Bathroom Cleaning Tips

Baths and Basins

• Check labels of proprietary cleaners and stain removers - not all of them are suitable for all materials.
• Wipe round baths, basins, bidets, showers, and taps straight after use, while still warm.
• Wipe off toothpaste splashes immediately - some brands, particularly those containing fluoride, can harm the glaze on vitreous china.
• Rinse soap dishes often to prevent a build-up of hardened soap on basin, bath, or shower.
• Oily bath additives create rings round the tub - rinse off immediately after emptying bath. Dried-on rings can be removed with a damp sponge sprinkled with bicarbonate of soda or vinegar.
• Treat light scratches on acrylic baths by rubbing gently with metal polish.
• Use an old toothbrush or baby's bottlebrush for cleaning overflows and round plugholes.
• Never leave washing to soak in detergent in an enamelled bath or basin.

Limescale

Take care with limescale removers, and check on the pack that they are suitable for the surface you want to treat. Enamel is easily damaged, even by mild solutions. You can use a paste of flour and lemon juice or vinegar, but even these can eat into the surface below the limescale, so check frequently and remove as soon as possible. Once the limescale is softened, wash off completely. Try rubbing stubborn deposits with the flat end of a wooden clothes peg, but go easy to avoid scratches.

Taps and Showers

• Be gentle when cleaning these, as the finishes are easily damaged. Avoid abrasive cleaners - use warm soapy water instead. Dry taps after cleaning, and polish with a soft cloth.
• Before hanging it, soak a new shower curtain in a salt water solution to help prevent mildew forming.
• Clean glass shower doors with a damp sponge sprinkled with white vinegar.

Tiling

• Dirt comes off tiles far more easily when loosened by steam, so run a hot shower for a few minutes before you start. Open a window when you've finished.
• Wipe tiles with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry with a soft cloth. Don't use abrasive cleaners, which might damage the glaze.
• Clean blackened grout with a proprietary antifungal cleaner, or paint carefully with a mild bleach solution, leave for a few minutes, then rinse off. Do not attempt to clean with wire wool, which can produce rust stains. Avoid mould growth by ventilating the bathroom.

WCs

• Scrub daily, including under the rim, with a lavatory brush.
• Wash lavatory brushes in hot soapy water, then rinse with hot water plus a shot of disinfectant.
• Flush away bleach cleaners after no more than an hour - they can discolour the glaze below the waterline if left for too long.
• Don't mix different toilet cleaners, and never mix a cleaner with bleach. Don't use bleach if you are also using a cleaner block in the cistern.