Bathroom Cleaning Tips: Solutions to Stubborn Stains, Mineral Deposits, and Soap Scum

Bathroom cleaners don't always work as well as they claim and many contain harmful ingredients that can damage your skin and lungs. Try these quick and easy solutions using common household products to keep your bathroom clean and germ free.

Bathtub

Rust: To remove rust stains from a bathtub, simply mix cream of tarter and peroxide to form a paste. Mix 3 drops of ammonia with into the paste. Cover the stain and let it rest for 2 hours. Rinse and scrub lightly to remove the stain.

Yellow tub: Has your tub gradually taken on a yellow hue? This can be remedied with salt and turpentine. Simply mix a few drops of turpentine with salt and scrub the tub with a sponge. The salt provides "grit" and the turpentine works to dissolve the stain. This one can be a bit caustic, but can be used safely in a well-ventilated area and doesn't need to be done on a regular basis. Once you have removed the unsightly yellow from your tub, maintain it with regular cleaning with a solution of white vinegar and water.

Showerhead: If you have hard water, you have probably noticed mineral deposits building up and even clogging your showerhead. To solve this, remove the showerhead and boil in a small pan in a mixture of ¾ cup of white vinegar and 4 cups of water. The vinegar will dissolve the minerals leaving your showerhead clean and deposit free.

Faucets

Maintenance: To keep your faucets clean and shining spray with rubbing alcohol and wipe clean with a paper towel. Use an old spray bottle, or purchase a new one, for alcohol. A quick spray every day will keep your faucets shining and germ free.

Mineral Deposits: To remove stubborn mineral deposits, saturate a paper towel with white vinegar and drape around the faucet, covering the deposits. Let this sit for ½ hour to give it plenty of time to dissolve the mineral deposits. If the deposits still do not budge, repeat the process being sure to keep the paper towel wet with vinegar. Scrub lightly and rinse.

Mirrors: For a sparkling mirror, spray with rubbing alcohol and wipe clean with paper towels.