So how do I clean something that needs as much scrubbing as a bathroom?
Dusting
Use a Swiffer duster, microfiber cloth, or similar product on wood cabinets and light fixtures. This type of tool efficiently collects dust. Swiffer and other companies that make this type of duster also market scented sprays to use with the dusting tool. Do not purchase these.The scents and propellants used in the aerosol cans are full of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Besides, the duster by itself works great.
Mirrors, Sinks, and Surfaces
Make your own all-purpose cleaner. Put equal amounts of plain white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the homemade mixture over the surface you want to clean.Scrub and wipe off with paper towels, a clean sponge, or a clean cloth. No rinsing is required. Use a clean micro fiber cloth to wipe off mirrors to avoid streaking. This is great for mirrors, sinks, faucets, countertops, doorknobs, light switches, etc. Vinegar kills most household germs as effectively as commercial products full of toxic chemicals.
Shower and Tub
Use the homemade all-purpose cleaner on faucets and the outside surfaces of the shower and tub. To cut through soap scum on the inside of the shower, buy a dishwashing sponge with a handle that can be filled with liquid. Fill the handle reservoir with equal parts of dishwashing soap and plain white vinegar. Use a biodegradable soap like Castille or one of the organic dishwashing liquids made by companies like Method and Seventh Generation. Scrub the shower walls with the sponge and rinse.
Whirlpool Tub Jets
Jets need to be cleaned once a month to prevent the buildup of gunk. Have you ever settled into your whirlpool tub anticipating a relaxing bath only to be slimed by gunk shooting out from the jets when you hit the on switch? Use the following mixture once a month to clean the jets and you will never be slimed again.
Fill the tub with warm water until all of the jets are completely covered with water.
Add 2 cups of borax, 1 cup of baking soda, and 2 quarts of white vinegar to the water.
Turn on the jets and let them run for 30 minutes.
Turn off the jets and drain the tub.
Use paper towels to wipe up all of the gunk that has come out of the jets.
Fill the tub with enough cold water to cover the jets and run the jets for 30 minutes.
Drain the tub and wipe up any remaining residue.
Spray vinegar and water all-purpose cleaner inside the tub and wipe with paper towels or a microfiber cloth to leave the tub clean and sparkling.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Buy a 16 ounce or larger squirt bottle or thoroughly rinse an empty dishwashing liquid bottle. Use a funnel to put these ingredients in the bottle in this order: 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/3 cup of Castille biodegradable soap or an organic dishwashing liquid. Add warm water to fill the rest of a 16 ounce bottle and shake to mix ingredients. If using a larger size bottle, add 2 cups of water.
Squirt underneath the rim and on the inside surfaces of the toilet bowl. Scrub with your favorite toilet bowl brush and flush to rinse. Castille soap is made from olive oil. It can be purchased from Amazon.com or other online retailers. It can also be found at health food stores and camping and hiking stores. It is used by hikers because it is organic and biodegradable and will not harm the environment. I rarely use scented products because most of the time the scents are bound to the product with toxic VOCs. The scented forms of Castille add natural oils like peppermint and lavender to create a light scent. Castille soap may seem expensive at first: around $7.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. However, you can make four 16 ounce batches of toilet bowl cleaner from one 8 ounce bottle for a cost of under $2.00 per batch. It is difficult to find commercially made toilet bowl cleaner for this price. And the homemade version works great and is free of toxic chemicals.
Tile Floors
I like to use a steam cleaner that only requires water for routine cleaning of my tile floors. The brand I have is a vacuum/steamer combo so I can do both tasks at the same time.
When I feel my tile floors need a more heavy duty cleaning, this is what I use.
Mix the following ingredients in a one gallon plastic pitcher with a pouring spout:
2 teaspoons of Castille soap or organic liquid dish soap
½ cup of baking soda
1 gallon of warm water
½ cup of white vinegar
Put the liquid dish soap, baking soda and half the warm water into the pitcher and mix well with a large spoon. Then add the vinegar.The mixture will bubble up and foam when you add the vinegar. Wait for the foam to subside before adding the rest of the water.
Pour the mixture into a mop that has a reservoir for adding your own cleaning mixture. I like the Libman mop. It has a plastic container that is easy to fill and a washable microfiber pad that you attach to the bottom of the mop. There are several brands of this type of mop so you can chose whichever one you prefer.
Vacuum the floors to get up any loose dirt. Mop with the homemade floor cleaner. Use your favorite clean mop to rinse the floors with plain water.This system of cleaning my tile floors is nontoxic and it works better than any commercial cleaning product I have ever used.
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