10 Quick Tips For A Shiny Bathroom

1. Apply a thin layer of lemon oil to shower doors. This helps keep soap scum from building up by making the soapy water bead up on the glass and slide on down the drain. Pour 2 tsp of lemon oil on a clean cloth then wipe the doors. Do this every other week for best results. You can also try rubbing baby oil or shaving cream on your clean shower doors to keep them shiny and fog free. Shaving cream can also be used to remove built up soap scum on shower doors, walls and fixtures (found on 10 Household Cleaning Quick Tips).
2. After each shower spray shower walls with cleaner to keep soap scum and grime from building up, really saves on cleaning time and keeps your shower shiny (here are some Homemade Shower Spray Recipes).
3. Remove rings inside the toilet bowl by applying a paste of borax and lemon juice to the stain (first flush toilet to make the surface wet). Allow to set for 2 hours then scrub (mentioned on 15 Helpful Household Lemon Aids). For a toilet ring preventative measure, try pouring about 2 cups of vinegar in the toilet bowl and allow to sit for a few hours before flushing (do a quick brushing before flushing). Do this every 2 or 3 weeks. More toilet bowl cleaning tips found here: How To Clean A Toilet Really Well.
4. Bring a sparkle back to those shower curtains by laundering them with a bath towel. Add 1 cup vinegar during the rinse cycle. You could also wash them by hand using a household sponge soaked in vinegar (will help remove mildew and soap scum).
5. Remove nasty hard water buildup around tap fixtures using paper towels soaked in vinegar. Wrap them around the base of the taps for several hours to break down the crud, then wash clean (see Cleaning Crusty Tap Fixtures for more details).
6. Remove hairspray and splatter buildup on mirrors by buffing with a lint-free cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol. Two earth friendly homemade cleaners for glass and mirrors: one cup cold strong black tea with 3 TBS of vinegar; or one part vinegar added to four parts water (both found on Homekeeping – A Natural Shine To Cleaning). Newspapers are great scrubbers to use for near-streak-free glass & mirror cleaning. Also this old trick is handy to know: use shaving foam on bathroom mirrors to keep them from steaming up.
7. No need for harsh cleaners to loosen up gobs of dried toothpaste and heavy grime in the sink, try this homemade cleaner that’s gentle on porcelain and brings back a shine: Homemade Softscrub Cleaner Recipe.
8. Use your favorite liquid dish detergent to brighten grout between tiles, just drizzle on a sponge or wet cloth and scrub. You can also use toothpaste.
9. Bathrooms have lots of little nooks and crannies that hide germs and hold grime, use old toothbrushes to get right in there and gently scrub caulking, around faucets, vanity design features, shower tracks, baseboards, etc.
10. Things get pretty humid in the bathroom making it a perfect environment for mildew. Keep it at bay by spraying walls and ceilings with a 50/50 solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water, leave on (it will dry itself) and do this a couple times a year. Careful not to get this solution in your eyes when spraying. You can also use this to scrub away any mildew spots (or try a straight dose of hydrogen peroxide for tough spots).

Easy Household Time Saver: Each day wipe down the bathroom sink, toilet and spray the inside of the shower with cleaner, empty the bathroom trash into the main trash. Your bathroom will sparkle throughout the week!