| Unsightly soap scum is a terrible thing to look at I what used to be, a beautiful bathroom. The same goes for dingy grout around the tiles, lack luster tiles, residue built up on the sinks and the list goes on.
This is what is found in a lot of bathrooms due to lack of time to do a thorough cleaning job on a daily basis. It is no wonder that we feel like we are spinning our wheels and never seem to get out of the cleaning mode in life.
This is how my life went, day after day. It was hard to take care of four kids and all of their friends, work a full time job, take care of everything else such as doctor appointments, shopping etc and still have a spotless house. I would still be scrubbing the bathroom at midnight, just to have someone have turn it into a disaster area, before I got out of bed in the morning.
Then one day I was helping my daughter with her homework and she was studying life in the old west. It sure seemed strange that those women could accomplish so much and they didn't have all of the modern conveniences that I did. This really got me to thinking, what did they do that I was missing, after all, I had Mr. Clean, Bon Ami and Windex to help to get me through the tough spots.
I forgot that they had 20 mule team borax, vinegar and ammonia; not to mention good old baking soda! So, I decided to do a little research of my own, after all, Proctor and Gamble did it! So, I set out with my handy two buckets, my store bought cleaners and my good old fashioned cleaners (like grandma used to use), my scrub brushes and rags.
My experiment would involve doing half an area with modern cleaners and half with the old timers. Try it, if I write down everything that I learned that day, no one is going to believe me. As they say, 'seeing is believing'! I was totally amazed at how clean-clean, everything was, a matter of fact, it was squeaky clean, unlike the modern cleaners that, many times, left a residue.
Here are some of the mixtures that I used when cleaning my bathroom and that is the room that has the most germs, bacteria and scum in my house.
Clean Soap Scum on the Faucets
I just used full strength vinegar on a cloth and then, wiped it dry to a beautiful shine.
Unsightly Grout with Ground in Dirt
Pour a little full strength vinegar on the grout and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Just turn around and walk away and let the vinegar do the work. Then take some fresh warm water and a cloth and go back and wipe up the vinegar, rinsing in between. Your grout will be good as new and your floor will shine, now that's a winning combination!
Dirty Smelly Shower Curtain
Just throw the shower curtain in the washing machine as usual with about an 1/8th of a cup of baking soda and let your washer do the work. Take out and let air dry and it will be better than new because now it will be clean and soft too.
Dull Shower Tiles
Mix ½ cup of vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda and add ¼ cup of salt and mix well. Now just wash your tiles as usual and they will shine and sparkle. If there is any residue left over, Just rinse with clear water and wipe dry.
Built up Soap Scum may be a little harder to get off, but if you make a strong solution of ½ cup vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda, 1 cup ammonia and mix it in a gallon of HOT water, it will cut through the scum easily. Just wipe on, let it sit a few minutes so the chemicals can work and wipe off. Simple as that!
Don't forget to wash off the mineral deposits on the showerheads, it is so easy with ½ cup of vinegar and hot water placed in a plastic baggy. Just mix the chemicals together, place them in the baggy and use a rubber band to attach the baggy around the showerhead, so that the showerhead (the holes) are submersed in the vinegar and water. Then, let sit for about 15 minutes or until the water, cools off and you are finished. No having to take the showerhead apart, no scrubbing, it is easy as can be and it only takes 15 minutes.
Jan has many more hints on green cleaning and organizing your home at Organizing Your Life THE EASY WAY, get her new book '101 Hints for Around the Home' to help get started.
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