Bathroom Cleaning Hacks

Reading Time: 7 minutes

The bathroom is one of the areas in your house that people use often. As such, it’s not surprising that it gets dirty quickly, which explains why you always have to clean it.

However, cleaning your bathroom is daunting because it takes time and effort. Most of the time, you end up with a sore body from scrubbing and wiping every nook and cranny of the room. With that said, it’s time to equip yourself with new knowledge about bathroom cleaning hacks that’ll make your whole process more manageable and less time-consuming!

15 Bathroom Cleaning Hacks You Should Try

The following bathroom cleaning hacks only require household items that you often use. From vinegar and mouthwash to tea bags, they’ll free your mirrors, toilets, and tiles from dirt.

  • Use Mouthwash to Clean Dirty Toilet Bowls

Mouthwash can clean your dirty toilet bowl because it contains chlorhexidine. It’s a positively-charged antiseptic compound that negatively reacts to microbial cells. Once it gets in contact with bacteria, chlorhexidine destroys its membrane, which results in cellular death.

Pour a cup of mouthwash around the sides of your toilet bowl and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Afterwards, scrub the toilet using a bowl cleaner.

It should remove any grime that might’ve gotten stuck in the toilet bowl. You can repeat this process whenever you notice any buildup of dirt. You can also pour mouthwash into the toilet water to prevent foul odor.

Learn more about How to Remove Blue Toilet Cleaner Stains from Hands

  • Face Toners as a Mirror Cleaner

Face toners don’t only keep your face clean, but they can also retain the shine of your mirror! These products contain ethanol or ethyl alcohol, which is a substance that has antibacterial properties.

It’s effective in killing microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria. That’s why this ingredient is common among cosmetic and skin care products. However, the ethanol content in face toners isn’t potent. Still, it doesn’t eliminate the fact that it can still remove the dirt on your mirror.

Take a dry towel, then wipe it down to remove any residue. Pour ample face toner onto a cotton pad or a microfiber cloth to clean your mirror. Wipe the mirror’s surface until there are no more stains and dirt.

  • Remove Smudges With Baby Oil

Over time, your faucet and sink handle become dull due to water spots and streaks. As such, it makes people think they’re dirty. Luckily, you can quickly fix this issue by using baby oil.

Baby oil has petroleum-based mineral oil. Said oil is a lubricant that people often use for their dry skin. Moreover, it’s a glazing agent for anything made with wood. It doesn’t only remove smudges and streaks on any metal appliance, but it can also bring back its shine.

Use a few drops of baby oil on a dry cloth if you want to do this on your bathroom faucet and sink handle. Gently buff the metal until it gets back to its original shine. Do this weekly to prevent your faucet from becoming dull again.

  • Use a Steam Cleaner for Your Bathroom Tiles

Steam cleaning works wonders. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s a cleaning process that uses low-pressure steam to remove dirt from any surface. The steam thins out the grease, grout, and oil. The moisture then dilutes the gunk in water, making it easy to remove.

Typically, people combine hot water with detergents or similar solutions to make cleaning quicker. However, you can omit this if you want a chemical-free approach.

You can use the steam cleaner on your bathroom tiles to loosen up the dirt and gunk. Once you’ve given the tiles a good pass with the steam cleaner, immediately scrub them. Wipe them down with a dry cloth afterwards to remove any residue.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a steam cleaner; you can do this with a microfiber cloth too!

Simply wrap the lid of a saucepan using the fabric. Boil the water and cover it using the lid. Let it soak up the steam for a few minutes, then carefully remove the cover. Take the cloth and start wiping your bathroom tiles with it.

  • Put the Shower Curtains into the Washing Machine

Mildew is usual to develop on your shower curtain because of the moisture after you bathe. That said, cleaning it is necessary to prevent further mold growth.

However, just because the curtain has mildew doesn’t mean you have to throw it away. You can easily clean it using your washing machine. Remove the curtain from the rings, then put it into your washing machine. Once you’ve filled up the appliance with warm water, add a few drops of detergent.

Next, set the washing machine in its coolest and most gentle setting, then start the cycle. Let the shower curtain air dry afterwards.

Never put the curtain in the dryer because it can melt or distort the material due to the high heat.

  • Create An All-Around Cleaning Solution Using Lemon

Lemons also come in handy when creating a natural cleaning solution. The fruit has citric acid, which is a natural disinfectant. Due to its high acidity, it lowers the pH level of bacteria, resulting in their death.

To do this, grab a cup and fill it with hot water. Next, add two tablespoons of lemon juice to the water. Transfer it to a spray bottle then you’re good to go! So, you can use lemons to clean the mirrors, glass panes, and even your bathroom tiles.

Use it on the areas of your bathroom with stains and grime buildup. You can spray it on your mirror, shower door, and faucet. Don’t forget to scrub the area where you’ve sprayed the solution, then wipe it with a dry cloth or towel to remove residue.

After cleaning the bathroom, you can store the remaining cleaning solution in the fridge.

  • Shaving Cream as a Stain Remover

Yes, shaving creams also work as stain removers because of triethanolamine. It’s an amino compound that serves as a surfactant and a buffer. That said, this ingredient is ubiquitous, especially in products such as sunscreen lotions and laundry detergents.

