Although we love stepping into a clean bathroom it’s true most people loathe cleaning it. For those who hate bathroom cleaning, here are some hygiene facts which might make you sit up and think and perhaps even change your attitude towards bathroom cleaning.
Did you know there were colonies of bacteria inhabiting inside the showerhead in your bathroom? When you turn on the shower for a refreshing bath, you may be in for a spray of bacteria even if the water is hot and steamy. Although most bacteria found in homes are common and harmless, researchers have found a bacterium that causes Legionnaire’s disease similar to pneumonia which spreads through the shower’s aerosol, made of fine particles that can be inhaled into the lungs. Adults over the age of 50 with weak immune systems, chronic lung disease or heavy smokers are particularly susceptible to it. Researchers also found another bacterium that causes a pulmonary disease similar to tuberculosis.
If you are wondering why the showerhead, this is because of bacteria reproduces in dark, warm, and damp environments – and the showerhead serves as the perfect host for bacteria to grow. So what’s the solution?
Having a weekly schedule for cleaning your bathrooms thoroughly is the solution. After all, just like the kitchen, it is a place where we are most vulnerable to bacteria. It will not only take care of the bacteria but also reverse the formation of limescale, grime, and mildew – a white film that grows on the surface of your basins, bathtubs as well as on the tiles and curtains if the remnants of dirt, debris, and soap that are not rinsed down the drain, which hardens with time.
To keep your bathroom squeaky clean, shining, and hygienic you have the option to choose from some popular cleaning products commercially available in the marketplace – the most popular being Harpic. But commercial cleaning and disinfecting products are not always worthwhile and all of them might not be right on chrome plating of bathroom fixtures. So if you like to go green, you may try using some tested home remedies by our grandmothers over ages.
Here are some home remedies and secret cleaning techniques that let you embrace any cleaning challenge the bathroom may hurl at you, with panache. You may also consider making your own all-purpose bathroom cleaner that works better than most expensive and popular cleaning products available in superstores. Some might ask why? We say, why not, for it takes only 30 seconds, saves money, works better and what’s best, it’s safe!
Bathroom sanitation in times of COVID-19
Having a weekly schedule for cleaning your bathrooms thoroughly is the solution. Especially in these times when it is more important than ever to take care of our health and hygiene. Sanitizing bathrooms and staying germ-free will prevent the spread of diseases and ensure you don’t become susceptible to falling ill.
The secret in maintaining hygiene lies in using the best bathroom cleaners. This will not only take care of the bacteria but also reverse the formation of limescale, grime, and mildew – a white film that grows on the surface of your basins, bathtubs as well as on the tiles and curtains if the remnants of dirt, debris, and soap that are not rinsed down the drain, which hardens with time. This also means you can’t skimp out on the buckets and clothes - you’ll need to choose the top bathroom cleaning equipment as well.
To keep your bathroom squeaky clean, shining, and hygienic you have the option to choose from some bathroom cleaning products commercially available in the marketplace – the most popular being Harpic. But these are not always worthwhile and it might not be easy to buy your usual products when trying to practice social distancing. Moreover, there may be a good chance that you’ll have a hard time finding an available stock of the bathroom cleaning products you generally reach out for.
So here are some home remedies and secret cleaning techniques that let you embrace any cleaning challenge the bathroom may hurl at you, with panache. You may also consider making your own all-purpose homemade bathroom cleaner that works better than the most expensive and popular cleaning products.
Banish grime, gunk and soap scum with popular Home Remedies:
- White vinegar, which is available in every home, is a miracle cleaner! This perfect household cleaning agent can help you to keep your bathroom safer, and cleaner. It’s used in the kitchen to prepare food and it also has properties of an excellent natural cleaner. You have the option to try the vinegar-only solution for removing stubborn dirt, stains, and limescale. A diluted 50:50 vinegar-water solution is recommended for safety and to avoid damaging the surfaces being cleaned because vinegar is acidic and dissolves mineral deposits on surfaces. You can make your own ‘Cleaning Vinegar’ with 5 percent acidity. Use it on anything and everything without a worry that it will damage any surface or not clean it adequately. This homemade bathroom cleaner, while being safe for children and pets, is ideal for cleaning the glass surfaces of shower enclosures, toilets, sinks, soap scum in the bathtub, mirrors, tiles, marble counters, doors, and cabinet fronts. It is also an effective drain and shower cleaner.
