“Didn’t I just clean in here?!”
Everyone likes a clean restroom – but the one-two punch of moisture and heavy use makes them some of the dirtiest rooms in any house, to the point where it often feels like keeping our bathrooms clean can be a never-ending battle.
Want to go a few extra days without having to deal with mold and mildew, rust, grime, or soap scum? Here are five simple ideas to help you keep your bathroom cleaner, for longer:
1.) Keep Your Shower Dry
Mildew and scum love wet surfaces, so take a few simple steps to make sure your shower (and surfaces) stay dry. Carolyn Forte at Good Housekeeping recommends hanging a “shower squeegee” from your shower head, making it a household rule “that the last one to take a shower wipes down the walls, tub, and shower doors.” This easy routine can keep your bathroom feeling fresher for weeks.
Another option? Treat your shower walls and doors with water repellent: Performing this simple job will help water – and, with it, mineral build-up and soap scum – run off easily, meaning you’ll have less to clean.
2.) Improve Your Ventilation
Steamy bathrooms don’t just feel muggy after a shower – they also get grungier more quickly, leading to mold and mildew stains and damage to your walls or shower curtain.
The best way to stop steamy bathroom problems before they start? Improve your bathroom’s ventilation! For best results, consider repairing or replacing your bathroom’s fan system. In the meantime, remember that even cracking open a window or leaving your door ajar during showers can make a difference in the long run.
3.) Ditch the Bar Soap
Bar soap can lead to scum more quickly than liquid alternatives, according to Forte, and a grimy soap dish can easily make your countertop seem dirtier than it really is. So ban the bar, and use liquid soap with a pump dispenser - or maybe even a hands-free system – instead.
4.) Redesign Your Bathroom to Be “Easy-Clean”
The forward-thinking contributors at Houzz don’t just want their bathrooms to stay clean longer – they want them to basically clean themselves. With that in mind, their list of “easy-clean” bathroom ideas is fascinating, full of ideas that are worth talking to your plumber about, including solid wall surfaces and linear drains (which both eliminate the need for grout), frameless doors and mirrors (since metal frames are quick to attract gunk), and wall-mounted faucets.
5.) Tackle Problems Before They Start
If you keep your bathroom tidy and organized, you can find storage space for a few surprisingly effective cleaning tools: disinfecting wipes and dryer sheets.
With both of these visible and readily on hand, you can quickly address small messes as soon as you spot them. Use disinfecting wipes to wipe away toothpaste splatters or the early warning signs of soap scum before they coarsen and become tougher to clean. Dryer sheets, similarly, are perfect for quickly and painlessly gathering up and throwing away hair and dust bunnies before they grow into major problems.
Of course, some bathroom problems aren’t minor inconveniences – they’re bona fide disasters. That’s where we come in! For all of your unexpected plumbing mishaps and discoveries, drop Combat Plumbing a line! Our team is here and ready to help, day or night.
