Over on Solutions.com we found an unexpected treasure trove of cleaning tips for the bathroom. A few of them are ones we haven't heard before, including simple ways to keep your shower curtain from sticking, your mirror from fogging up, and your shower free of soap scum...
If your shower curtain sticks on the rod, wipe the rod with a coat of furniture polish to create an easy glide. You could also try a set of rolling shower curtain rings.
Use baby oil to break up tough soap scum on glass. Fabric softener sheets are another secret weapon when you're scrubbing a cloudy shower door.
Leave a couple of fabric softener sheets inside the bathroom wastebasket to keep it smelling fresh.
If your bathroom mirror fogs up a lot, cover it with a thin coat of shaving cream, then clean as usual. It should keep the glass from developing water spots for a couple of weeks.
To fill the bathroom with your favorite scent, dab a little bit of perfume on a cold light bulb. As the bulb heats up, the fragrance will diffuse into the room.
For the full list of bed and bath solutions,
click here.
Photo: Bathroom from Bungalow Tile
* Hire a maid
view bromelia's profile
I keep a little spray bottle of water and vinegar in the shower to spray after I'm finished. It keeps soap scum from building up too fast, and it's a lot cheaper and less toxic than those commercial anti-scum sprays.
view Damfino's profile
I think that's my old bathroom.
view ModHomeEcTeacher's profile
Rain-X helps water sheet off your windshield when it rains without using wipers - I wonder if it would help keep our shower doors clean too?
http://www.rainx.com/Products/Windshield_Treatment/Original.aspx
view bepsf's profile
Has anyone tried the perfume on the lightbulb? It's a cool idea but I'm afraid it would smell like it was burning.
view bigwavejen's profile
bigwavejen, I used to try it with Opium perfume, and it never smelled quite right. Not burning, just off and somewhat overpowering. Might work better with a lighter scent. At any rate, it dissipates after a while, so no harm in giving it a go.
view rosenatti's profile
i've used lavender oil on a light bulb...just a drop...but works fantastically! maybe it's better with a natural scent than perfume.
view downtownLAloft's profile
Oils work really well. The alcohol in perfumes burns off quickly which is why the smell was not right.
view jackson10's profile
The shaving cream thing doesn't work. Tried it over the years a few times.
And yes, the perfume on the lightbulb is something I used back in jr. high, but just a little tiny drop, not a real "spritz."
view That70sHeidi's profile
the dab of perfume on a lightbulb caused a lil smoke in my case! perhaps natural scent source is the better option?
view yesitisislandlove's profile
I highly recommend that you don't put anything on your light bulbs... especially oil of any kind. Oil heats to a higher temperature than the light bulb, which can cause the bulb to break. Dangerous and not fun to clean up.
view sparkle's profile
bepsf - yep, rain-x works like a charm on bathroom mirrors.
view creative*type's profile
no squeegee mention? my squeegee and i laugh in the face of laundry pre-wash. unless we've just moved into a place with non-squeegeeing former tenants, i guess!
view akostalas's profile
The rolling curtain rings work well. Also, I recommend the washable shower curtain liners. We bought one for less than $20 a few years ago at Target and it washes beautifully.
view heather77's profile
I love that bathroom - ModHomeEcTeacher, I can't believe you let that bathroom go!
view idontdobeige's profile
Realistically, fabric softener sheets are not going to leave a "fresh" scent in your trash can, they're going to leave a perfume-y fabric softener scent... unless you use fabric softener sheets with a fresh scent. The scent doesn't magically change from "fabric softener scent" to "baking-soda fresh!" just because you put a stack of them in your trash can.
Unfortunately, my favorite "fresh scent" dryer sheets are Method's lavender/juniper, and Target doesn't seem to be carrying them anymore.
They'd be pleasant in a trash can, if you can find them.
view Miranda's profile
a fellow Analrentive friend and I argued about shower curtain rings one day.
She went all over the city looking for something to match the curtain... I said just get roller ball rings.
She insists that they get caught up on themselves.
I persist that I've used them exclusively for nearly 10 years and I've never ONCE had them get caught up on themselves. They are the best shower curtain rings ever!!!
Other people stared at us with their jaws on their laps!!!
view clickchick's profile
I had roller ball rings and they flipped upside down all the time. They were such a pain that I just went to WalMart and bought large round shower curtain rings. They're a perfect circle, so no matter where they go, they're not going to get caught on anything or flip upside down or get knocked off the rod like all the others did.
As for the shower curtain liner, we just throw the plastic one in the wash every few months or so with a couple of towels and it comes out looking just fine. We haven't had to buy one for quite some time.
We also use the vinegar and water in the shower and it's great. I actually use vinegar and water for a lot of my cleaning. It works as well or better than some of the commercial cleaners and costs a lot less.
view katcorr2003's profile
A friend of mine Rain-X's her toilet - dips all the water out, puts it on, and according to her, "nothing sticks" for months.
view Pipsqueak's profile
RainXing your toilet bowl, now I've heard it all!
view scoutandboo's profile