Sudbury Housekeeper - Bathroom housekeeping tips
Windows and Mirrors
In a 32 oz. spray bottle, add 1/3 cup white (clear) vinegar and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. If you must have a different cleaner, add 1 tablespoonful dishwasher detergent.
Bathtubs and Showers
Alkaline deposits in the water supply cause spots on your glass doors and shower walls. Apply any car wax to the walls and doors, but ensure you do NOT place any on the floor or it gets real slippery and unsafe. Fiberglass and glass are poriferous. The car wax seals those pores, which constitutes easier cleaning and keeps water spots to a minimum. Do this every six months. If you are using a housekeeper service you may wish to mention this to them.
Squeegee or rub down your shower after every use to prevent buildup of soap scum. If you're fed up of combatting the soap scum, switch to a liquid soap, natural soap or Dove. It's the talc in soaps that causes the soap scum. Switching soap can eliminate this. You are still required to clean the shower weekly, but the chore is much easier.
Clean the showers weekly with a citrus based cleaner. Spray on and give it fifteen minutes to dissolve the dirt. Why do all that scouring when your product does it for you?
Alright, the soap scum refuses to budge and friends are coming over. Use your citrus based cleaner concentrated. Pour abundantly on an old rag and wipe on the walls and doors. Use boiling hot white vinegar (wear gloves) but you must keep applying it as the white vinegar dries.
Use a white bristle pad to scrub. Use the white ones only. The colored scrubbers are coarser and do scratch. Test a spot to ensure it won't scratch the fiberglass. Moisten the pad and gently scrub. This removes the soap buildup and most of the white mineral deposits on the glass doors. Nothing gets rid of the etch marks themselves, but additional damage is stopped. Reapply the orange citrus cleaner if required.
Plastic shower curtains can be machine washed. Remove, spray with your diluted orange based cleaner and wait about fifteen minutes. Wash with your rags and they come out rather clean. Air dry. If the curtain is long enough, cut off the seam at the bottom to prevent mildew buildup in the lower area. Again, if you are utilizing a housekeeper service they should already be aware of these methods.
Toilets
Ring around your toilet? Again, alkaline deposits cause those nasty rings. Contingent on the hardness of your water supply, pour one or two cups of white vinegar into the toilet monthly to eliminate the problem.
Toilet bowl rings - Here I take a deep breath and plead with you to follow these instructions. Repeat. Follow these instructions. Do not deviate or you will scratch the inside of your toilet bowl.
Switch off the water flow to the toilet and flush to get rid of the water. Saturate a couple of heavy duty paper towels with white vinegar or the Orange Citrus Cleaner. Place around the edges making sure all areas are covered. Keep the towels damp for several hours, even overnight, until the water spots start dissolving. Then scrub with a stiff nylon brush.
If the white vinegar does not dissolve the whole ring, go to a janitorial supply store or a hardware store and purchase a pumice stone and a stiff toothbrush. Dampen one end of the pumice stone and keep it wet.
Gently, very gently, rub the pumice stone across the lines. When enough pumice builds upon the sides, change to a stiff bristle brush to continue working. Rub gently until the deposit disappears. Pumice will scratch the toilet. Use it only once and cautiously.
Sinks
Monthly, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Wait an hour and flush with warm water. The combination fizzles away most of the buildup. Works for shower, tub and kitchen sink drains also.
Faucets
Water deposits build up around faucets and drain areas. Use a paper towel soaked in white vinegar and place around the faucet. Plug the drain and pour 1/2 cup white vinegar in the sink and wait. It takes time for the white vinegar to dissolve the alkaline deposits. Scrub using a stiff bristled nylon toothbrush.
Do not use orange based or powdered cleansers on brass or gold plated faucets. These fixtures corrode and scratch quickly. Dry these faucets after each use to prevent water spot damage. A housekeeper service will tackle these efficiently.
Mildew
Keep ahead of mildew so it does not become a problem. Every six months spray your bathroom ceiling with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Peroxide is a safe bleach and won't harm the environment or your lungs. Find larger quantities of peroxide at beauty or medical supply stores.
Spray the mixture on and leave it. No need to rinse or scrub. If you currently have mildew, follow the above directions. Wait two hours and respray. Then wait 24 hours and spray a third time if necessary. Housekeeping does not have to be a chore if you prepare and maintain on a regular basis.
