Bathroom drawers- Keep these tidy by using plastic containers or trays to hold small items upright.

 

Clogged drain- If the drain in your sink is clogged, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda over drain. Then pour a cup of vinegar over it.  Leave for a minute until it foams, then pour hot or boiling water down drain.  Repeat if necessary. Or...Use soda crystals.  Or... Drop three indigestion tablets down  a sink drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar.  Wait a few minutes, then run hot water though.

 

Mildew- Brush on household bleach, then wipe away (test a small area first)  Or...Wipe with lemon juice.

 

Toilet leak test- Add food colouring (only a few drops) to the toilet tank.  Do not flush for 30 minutes.  If the water in the toilet bowl changes colour, your tank is leaking.

 

Water heating cost- Having a shower rather than a bath uses far less water and cuts cost considerably.  Also...Save money by not leaving taps/ faucets dripping.  Also...Insulate your tank with a jacket.

 

Acrylic baths- Never use harsh abrasives.  Rub with washing-up liquid or liquid soap.  Rub stubborn stains with fine sandpaper until smooth, then use silver metal polish and rinse well.

 

Baking soda-  This is non abrasive and cleans many household items- a good all-round cleaner.

 

Bathroom mirrors-  Rub with a cloth dipped in glycerine (or glycerine and methylated spirits/ denatured alcohol) to reduce fogging.  Or... Wipe down mirrors with a damp cloth and washing up liquid and let dry naturally.  The mirror will stay clear for about 6 weeks.

 

Ceramic bathroom tile walls- Use furniture polish to clean ceramic tile walls (not floors).  It stops a soap film building up. Smooth, rub with silver metal polish and rinse.

 

Chrome- Brighten chrome by rubbing with plain flour.  Or...Use ammonia on a cloth. (test small area first) Wash off and polish with a clean cloth.

 

Cleaning a bathroom-  Run shower at hottest setting and close door until everywhere is steamy.  Then wipe with a cloth.

 

Cleaning a toilet or any vitreous china-

 

Cleaning clear glass shower doors-  Spray with carpet/fabric spot remover.(test small area first)  Sponge over and rinse. Or... Wipe with lemon oil to remove any build-up and keep doors protected a little longer.  Or... Clean with white vinegar on a sponge.

 

Cleaning disposal units-  Freshen a garbage disposal unit by sprinkling with baking soda and a few drops of dishwashing fluid.  With a new toilet brush, scrub under the rubber gasket and around the inside.  Then turn on water and the disposal and flush thoroughly.

 

Disposal smell- Add some ice not a lot, run cool water and turn on disposal let it run til ice is gone then turn off water.  Or... Throw in some chopped lemons or limes and run them through.  Use plenty of water.

 

Cleaning grout in tiled surfaces- A quick method of doing this is to use a mixture of lemon juice and hot water.  Approximately 50% mixture.  Simply scrub the mixture into the grouthing using a toothbrush and rub off using a clean cloth.

 

Dishwasher-  Run vinegar through the dishwasher once a month to deter hard deposits.

 

Freshening up white grout- Cover grout with white liquid shoe polish. Wipe away any spills on surrounding tiles.

 

Kitchen sponges-  If regular cellulose kitchen sponges get smelly, give them guick spray of Fabreeze (or any fabric odour remover).  Or... Put through the dishwasher cycle.

 

Bathroom sponges-  Rinse loofahs and natural sponges under cold tap and then soak for an hour in two tablespoons of vinegar to one litre of water.

 

Toilet bowl rings- Flush so bowl sides wet, then apply a paste of borax and lemon juice.  Leave for two hours before scrubbing.

 

Making a cheap cleaning agent-  Mix 1 part bleach to 10 parts water in a spray bottle.  Make sure to label bottle clearly.

 

Metal shower head-  If clogged, remove and boil in half a cup of vinegar and two litres of water for 15 minutes.

 

Plastic shower head-  Soak in equal amounts of hot vinegar and water.  Do not boil.

 

Plastic showers-  Clean moulded fibre cabinets with a mixture of equal parts of brown vinegar and kerosene.

 

Removing mildew off a shower curtain/drape-  Rub with baking soda or a mild bleach solution, then rinse in clean water.

 

Stains on porcelain enamel bath-  Make a paste of cream of tartar, diluted hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.  Leave mixture on bath for two hours before washing away.