BathEmpire

How can I spring clean my bathroom on a budget?

Posted on 02. Feb, 2011 by Charlotte Laing in Advice

As we move into February some of you might be thinking about overhauling your bathroom.

Even though you probably clean your bathroom once a week (or at least every time you have guests coming over!) it’s great to give the whole room a deep clean and a reorganisation once a year – making it shine from ceiling to cistern.

If you’re anything like me though, you won’t want to spend hours scrubbing your taps and not getting anywhere, and nor do you want to have to spend a fortune.

To help you brighten your bathroom on a budget I’ve scoured the internet (notice the little cleaning pun there) for all the best tips, and come up with some of my own – everything from cheap ways to clean the toilet to storage solutions that will mean there’s a place for everything.

I hope these ideas help you to make your bathroom gleam!

1. De-clutter

If you have six bottles of shampoo lining your bath, old lotions and potions everywhere and half-used bars of soap in your bathroom, then it’s never going to be the oasis you dream of, is it?

The best way to start any overhaul of your bathroom is with a black bag. Chuck in everything that’s on display in your bathroom (as long as it’s not fragile, of course).

Rather than throwing the contents of the bag away, you can leave it in the bathroom and take items out of it whenever you need them.

Whatever you use in the next week can be left on display, everything else should either be thrown away or stored in attractive containers or bathroom cabinets ready for future use.

2. Blitz the limescale

Limescale deposits around bath taps and shower heads aren’t something that you just have to live with, they can be easily removed.

If your taps and shower heads are chrome plated, like the ones from BathEmpire (and most taps and shower heads in the UK), then here’s some good advice from lakeland.co.uk…

“Generally taps are chrome-plated which is usually plated onto another metal, so care must be taken not to scrub the plating off.

“Any of the following methods may be used to clean bathroom taps and other chrome plated fittings. Use a non abrasive cleaner, (there are a great many on the market) on a soft cloth, rinse, then buff with a dry cloth.

“Shaving cream is also an effective cleanser for taps and chrome shower fittings, apply with a soft damp cloth, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

“Alternatively, apply lemon or white vinegar, with a little added salt to a soft cloth, gently wipe the taps, rinse well with water then buff to a shine with a soft dry cloth.”

3. The dreaded toilet

It’s not anybody’s favourite chore, but cleaning the toilet thoroughly is a must if your bathroom is going to be fresh and fabulous.

A great idea from Kim Woodburn (of How Clean is Your House fame) is to simply use a paper towel, rather than a toilet brush – otherwise you’ll simply be spreading germs.

She suggests you put scouring powder down the toilet, put on disposable rubber gloves, rub the powder in with the paper towel until clean, then throw the paper towel and gloves away, flush the toilet and you’re done. Phew.

4. Improve the view

Bathroom windows can easily get full of smears and streaks because they will often be covered in condensation.

To clean the panes the old housewife’s method is to use 25% vinegar and 75% warm water. Wear rubber gloves and immerse an old cotton towel in the vinegar-water solution.

Wring the towel then rub the windows with it. Scrunch up some old newspaper and use it to buff the glass. Finally, if there are any streaks, use a dry cloth to wipe the windows over.

If you have bathroom blinds or curtains that are easily removable then taking them down and giving them a wipe over or a wash is a great way to make the whole room seem fragrant and clean.

If you’re looking to replace the window dressing in the bathroom then Venetian blinds are probably the most practical. They can withstand heat and moisture, and can be simply wiped down without having to remove them from the window.

You can pick up great value ones from places like IKEA if you have standard-sized windows.

5. Write a rota

It’s sad but true that in most households one person does most of the bathroom cleaning. Now I’m not saying this is usually the woman, but… oh well yes, I am saying this is usually the woman.

To make sure your bathroom remains spring-fresh all year round and that all chores get evenly divided write a simple rota outlining who will do what each week.

Have you tried any of these tips? Did they work well for you? Do you have any other handy advice when it comes to spring cleaning a bathroom? We’d love to know.

Tags: bathroom cleaning, bathroom improvements, bathroom storage, cheap new bathroom, cleaning a shower, ideas for bathroom cleaning, removing limescale from shower