Do you ever feel like your bathroom needs a good, deep cleaning?  I decided to be a little more thorough than normal the other night and started attempting to attack the soap scum in my shower, only to get frustrated when it stayed put.  I did a little research and found that the secret to a clean bathroom is often home-made cleaning solutions!  Here are some of the tips I found........

 
Showers and Tubs

via The Design Files

Avoid getting soap scum build up in your shower by getting into the habit of squeegeeing or wiping down the shower after each use.  You might also try applying a car wax to the doors and the shower walls a couple times a year (avoid the floors, as it makes them too slippery).  Since glass and fiberglass are so porous, car wax works to seal up the pores, which simplifies the cleaning process and keeps water spots away.  Who would have ever thought?

If you are reading this thinking, great, my tub/shower is past the point of prevention, and in need of a serious intervention, don't worry.  There is still hope, even if every cleaning product in your house has failed you.  Try these homemade solutions:

1. Vinegar Method

Warm up two cups of vinegar in your microwave, and spray it onto the soap scum on your shower door and walls.  Let it stand for a couple of minutes so that the vinegar can begin breaking down the soap scum.  Wipe with a clean rag or dryer sheet (good for wiping off deposits in showers) and repeat the process until clean.

2. Ammonia Method

Make an ammonia solution, mixing one part liquid ammonia (for household use) and two parts water.  (Make sure you wear gloves because ammonia can really irritate your skin). Spray a generous amount onto the problem areas in your shower.  The ammonia will begin to dissolve the fat that makes up the bulk of the soap scum.  Once it starts breaking apart, wipe the area with a clean rag, and rinse thoroughly with water.

3. Machine Wash your plastic shower curtains

Stop scrubbing away at your bacteria laden shower curtain!  Instead, throw it into the washing machine with a couple of towels.  Add a cup of vinegar and allow it to agitate for about five minutes. Turn off the washing machine and leave the curtain to soak in the water for an hour before turning it back on to finish the cycle.  Then, hang your new, clean shower curtain to dry!

via Homedit

Toilets

Alkaline Deposits commonly form hard-water rings on the inside of toilets.  In order to remove a hard-water ring and to keep others from forming, pour 1-2 cups of white vinegar into the toilet once every month or two.  Let it sit for about an hour, and then flush.

Chlorine bleach is also an effective alternative to commercial toilet-bowl cleaners. Add 1/4 cup to the toilet bowl, let it stand a few minutes, then brush with a toilet brush.  Talk about a cheap and easy cleaner!

via Home Bunch

Sinks

If you've ever had to fish around in the pipes because your sink is clogged, only to find a wad of hair the size of a golf ball, you understand the importance of preventative pipe cleaning.  Your pipes deserve a good thorough cleaning every month or two to keep the grease, oil, and hair clogs under control. Once a month, pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar down the drain.  The combination will fizzle away most of the buildup, and dissolve fatty acids.  Let it sit for an hour, then pour boiling water down the drain to wash out any clogs.

Soap Scum on your faucet?  Place a vinegar soaked paper towel over the affected faucet, and let it sit for a while as the vinegar eats away the alkaline deposits.  Scrub with a toothbrush.

via Decorpad

Mirrors

Vinegar is once again the key. Combine 1 cup of vinegar with 1 quart of warm water.  First, wipe down the mirror with a clean rag to get rid of heavy dirt and marks.  Next, dip a piece of newspaper or a small towel into the vinegar solution and rub small circles onto the mirror.  Wipe down the water marks with a dry towel.