Every parent of small children knows how hard it can be to find time to even have a bath or a shower, never mind finding the time to clean the bathroom afterwards. And then there’s the problem of harsh chemicals around your little ones’ sensitive skin. Luckily, we’ve sought out the advice of four people in the know. Read the sagely advice of our four mummy and daddy bloggers and keeping on top of the bathroom cleaning will be child’s play.
KIP – KIP HAKES
“Nothing beats walking into a bathroom with shiny taps and sparkling surfaces. Instead of using cleaning products that contain a multitude of chemicals, keep your bathroom clean and shiny with some readily available (and cheap) food products and a little bit of chemistry.”
Lime scale Deposits on Taps
If you’re in the south, you’ve probably got extremely hard water, which causes nasty lime scale deposits. Get a sandwich bag, and place half a sheet of kitchen towel in one corner. Put some white vinegar into the bag and place the bag over the end of the tap, so the soaked kitchen towel and vinegar is pressed against the lime scale. Hold the bag in place with an elastic band or tape and leave for at least three hours – overnight is ideal. Use a toothbrush to scrub away harder deposits.
Slow Running Plug Holes
Rather than using caustic products to clear your U bend, try baking soda and white vinegar. Flush some boiling water down the plug hole. Then pour around half a cup of baking soda down the plug hole, followed by a cup of vinegar and a cup of hot water. Put the plug in, let it do its thing for up to 10 minutes, then flush again with boiling water.
Baths and Showers Trays
Clear all the surfaces and give them a good rinse with the shower. While it’s still damp, liberally sprinkle baking soda over dirty patches. Then using one of the ‘non-scratch’ sponge pads you might use for pots and pans, dip it in vinegar, and give the baking soda a scrub. The two will activate and shift the scum and mildew. Rinse it all off with some hot water.
LAURA – FIVE LITTLE DOVES
“With four children and limited hours in the day, I need all the help I can get when it comes to cleaning – especially when it comes to the dreaded bathrooms.”
Shower spray - Keep a daily shower cleaner in the shower and give it a quick spray before we get out. It makes it so much easier to clean, when I do it properly.
Baby oil - Use a little baby oil on a cloth to buff up taps and chrome fittings, for a shiny finish.
Lemon fresh - Occasionally I’ll slice up some lemon and put it in the plug for the bath and sink and run some hot water whilst I’m cleaning elsewhere. Smells so much better than the chemically clean smell.
Little and often -I never purposely go into the bathroom to clean it but will do the sink or clean the floor whilst my daughter has a bath. I don’t have time to do it all at once.
MARIA – SUBURBAN MUM
“To generally keep on top the cleaning, clean as you go. Every time I wash my hands in the sink I give the sink a rinse and the taps a clean. I’ve also taught the boys to do this too so no grubby dirt marks are left.”
Wipes, wipe, wipes!
They are my must-have item that I keep stashed in the bathroom cupboard. I use them to wipe down surfaces and the toilet on a regular basis which keeps them from getting too dirty.
Use washing powder for the bath
Yep, you read it right. To help whiten a grubby bathtub I pop in a cupful of washing powder and leave it to soak before giving the bath a good scrub.
Lemon Juice
Every month or so I pop our showerhead into a zip lock back with enough lemon juice to cover the showerhead and leave to soak for as long as possible. This helps get rid of the lime scale build up.
Clean the shower screen with Dryer Sheets
These are brilliant for removing dirty build-up on the screens and can also be used to make taps shine, too.
PAMELA – LIFE WITH MUNCHERS
“It’s quite the task to keep your bathroom clean when you have a little army of children turning it upside down on a daily basis. However, my top tips make it a less daunting task and also make for more rewarding results.”
Hard to reach places
An old toothbrush is perfect for getting those hard to reach places, especially the corners of the shower cubicle, which can turn into a mildew haven. Spray with your cleaning product of choice and simply scrub away.
Good cleaning habits
Get into the habit of removing excess water from tiles and shower screens with a window squeegee. The kids love this. You can even spray lightly with a cleaning solution after every shower and quickly rinse. If you have a shower curtain, then make sure you straighten this out and allow to dry. Another good habit is to open a window, or use the fan during and for a good while after each bath/shower to minimise the build-up of moisture in the room.
Don’t forget the bath toys
It’s easy to forget the famous bath toys when you are cleaning. Drop them into a tub of vinegar water (one part vinegar to 10 parts warm water) regularly to keep them free from mould and mildew. Don’t forget to squeeze out the inside of them too.
For those with too little time to spend it cleaning limescale from their showerhead, the Mira Everclear Showerhead can do the work for you. If you’ve found our suggestions useful and want some more, read Mira's tips on how to deep clean your bathroom. Or if you have some of your own tips to share, let us know on Facebook or Twitter.