout at the base of our shower’, reports Kellie. ‘But it’s really hard to keep the grout looking good, especially with soap. Any ideas?’
Q: ‘My bathroom mirror has silicone smeared around one corner’, says Sandra. ‘Can I remove it? It looks streaky.’
| Problem: | Silicone on mirror. |
| What to use: | Single-sided razor blade, kerosene; or pantyhose, kerosene, white vinegar, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | If the silicone is quite thick, dip a razor blade in kerosene and slide it under the silicone and along the mirror to remove it. If it’s only a very thin film of silicone, remove by dipping a rolled up pair of pantyhose in kerosene and rubbing over the silicone. Once the silicone has been removed, wipe with a little white vinegar on paper towel. |
Q: ‘What’s the best way to clean the marble on my vanity?’ asks Trish. ‘Water seems to have penetrated the sealant.’
| Problem: | Watermarks on sealed marble. | |
| What to use: | Brasso, pantyhose. | |
| How to apply: | In most cases, marble in a bathroom is sealed with polyurethane. If this is the case, apply a little Brasso to rolled up pantyhose and rub in a circular motion. Be fast and don’t apply too much pressure. This partially melts the polyurethane and removes bubbles that appear to be watermarks. You may need to reseal the surface—seek professional help. Prevention: | To provide a protective coating for marble, apply a good quality marble floor wax. Renew the wax regularly. |
Q: ‘I’ve got a green copper mark on my plastic bathroom sink’, says Cheryl. ‘How do I remove it?’
| Problem: | Green copper mark on basin. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | Clean with a mixture of equal parts glycerine and talcum powder. Polish on with a pair of pantyhose and leave for around half an hour then polish off. |
Q: ‘I need help to remove yellow water marks on my white basin’, reports Johnny. ‘It’s where the water sits in the soap holders and around the plug hole.’
| Problem: | Yellow water marks on basin. |
| What to use: | Talcum powder, disposable rubber gloves, CLR/Ranex. |
| How to apply: | It’s likely to be from mineral deposit in the water. Sprinkle the affected area with talcum powder and allow to dry. Put on rubber gloves and apply CLR or Ranex to the talcum powder and allow to soak in. Rinse with water. Don’t get CLR or Ranex on your skin because it can cause irritation. |
Q: ‘How do you get Tiger Balm out of hair?’ asks Monique.
| Problem: | Tiger Balm in hair. |
| What to use: | Tea tree oil, dishwashing liquid, olive oil, warm water. |
| How to apply: | Tiger Balm has an oil and wax base. Mix 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 1 teaspoon of olive oil and massage into the scalp and hair. Rinse with warm water, massaging as you rinse. You may need to repeat. |
If your towels are stiff and scratchy, see page 311.
Q: ‘I’ve got liquid foundation make-up on my towels’, reports Julie. ‘And it won’t come out in the wash. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Liquid foundation on towels. |
| What to use: | Methylated spirits, dishwashing liquid. |
| How to apply: | Mix equal parts methylated spirits and dishwashing liquid and rub into the stain with your fingers. Wash normally. |
For many, the smell of bleach equates to cleanliness—and while bleach does whiten surfaces, it doesn’t necessarily remove dirt and isn’t great for the environment or your health. (Bleach contains dioxins that can produce the environmental pollutants trihalomethanes, which are also believed to be carcinogenic.) For a less toxic cleaning option, sprinkle bicarb on a cloth, add some white vinegar and wipe over the walls. Use ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves in a 1 litre spray pack of water to tackle mould.
Q: ‘I seem to have gunk down my bathroom drains’, reports Sue. ‘How can I unclog them?’
| Problem: | Clogged drains. |
| What to use: | Coat-hanger, pantyhose, bicarb, white vinegar, boiling water. |
| How to apply: | Some blockages occur when talcum powder or hair sticks to the inside edge of the drain. To prevent the problem, put gauze or a piece of pantyhose fabric underneath the drain grate. To clean, wrap a pair of pantyhose around the end of a straightened coathanger and knot it tightly. Use the coathanger just like a big bottle brush to scrub down inside the drain. Now put ½ cup bicarb down the drain and leave for 20 minutes, followed by ½ cup of white vinegar. Leave for half an hour and pour boiling water (from the kettle) down the drain. |