•  Keep showerheads unclogged

If you live in an area with very hard water, you’ll have noticed how mineral deposits can block showerheads. You don’t need a new one – use denture tablets or vinegar to unclog it.

  1.  If you can remove the showerhead, dissolve 4-5 denture tablets in a bowl of water and put the head in to soak. Or let it soak overnight in white vinegar. (For extra cleaning action, heat the vinegar in the microwave first.)
  2.  If the showerhead isn’t removable, pour the denture tablet solution or vinegar into a plastic bag, tape or tie the bag to the fixture so the showerhead is completely immersed and leave the bag in place for 1-2 hours. To make sure the showerhead is completely unblocked, clean out the holes with a needle, piece of wire or toothpick. Then wipe the head with a cloth dipped in vinegar.
  •  Goodbye to grime and soap scum

Forget about buying ‘miracle’ products. Instead, stir 3 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 cup (125ml) household ammonia into 2 cups (500ml) warm water. Once you’ve wiped the solution on and rinsed it off with a sponge or rag, bathroom surfaces will gleam.

  •  Make glass shower doors sparkle

Glass shower doors are a convenient feature of any bathroom but can quickly cloud up with soap scum. For some heavy-duty cleaning, try:

  1. Shaving cream Squirt on the foam and wipe clean with a dry rag; the foam will leave a film that keeps the door from fogging and makes it harder for scum to stick.
  2. White vinegar Keep a spray bottle filled with vinegar and a sponge by (or in) the shower so you can make washing down the surfaces part of your post-shower routine.
  3. Bicarbonate of soda-plus Make a solution of 1/4 cup (60ml) washing-up liquid, 1/4 cup (60ml) hydrogen peroxide and 3 tablespoons bicarb, then scrub onto doors with a sponge.
  4. Vegetable oil Simply pour a little vegetable oil onto a sponge or paper towel and scrub the doors, adding more oil as you need it.
  5. Furniture polish Use a cloth to rub polish directly on doors, then wipe it off with a clean cloth. The polish cleans and also protects against the build-up of soap scum.
  •  Mildew-free shower curtains

The moist environment of a bathroom is just made for mildew, so don’t be surprised when it appears on the shower curtain. You can keep it at bay for a while, at least, by soaking curtains and liners in salt water before hanging them. Once they’re up and any mildew appears:

  1.  Add 1/3 cup (60g) borax and 1/2 cup (125ml) vinegar to 2 cups (500ml) water, pour onto the affected areas and let sit for 8-10 minutes. Then scrub with a sponge or cloth.
  2.  Mix 2 tablespoons washing-up liquid with 2 cups (500ml) household bleach and spray the solution onto the curtain.
  3.  Make a paste of vinegar and salt, and spread it onto the mildewed area. Dry for 1-2 hours and then clean curtain with a damp cloth.
  •  Lemony toilet cleaner

Make a paste of 2-3 parts borax and 1 part lemon juice (stir the juice in gradually until you have the right consistency) and apply it to a stained toilet bowl, rim included. Let it sit for 1-1/2 -2 hours and then scrub it off with a toilet brush. This treatment is especially effective for getting rid of the ring that often appears at water level on the toilet bowl.

  •  Clean that ceiling

You’re probably so busy cleaning the fixtures and tiles in your bathroom that you don’t even think about the ceiling. Look up, but prepare yourself for what you might see — mildew, spots, built-up grime. To clean it easily, fill a mop bucket with equal parts water and white vinegar. Then put on goggles or other protective eyewear. Dip a long-handled sponge mop into the solution, squeeze it out and reach up to clean one section of the ceiling at a time.

  •  Good riddance to grout grime

The grouting between bathroom tiles is a magnet for dirt and germs and it’s easy to miss those hard-to-reach crevices during regular cleaning. It also looks bad, so every so often:

  1.  Make a paste of 1 part borax, 2 parts bicarbonate of soda and 1-2 parts water and scrub it onto the grout with a toothbrush.
  2.  Rub away grime with a new pencil eraser, that’s well suited to reaching these narrow spaces.
  3.  Scrub with a mouthwash containing a tooth-whitening agent.
  4.  Soak a cotton wool ball in household bleach and place on stained benchtop grout for a few hours; for walls, attach the cotton ball with gaffer tape.
  •  Solutions for stubborn scum and water spots

Bathroom surfaces — including ceramic tiles, glass fibre and acrylic shower units — can become dulled by water spots and built-up scum just as easily as tubs and sinks. Tackle these heavily soiled surfaces with vigour and …

  1.  2 cups (360g) salt dissolved in 4 litres hot water.
  2.  Half a cup (125ml) vinegar, 1/2 cup (125ml) ammonia and 2-1/2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda in 4 litres warm water. Apply one of these two solutions, let sit for about 15 minutes, then scrub off and rinse thoroughly.
  •  Brush away rust stains

To get rid of hard-water rust stains on toilets, baths and sinks, just squeeze a little toothpaste onto an old toothbrush and scrub away. Or scrub at the stain with a paste of borax and lemon juice or a solution of equal parts turpentine and salt. Whichever method you choose, attack the rust stains right away. The sooner you deal with them, the easier they will be to remove.

Credit : Reader’s Digest

Picture Credit: Google