In a 32 oz. spray bottle, add 1/3 cup white (clear) vinegar and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. If you must have a different cleaner, add 1 tablespoonful dishwasher detergent.
Bathtubs and Showers
Alkaline deposits in the water supply cause spots on your glass doors and shower walls. Apply any car wax to the walls and doors, but ensure you do NOT place any on the floor or it gets real slippery and unsafe. Fiberglass and glass are poriferous. The car wax seals those pores, which constitutes easier cleaning and keeps water spots to a minimum. Do this every six months. If you are using a housekeeper service you may wish to mention this to them.
Squeegee or rub down your shower after every use to prevent buildup of soap scum. If you're fed up of combatting the soap scum, switch to a liquid soap, natural soap or Dove. It's the talc in soaps that causes the soap scum. Switching soap can eliminate this. You are still required to clean the shower weekly, but the chore is much easier.
Clean the showers weekly with a citrus based cleaner. Spray on and give it fifteen minutes to dissolve the dirt. Why do all that scouring when your product does it for you?
Alright, the soap scum refuses to budge and friends are coming over. Use your citrus based cleaner concentrated. Pour abundantly on an old rag and wipe on the walls and doors. Use boiling hot white vinegar (wear gloves) but you must keep applying it as the white vinegar dries.
Use a white bristle pad to scrub. Use the white ones only. The colored scrubbers are coarser and do scratch. Test a spot to ensure it won't scratch the fiberglass. Moisten the pad and gently scrub. This removes the soap buildup and most of the white mineral deposits on the glass doors. Nothing gets rid of the etch marks themselves, but additional damage is stopped. Reapply the orange citrus cleaner if required.
Plastic shower curtains can be machine washed. Remove, spray with your diluted orange based cleaner and wait about fifteen minutes. Wash with your rags and they come out rather clean. Air dry. If the curtain is long enough, cut off the seam at the bottom to prevent mildew buildup in the lower area. Again, if you are utilizing a housekeeper service they should already be aware of these methods.
Toilets
Ring around your toilet? Again, alkaline deposits cause those nasty rings. Contingent on the hardness of your water supply, pour one or two cups of white vinegar into the toilet monthly to eliminate the problem.
Toilet bowl rings - Here I take a deep breath and plead with you to follow these instructions. Repeat. Follow these instructions. Do not deviate or you will scratch the inside of your toilet bowl.
Switch off the water flow to the toilet and flush to get rid of the water. Saturate a couple of heavy duty paper towels with white vinegar or the Orange Citrus Cleaner. Place around the edges making sure all areas are covered. Keep the towels damp for several hours, even overnight, until the water spots start dissolving. Then scrub with a stiff nylon brush.
If the white vinegar does not dissolve the whole ring, go to a janitorial supply store or a hardware store and purchase a pumice stone and a stiff toothbrush. Dampen one end of the pumice stone and keep it wet.
Gently, very gently, rub the pumice stone across the lines. When enough pumice builds upon the sides, change to a stiff bristle brush to continue working. Rub gently until the deposit disappears. Pumice will scratch the toilet. Use it only once and cautiously.
Sinks
Monthly, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Wait an hour and flush with warm water. The combination fizzles away most of the buildup. Works for shower, tub and kitchen sink drains also.
Faucets
Water deposits build up around faucets and drain areas. Use a paper towel soaked in white vinegar and place around the faucet. Plug the drain and pour 1/2 cup white vinegar in the sink and wait. It takes time for the white vinegar to dissolve the alkaline deposits. Scrub using a stiff bristled nylon toothbrush.
Do not use orange based or powdered cleansers on brass or gold plated faucets. These fixtures corrode and scratch quickly. Dry these faucets after each use to prevent water spot damage. A housekeeper service will tackle these efficiently.
Mildew
Keep ahead of mildew so it does not become a problem. Every six months spray your bathroom ceiling with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Peroxide is a safe bleach and won't harm the environment or your lungs. Find larger quantities of peroxide at beauty or medical supply stores.
Spray the mixture on and leave it. No need to rinse or scrub. If you currently have mildew, follow the above directions. Wait two hours and respray. Then wait 24 hours and spray a third time if necessary. Housekeeping does not have to be a chore if you prepare and maintain on a regular basis.
