Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Mid-week cleaning update

Today I've been cleaning my showers and tub . . . which is my least favorite bathroom cleaning job ever! It always feels and looks SO good when it's done, but it's one of those jobs I put off for way too long, and then have to put a lot of elbow grease into, in order to get all the soap scum off. I'm sure the rest of you are super housekeepers and always keep your showers sparkling, but I have to admit that's not the case with me! :) Anyway, mine are sparkling now, and I just have to finish washing the curtains, drying them out on the line, and getting everything put back. Well, not everything . . . I had some empty shampoo & conditioner bottles that need to be thrown out. I'm sure I'm the only one who forgets to do that, too, right?! :) I have tried various shower cleaners over the years, and as I am trying to move toward more natural cleaners, today I went searching online for some ideas. I ended up using Dawn dishwashing liquid and also vinegar/water (which I use for windows and mirrors, also). It still took quite a bit of scrubbing, but this combo seemed to work well. (I scrubbed with Dawn first, then sprayed with vinegar and scrubbed more . . . then went over the whole thing with Dawn again.) I also used one of those blue Scotchbrite scrubbies that have the soap in them to tackle the worst of the scum, and I used Barkeeper's Friend to shine up the fixtures. Yay for a clean shower!

So, what's your least favorite bathroom chore? And what do you all use to keep your showers clean? Do you clean them daily? Weekly? Monthly? I'd love some inspiration! :)

3 comments:

Mary Ann said...

Since you asked...it's kind of gross, but my least favorite bathroom cleaning chore is mopping the floor. I like to do it by hand b/c it's a small space & I want to get in the corners, etc. It's yucky though b/c no matter how I sweep the floor to prepare for mopping, there still seems to always be a lot of my hair on the floor. *shudder*
I usually scrub our shower down on a weekly basis. It seems to be enough to keep anything bad from building up.
You're doing a great job with your spring cleaning! Keep it up!

mindee said...

One thing I've found that works great in the tub/shower is the Magic Eraser. Works well on soap scum with not a lot of elbow grease. I try to do it weekly. We do have soft water, so I think that helps it not to be so big of a chore. My least favorite to clean is the toilet. Yuck.

Mrs.T said...

Least favorite bathroom chore: washing the floors. I do it by hand too like Mary Ann. I just do a better job that way. But the floors are old and just never look as clean as I want them too.

The shower: we have hard water. I use Tilex Fresh Shower daily, then scrub with Greased Lightning and a Scotch-brite type pad once a month. That keeps the scum at bay pretty much. I've tried the magic eraser (even the store brand) and Mindee's right. It does work well on soap scum. While I'm scrubbing the shower/tub, I am washing the shower curtain and tub mat (in the washing machine) at the same time and just put them back in place when I'm done.

Toilets are no problem when I remember to do them every day a la FlyLady. I highly recommend this! It takes all the work out of cleaning the toilets. It's never a big deal when you swish them daily (or even a few times per week) and wipe down the outside with a disinfecting wipe at the same time.

Yes, keep up the good work. I've done precious little work in my bathrooms this week so far...