Besides the toilet, the shower, and the bathtub, bathroom fixtures are important aspects of your bathroom that we take for granted every day. Our faucets, handles, doorknobs, light switches, and mirrors provide us with the essential utilities we need to give ourselves a little self-care in the bathroom.
Although most bathroom fixtures are very low maintenance, they require a bit of cleaning every now and then to look and perform their best. After all, no one wants to use a scummy mirror, or find rust-infused water dripping out of their faucets.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to clean bathroom fixtures the proper way, with tips on keeping them clean, and DIY recipes for safe and natural household cleaning solutions that will make your bathroom sparkle!
The Different Ways on How to Clean Bathroom Fixtures
Chrome Fixtures
Your faucets, handles, and doorknob may look shiny and new; but over time, dust can build up on the surface, leaving a dull sheen. Hard water stains from splashes can cover your fixtures with a white, chalky layer of mineral deposits that can make your fixtures gritty to the touch. Thankfully, there are DIY ways for you to clean and polish your fixtures:
Cleaning with Dish Soap
Dish soap neutralizes grease in the kitchen; but did you know it works wonders for bathroom cleaning as well? Scrubbing your fixtures with dish soap diluted in water will get rid of most common dirt and grime. Wipe the fixtures dry after cleaning to prevent more stains and mould from forming.
Cleaning with White Vinegar
The acidic properties of vinegar dissolves mineral deposits from hard water stains, and clears soap scum from smooth surfaces. Vinegar can also remove mild rust spots. To use white vinegar for cleaning, wet a clean microfiber cloth with vinegar. Use the soft cloth to wipe your chrome fixtures, adding vinegar to the soft cloth as needed.
Cleaning with Lemon and Salt
Lemon rivals the cleaning power of vinegar in acidity, while salt provides a gentle abrasion to remove stains without scratching the surface. To clean your chrome fixtures with lemon and salt, cut a lemon in half, dip it in some fine table salt, and use the combination as a natural scrubber to get rid of grime, hard water stains, and to clean out mould from your bathroom fixtures.
Helpful Tip: You can use lemon with baking soda instead of salt for an extra powerful stain removing cleaner! Baking soda also prevents the growth of bacteria and mould.
Polishing with Toothpaste
Little known fact is that regular toothpaste is a quick, inexpensive way to polish your chrome fixtures. Simply apply the toothpaste on your chrome fixtures, and wipe off with a dry cleaning cloth. The toothpaste gets rid of soap scum and hard water stains, and leaves a protective layer that shields the surface from rust.
Mirrors
No bathroom is complete without a mirror to help us keep looking our best. The mirror does not require much maintenance, but would benefit from a good polishing every now and then to remove fingerprints, oils, and other marks that occur during regular usage.
Polishing with Vinegar
Similarly to chrome fixtures, vinegar clears fingerprints away from mirrors, leaving a shiny, polished surface. To clean your mirrors with vinegar, place equal amounts of vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle and lightly spritz your mirrors with vinegar. Wipe the surface dry with a clean, soft cloth, and re-apply if needed. Repeat this cleaning process at least once a week to get the best results.
Polishing with Toothpaste
Not into the vinegar smell when cleaning your mirrors? Toothpaste can be used to bring the shine back to mirrored surfaces, as well as gently scrubbing out any soap scum or hard water stains that may have dried on the surface.
Place toothpaste on a dry microfiber cloth, and use the soft cloth to apply the toothpaste on the mirror in gentle, circular motions. Take a separate dry cleaning cloth to wipe off any excess toothpaste residue.
Prevent Foggy Mirrors with this Soap Trick
Foggy mirrors completely deflect from the purpose of having mirrors in your bathroom. Mirrors tend to fog up during hot baths, where the steam escapes and condenses on the mirror’s surface. To prevent this, use the soap hack, which applies an ultra thin layer of soap on the mirror’s surface to prevent fog from condensing on the mirror.
Use a dry piece of solid bath soap or hand soap. Fill a spray bottle with warm water, and give the mirror a spritz or two. Run the bar of soap across the surface of the mirror which was moistened with water. Use a dry cloth to spread the soap around in a thin, even layer on your mirror until the surface is dry to the touch.
Light Switch
Sanitizing with Alcohol
The bathroom light switch is a high-contact fixture that harbours plenty of bacteria and germs. This fixture must be sanitized daily for proper disinfection, as household members use the light switches throughout the day. Simply give the light switches a light spritz of rubbing alcohol, and leave it on until it dries.
Tips for Keeping Chrome Fixtures Clean
Chrome fixtures make great additions to your bathroom, accenting the overall appearance of your bathroom with their shine. However, chrome fixtures are also subject to constant exposure to moisture, oils, and stains; therefore maintaining a proper cleaning routine is essential to keeping stains, mould, and rust at bay.
Thankfully, bathroom fixtures are easy to clean and polish. Here are a few practices and tips on ensuring your bathroom fixtures continue to sparkle:
- Keep a towel on hand to dry your bathroom fixtures every after use.
- Use a wax or oil sealant to give your chrome fixtures water resistance.
- Use a soft cloth to apply cleaning products to avoid streaks.
- Disinfect high-contact surfaces, like doorknobs, handles, and light switches, multiple times throughout the day.
- Install a water conditioner and softener filter to prevent hard water stains.
For more cleaning tips and tricks, head on to our blog. If you want to learn how to deep clean your home the professional way, contact us at Luce Home for expert cleaning services at a convenient time, and affordable price!