- Household ammonia can be a useful addition to the regular cleaning liquids that you’ve been buying from the supermarket. One bottle of ammonia is enough to make solutions of varying strengths. You can dilute it with water to make a solution suitable for cleaning bathroom floors, tiles, glass windows, sink counters, and remove mildew from shower enclosures, curtains, basins, and bathtubs. While you can make a more concentrated solution to deal with stubborn stains.
- Borax is another wonder ingredient, making it one of the best bathroom cleaners. Made of water, oxygen, boron, and sodium, Borax has been known to man for centuries and used as a cleaning agent. Chemically known as Sodium Tetraborate and not to be confused with boric acid, Sodium borate is a naturally occurring mineral and has no inherently toxic ingredients. It does not absorb through your skin. Easy to mix with lime, vinegar, and water, it can be safely used for cleaning surfaces of tiles, marble, granite, ceramic, and porcelain. Just mix 1 tsp borax with 1/2 tsp washing soda and add 2 cups of warm water. Shake well and voila, you are ready to go!
- You may also try making a paste of baking soda and water. This concoction can clean mildew, gunk and soap scum stuck on the glass shower panels and bathtubs. For tough stains, use vinegar instead of water.
- There’s another secret that cleans bathrooms effectively: Sprinkle three tablespoons of baking soda, half a cup of household ammonia, and two cups of warm water into a bottle. Apply this DIY bathroom cleaning product on all the fixtures and rinse it off with a cloth. Your bathroom fixtures and surfaces will sparkle.
Smart cleaning with Microfibre Cloth:
Unhappy with the water stain marks on your bathroom chrome fixtures? Microfiber cloth is the answer! Wondering what microfiber cloth is? It’s the ultimate cleaning tool. A lot of people are yet to know about the magical cleaning powers of microfiber cloths. Microfibre is a synthetic fiber with a diameter of fewer than ten micrometers—smaller than the diameter of a strand of silk, which is itself about 1/5 the diameter of a human hair.
Besides many other uses, microfiber is used for making cleaning products. The shape, size, and combinations of synthetic fibers in a microfiber cloth meant for cleaning are such that it has the characteristics of softness, toughness, and absorption! It doesn’t just pick up liquids—it’ll grab onto anything, making it a perfect material for cleaning. It is a clear choice when it comes to dusting. Using microfiber cloths for cleaning can dramatically reduce the usage of cleaning products you use, which can save a lot of money in the long run. You can use a dry or damp microfiber cloth for cleaning windows and mirrors, dusting surfaces of granite and marble counters around your bathroom sink, and shining chrome and stainless steel. Some people prefer to not use cleaning products with their microfiber cloths. This helps your microfiber cloths to last longer.
Unclog and Disinfect the Showerheads:
You don’t need to buy a new showerhead if it gets blocked by minerals in the hard water — vinegar, one of the best shower cleaners, can be used to unclog it. If you can remove the showerhead, put the head in to soak through the night in white vinegar. If the blockage is really bad, heat the vinegar in a microwave first. If the showerhead cannot be removed, pour the vinegar into a bag, tape/tie the bag to the shower arm so the showerhead is completely immersed, and leave the bag in place for one to two hours.
If you have a showerhead with anti-clog nozzles, minerals can block them too. Such showerheads when blocked tend to throw water at all directions instead at the intended spot. All you need to do is hold the showerhead with your hand and gently rub your thumb on the rubber nozzles, bending them in the process, and cleaning their blocked holes. Then wipe the head with a cloth dipped in vinegar properly. Once unclogged to your satisfaction, disinfect the showerhead with chlorine bleach. Do it regularly to get the most effective showering experience.
Add Sparkle to Your Bathroom Faucets:
A little bit of rubbing on the bathroom faucet with a microfiber cloth can bring back life to it. Try polishing it with plain water or use a mild homemade bathroom cleaner. If you’re using anything stronger (commercially manufactured), check the pack instructions and your tap manufacturer’s advice.
