The days are getting longer—sun rays fall into your apartment, filling you with the familiarity and warmth of an old friend. Sweet Alyssum and honeysuckle perfume the air. It’s spring, and all you can think about is tidying your apartment. You obsess with cleaning, trying to keep up with mother nature, who has now adorned bare trees and flower beds with color and life. Thankfully, there are many hacks, tips, and tricks for keeping your space clean and vibrant. To help you on your way, we’ve compiled seven cleaning hacks for your apartment bathroom.
Keep your showerheads clean
Photo credit: Geoffrey Fairchild
Showers are where we get clean, so it makes sense to keep them tidy as well. One area of the bathroom that people miss when cleaning is the showerhead. Over time, showerhead can host bacteria and other nasty build-ups. Thankfully, cleaning a showerhead is super simple, and you don’t have to purchase any specialty cleaner.
The journey to a cleaner showerhead starts in the kitchen. Grab some white vinegar and dilute it a bit in a plastic baggy. Further, make sure you don’t fill the bag, as you need enough space for the showerhead. Next, wrap the bag around the showerhead and secure it with a twist tie, twine, or rubber bands. How long should you soak it in the vinegar? Well, that depends on the kind of showerhead you have. If it’s gold, brass, or nickel-coated, remove it after 30 minutes. Otherwise, keep the bag on overnight if possible. When done, wipe off the showerhead and let it run some hot water for about a minute to flush it out.
Those hard to reach spaces
How annoying is that area between the back of your faucet and the wall? It’s always dirty yet too narrow for your fingers to reach with a rag. If this is true for your bathroom, then it’s time to try something else. Use a thin and long item such as a pencil or a chopstick. Next, wrap the head of the thing with a paper towel and a little cleaner. Use the pencil-paper towel contraption to scrub in those hard-to-reach spaces. Moreover, if you opt for a pencil or pen, make sure you are cleaning with the eraser end. We don’t want pencil marks on the wall!
Read our 12 tips to declutter your apartment.
Squeegee after every shower
We aren’t asking you to break out the sponge and cleaning products after every shower; that would be a bit much. No, we are suggesting you wipe down excess water on the walls and shower door/curtains. Doing so will extend the length of time you can go between deep cleans. We highly recommend a shower squeegee for this task. For example, IKEA sells a shower squeegee for only two dollars (read our list of the best IKEA items for your apartment bathroom). All you have to do is squeegee any excess water down to avoid watermarks and soap scum. You’ll be surprised at how clean your shower looks each time you use it.
Not a fan of using a squeegee? You can always wipe down your shower with a towel.
Vinegar is a winner
As mentioned earlier with the showerhead, vinegar is an economical, safe, and effective cleaner. Does it smell great? Well, that’s subjective, as many find the harsh smell of traditional cleaners off-putting. Whether you purchase a vinegar-based cleaner or make your own, the options are endless. For instance, you can clean bathroom mirrors, sinks, and bathtubs with your vinegar cleaner. For a more intense scrub down, spatter some baking soda on your vinegar-soaked sponge. Goodbye, soap scum!
A sour solution for stains
You know those annoying soap scum stains on chrome fixtures that seem never to disappear no matter how many times you scrub them. Witness the magic of citrus. Yet again, we head to the kitchen for a solution to our cleaning issues. Grab a lemon, cut it in half and take it to the bathroom. Now, rub the lemon over the stains. It’s that simple! Though, you probably shouldn’t make an Arnold Palmer with the lemon once you finish the job.
Dryer sheets in the bathroom?
Since we’ve exhausted the kitchen for alternative bathroom cleaning supplies, let’s head to the laundry room. We’ve talked about removing soap scum, but what about those pesky watermarks? Surprisingly, you can use dryer sheets as a solution. You’ll watch in amazement at how well they remove watermarks on shower doors and mirrors. Also, if you need to give your apartment bathroom a dusting, the anti-static nature of dryer wipes can help with that too.
Don’t forget the floors
When cleaning a bathroom, it’s not unusual to get so caught up in scrubbing that you forget to clean the floors. Moreover, unless you have white tile or another surface that highlights dust and dirt, you might not even notice they are dirty. Thankfully, cleaning the floors is simple and will leave your apartment bathroom looking immaculate.
First, remove your bathroom mats and toss them in the washing machine. Even if they don’t look messy, bathroom mats get trampled, splashed, soaked, and dirty faster than most items in your apartment. Be sure to wash your bathroom mats once every week!
While the mats are in the washer, give your floors a quick dusting, then wash them down with water and an appropriate cleaner. We’ll stress that last point: double-check which cleaning solution is best for the type of flooring you have. For example, a vinegar-based cleaner isn’t the right choice for stone.
For best results, towel-dry your floors before putting your clean mats back in place.
“Nothing inspires cleanliness more than an unexpected guest.” – Radhika Mundra
Hopefully, these spring cleaning hacks for your bathroom apartment become part of your weekly routine. It’s amazing what a little vinegar, water, and elbow grease can do!
Check out more apartment living tips on the McKinley blog.
