An Ordinary Life: Bathroom cleaning

Bathroom cleaning is a bit like exercise. Not just that it's often hard work and you end up all sweaty and revolting. It's one of those "I don't wanna, but know I feel better afterwards" tasks of life. Our bathroom used to be a bear to clean. The floor was 1970s, dark brown, inchie tiles. No idea what colour the grout was originally. The shower had cracked safety glass that probably didn't look particularly clean the day it was installed. The cubicle was tiled with silicon applied over the top of mouldy grout. Mould will grow through silicon! The basin was cracked and the vanity was chipboard that left chips all over the floor if you so much as breathed near it. It also had a bathtub, the primary purpose of which was to collect dirt, fur and hair.

Pre-renovation

A couple of years ago we renovated. Oh, bliss. Our new bathroom has an 'all in one' shower cubicle. The walls are lami-panel, the base is moulded, the doors slide so it can be left open to dry out. The basin is a single moulded unit. The splashback is a very large mirror. And the floor, ah, beautiful floor. The floor is red cedar boards.

Post-renovation

This post isn't actually about my lovely, still-new, renovated bathroom. It's about cleaning it.

Somewhere along the way, some years ago I picked up a very simple cleaning tip. It helped in the old shower, makes cleaning the new shower a breeze.

In a spray bottle mix 1 part dish washing detergent (daggy old shampoo you decided you hate would work as well) and 3 parts cheap white vinegar (you could use expensive, but it'd be a waste). I label my spray bottle and somewhere on the bottle there's a 1/4 mark. Spray the shower, leave for an hour or so, scrub with a non scratch cloth, rinse. The vinegar works to break down soap scum and mould; the soap simply holds it in place and works on the ordinary dirt.

Bathroom spray

Do be careful of the fumes when spraying. Yes, vinegar is 'natural', doesn't mean it's harmless. After all, scorpions and red-bellied black snakes are also natural.

One of the issues I've had with the spray (other than the knock-you-out fumes) is that the shower based becomes incredibly slippery while you're scrubbing. I have found a cheap and easy solution - a piece of non-slip matting for under floor rugs. It's non-slip so you don't slide all over the shower while scrubbing, but it's a loose weave, so water flows through it readily.

Anti-slip rug mat

And a few more gratuitous photos of our bathroom. After nearly two years I still love it and think it was one of the best things we've ever done to our house.