First, test it on an inconspicuous spot. Faucets tend to gather deposits on the handles and the spout region, which is particularly susceptible to limescale because of the aerators, which give foam flow. Mix a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water in a small bowl. Dip an old toothbrush in the solution; use the toothbrush to scrub white deposits from your chrome faucet spouts and handles. They will turn like new. If the deposits are too heavy you may soak a piece of cloth in vinegar, wrap it around the faucet. Leave it for 15 minutes, then rinse. You will see the magic of DIY bathroom cleaning products!
For professional cleaning, you may consider using Glitz, specially formulated to remove calcium and other deposits on chrome-plated faucets, showerheads, and other chrome-plated accessories. Apply undiluted to the surface and allow GLITZ to sit for a few minutes, longer if calcium deposits are heavy and wash off with water. A used toothbrush can be used gently to scrub the old and hardened scales. Read the instructions given on the bottle before using Glitz. It is available at all Jaquar authorized dealers at a reasonable price. Jaquar recommends polishing all its chrome-plated products with Glitz and avoiding abrasive cleaning agents for its products.
Clean the soap scum and mildew of your Bathtubs:
There is nothing like getting into a hot bathtub where you melt away your stress; unless the condition of your bathtub is such that it is stressing you out! Bathtubs easily attract soap scum, grime and mildew. It is suggested that you wipe the tub clean of the residue after every bath, with a microfiber cloth. But if the condition is bad you may consider using a bathroom cleaning product like Glitz, which is an effective cleaner for all types of bathtubs.
Apply undiluted Glitz to the surface and allow it to sit for some time, longer if calcium deposits are heavy and rinse with clean water and wipe with a dry cloth. The bathtub will be as good as new.
Give a new look to the Showers Enclosures:
After every shower, it is recommended you grab a dry microfiber cloth and use it to wipe the glass panels of the shower enclosure. Timely cleaning will eliminate the soapy, hard water buildup. The cloth will pick up any residue that got left behind, keeping your shower enclosure clean of watermarks and mildew.
The concept has two products: Sparkle, which is a shower glass cleaner and Klear which is a hard water scaling remover. They are quality products and tested as per Architectural Testing Corporation and TÜV Rhineland, Germany. The two together melts away the spots and the dull look due to usage stains, limescale and dirt deposits over time. They work wonderfully well on all kinds of glass surfaces including the textured ones as well as the framed and semi-frames shower enclosures.
Put Vinegar into a Toilet and Watch the magic:
Vinegar alone can dissolve limescale built up by hard water inside the cistern and as well as in the bowl. It can kill all bacteria, mould and germs. It can even clean metal parts of limescale, rust stains, and remove unpleasant odours too. Just apply vinegar on the surface and let it rest for a couple of hours to work. Then scour the toilet bowl with a brush and rub the stains off.
However, to tackle dirty toilets there’s another home remedy. Sprinkle one cup of borax into your toilet bowl – aim for the sides of the porcelain walls, and under the rim, and of course, inside the bowl itself. Leave it for a couple of hours. Hard water often leaves a ring at water level on the toilet bowl. This treatment is especially effective for removing the ring formation. Borax loosens everything up. Scrub with a toilet brush, and flush. You will be amazed to see a stain-free, odourless, sparkling toilet.
Get spotless Bathroom Tiles:
The maximum surface area in a bathroom is taken up by the tiles. The grouting between tiles easily collects dirt and germs over time. These are hard-to-reach places and escape notice during regular cleaning. To keep the grout in between the tile look fresh, and clean, take a bowl and make a paste with borax, baking soda, and water. Apply the paste on the grout and scrub it with an old toothbrush that is no longer in use. This helps you reach the narrow crevices. This homemade bathroom cleaner will make the tiles look freshly laden and new.
You can also opt for smart designs and efficient sensor technology to make cleaning your bathroom a lot easier. With sensor taps, flushes, and more, there are fewer hard water stains left behind, and they do away with grimy, bacteria-laden faucet handles. Moreover, there are smarter choices with bathroom amenities as well, like rimless toilets, which make bathroom cleaning easier than ever. Check out Jaquar’s line of premium sanitaryware to know more.