Because shaving cream creates a foamy lather due to triethanolamine, it can remove stains. If you have makeup stains on your bathroom walls, squeeze an ample amount into the dirt, and let it sit for at least ten minutes.

You can rinse off the residue of the shaving cream with running water or wipe it down with a dry towel. Next, scrub the stain down with a brush or a sponge. All the dirt and gunk should come right off.

  • Magic Eraser to Remove All Sorts of Gunk

Magic Erasers work like a charm in your bathroom too! These foam pads have melamine, a nitrogen-rich base for bowls, cups, plates, and other crockery.

Additionally, it’s an excellent abrasive tool when it’s in a solid state. That’s because melamine foam pads contain microscopic filaments similar to sandpaper’s texture. If you have a melamine foam pad around your house, use it to remove gunk buildup on your tile grout. You have to add water to activate and soften them, and you’re good to go.

Scrub every nook and cranny of your bathroom, and all the dirt should lift easily. For easier access, you can leave your melanin foam pad in your bathroom to grab it for a quick spot cleaning. These foams work best on challenging areas, such as hard water on shower glass and grime on walls.

  • Baking Soda and Vinegar to Unclog Drains

There’s no need to buy drain snakes whenever you have clogged sinks and bathtubs because you can easily unclog them using baking soda and vinegar.

When you mix the two, it creates a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide forms bubbles, which break up the materials clogging your drain. Before pouring ¼ cup of baking soda directly into your drain, run hot water for a minute. Doing so loosens oils and fats that may have hardened the pipe.

After that, let the baking soda sit for 10 minutes. Immediately add a cup of vinegar and let the combination fizz. Once the fizzing stops, rerun the hot water for another minute to ensure the baking soda and vinegar remove all the gunk.

  • Coffee as a Natural Deodorizer

A smelly bathroom is a no-no, especially if guests come over. Thankfully, coffee grounds can remove the foul odor because they contain nitrogen. The nitrogen present in the caffeine cleans the sulfur from the air. The gas molecules adhere to the surface of the coffee ground, the adsorbent.

Furthermore, when these particles get trapped in the adsorbent, they can no longer get mixed into the air. As a result, it eliminates the foul odor in the room. It doesn’t only act as a natural deodorizer, but it also makes the whole room smell good. You must put used or fresh coffee grounds into a cup or a jar, then place it anywhere in your bathroom.

  • Use Chopsticks to Clean Crevices

It’s inevitable for gunk to build up in your bathroom crevices. However, cleaning them is difficult if you don’t have the right tools. You don’t need to invest in expensive cleaning materials because a simple chopstick will do the job.

So, if you have used chopsticks, an excellent way to repurpose them is by using the tool to clean your bathroom. Cover the utensil in a cloth, then dip it in soapy water. Scrub under the faucet, the shower head, and the corners of your sink.

Once the cloth gets dirty, replace it immediately. Using cotton pads isn’t ideal because they disintegrate quickly, which disrupts the cleaning process.

  • Unclog Shower Heads Using Vinegar

Instead of purchasing a new showerhead, you should try to clean it first. The common cause of why it gets clogged is hard water. If you don’t have a water treatment system, the chances of mineral buildup are higher because of the excessive amount of magnesium and calcium.

To remove the white crust forming on your shower head and its nozzles, you should create a solution of water and vinegar. About a half cup of each ingredient is enough. Transfer it to a plastic bag, then submerge the shower head, ensuring the solution covers all the nozzles. Secure the bag using a rubber band, then let it soak for an hour.

After that, scrub the nozzles and check whether it’s still clogged. Repeat the process if necessary.

  • Using a Vacuum for Your Bathroom’s Exhaust Fan

Your bathroom’s exhaust fan is hard to clean because it’s usually on the ceiling. It gets bombarded with dust, which makes it malfunction at times. That said, you can effortlessly clean your exhaust fan using a vacuum.

You should clean the exhaust cover before opening it to ensure no dust will fly everywhere. When you’ve opened it, use your vacuum to clean the fans and the engine behind it. Taking them apart is unnecessary as long as you remove all the dirt.

  • Apple Cider Vinegar as a Bathtub Disinfectant

Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid, which acts as a disinfectant. So, to avoid using chemical cleaning solutions, you should opt for this one.

If you want to disinfect your bathtub with apple cider vinegar, use it straight from the bottle. Pour ample amounts on the areas with mineral deposits and soap scum. Scrub it gently with a sponge or a brush. Don’t forget to rinse it to remove any residue.

  • Black Tea to Clean Dirty Mirror

Aside from its health benefits, black tea also has cleaning properties. It’s all thanks to its high level of tannins!

Tannins are chemical substances derived from phenolic acid. They’re present in many food products like black tea, legume seeds, and cacao. Moreover, this substance is an astringent too. As such, it can remove oil and has antimicrobial properties.

If you’ve run out of mirror cleaners, use black tea instead. Soak a cotton pad or a cloth in the drink, then wipe your mirror. It should get rid of stains and grime.

About Emily Leake

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