There’s been a surge in artsy bathroom redesigns — many ditching the builder-grade, Brilliant White look for color drenching, marble, and custom hardware. But with great design comes great responsibility — color drenching makes your fixtures, like a white bathtub or polished brass faucet, stand out. This is a good thing. But if they’re afflicted with grime, it can downgrade the look of your bathroom and feel unsanitary.
Aside from knowing how often you should clean your bathroom, knowing how to clean fixtures is just as important. "Working with bathroom hardware in my day-to-day, the one thing people tend to overlook is that fixtures aren’t just about looks," says Angelique Kreller, interior designer at Australian hardware and accessories supplier Yabby. "While they are beautiful, they are also complex and need specific care. The finishes, for example, are beautiful, but they are sensitive to harsh chemicals. And, they can actually wear down if you use the wrong cleaning products."
I asked cleaning and bathroom design experts what they do with their bathroom fixtures that we laymen don’t, how often they do it, and what products they love. These tips will keep you house-proud and healthy.
What You’ll Need
The bathroom needs to be a regular in your household cleaning schedule, but before you begin the process, you're going to need the right tools, and these are as follows:
• A microfibre cloth — Like this MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth from Amazon.
• White vinegar
• Dish soap — You can use this Dawn Original Scent Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap from Target.
• A shower squeegee — This All-Purpose Stainless Steel Shower Squeegee from Amazon should do the job.
• Non-abrasive scrubbers
• A gentle cleaner
• Drain cleaner — Such as this Liquid-Plumr Pro-Strength Clog Destroyer Gel from Amazon.
Like kitchens, bathroom fixtures can fall victim to stains, tarnishing, limescale, mold and mildew. But this can be avoided by using the right cleaning products and filtering the water: "One often ignored fact about bathroom fixtures is the effect of water quality," Jennifer Rogers, a designer at BKC Kitchen and Bath, says. "The minerals in hard water tend to build up, dulling the finish and shortening the life of faucets and showerheads. Setting up a water softener or a normal shower head filter can help maintain them. Using harsh cleaners containing bleach or ammonia can also strip protective coatings, resulting in discoloration or corrosion.”
If you’re after an everything and everyday cleaner, Alex Varela, cleaning expert at Ontario-based cleaning service Oakville Maids, has the perfect product: "I like using the Method products and they have a bathroom cleaner. They also have specialized products for your bathtub, your toilet, and your shower, but honestly, the bathroom cleaner is enough to tackle all these fixtures / areas. I like Method products because they are effective and the scent is just right — it’s nice but not overpowering."
How to Clean a Faucet
Jennifer has the perfect natural cleaning solutions for bathroom faucets: "Use a mix of white vinegar and water to dilute limescale and grime. Rub gently with a soft cloth and wash off with warm water. For a streak-free shine, finish with a dab of olive oil on a microfiber cloth." Olive oil is a natural way to "preserve the polish and finish" of bathroom hardware.
Alex likes to add dish soap to the white vinegar cleaning solution. She suggests spraying it onto the faucet and leaving it for a few minutes before wiping it clean.
Angelique advises wiping faucets with a soft cloth daily. For a more thorough clean, she suggests weekly "a deep clean with a gentle cleaner, paying special attention to the base where grime builds up."
Although less frequent, Jennifer stresses the importance of remembering to clean a faucet’s internal mechanisms: "Faucet aerators need regular cleaning, as they prevent sediment buildup leading to a reduced water flow." Aerators need to be cleaned at least every six months, and you can clean brass taps that are badly tarnished with a paste made from lemon juice and baking soda.
How to Clean a Bathroom Basin
Although mold cannot penetrate a basin's glazed surface, limescale and mineral deposits can cling to the surface and dull its shine. They can also leave unsightly stains, which is why you'll need to clean your bathroom sink.
"I would suggest environment-friendly, effective cleaning agents for bathroom fixtures and surfaces," Jennifer says. "Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser is great at removing tough blemishes on porcelain sinks and tubs without scratching."
To clean plug holes, Alex has a simple but effective strategy: "Just pour 1/2 gallon of hot water, wait 5 minutes, pour two cups of white vinegar, and pour ½ gallon of hot water again."
The drains also need maintenance. When hair and grease accumulate, they can cause bad smells and reduce water flow. If you’re using a specialized drain cleaner, Angelique recommends cleaning plug holes weekly and performing a deep clean monthly to prevent buildup.
How to Clean a Bathtub or Shower Tray
Angelique recommends rinsing the surface of your built-in bathtub or shower tray after each use to avoid a build-up of dirt and doing a weekly thorough clean with "a focus on the corners and non-slip surfaces." For the corners, which are most prone to bacteria and mold buildup, Alex suggests using white vinegar as a good way to keep them clean.
All three experts had similar methods for thoroughly cleaning the surface:
Step 1 - Apply Cleaning Paste: "You can mix baking soda and soapy water until you form a paste," Angelique says. Jennifer likes to sprinkle baking soda over the surface before applying the cleaning paste and finds this works well for stains. You can use hydrogen peroxide but "if necessary," Jennifer warns it "should only be used for difficult-to-remove stains."
Step 2 - Sit or Scrub: Where the experts differ is how they use the paste. Angelique says: "Let it sit for 1 - 2 hours, wipe and rinse with plenty of water." This method is great for a cleaning day as you can do other tasks while waiting.
Jennifer scrubs using the paste rather than letting it sit, which is more labor-intensive but effective if you cannot return to the task later. It is also good for tough stains and buildup.
Step 3 - Dry the Surfaces: Jennifer emphasizes the importance of drying the surface to avoid a buildup of mildew or limescale from the water going stale on the surface over time.
"I think something most people don’t know about bathroom fixtures is that the limescale it gathers comes from hard water," Alex says. "In certain areas, water has a higher content of minerals like calcium and magnesium, and when it dries, it leaves these deposits around the fixtures."
If it’s not too wet, you can leave it to air dry, but the consensus is that using a cloth to absorb the liquid is the best practice.
How to Clean a Shower Screen
The experts all take the same fool-proof approach to cleaning a shower screen: "Mixing white vinegar and soap is a good option, along with a non-abrasive scrubber, like a scrub daddy," Alex says. "Mix one cup of water, one cup of vinegar, and 3 – 5 drops of dish soap. Apply with a spray bottle, scrub, and rinse."
"I always recommend keeping a squeegee in your bathroom so you can actually push any soap scum and rinse after each use," Alex adds.
This can also be done with glass shower doors, but Jennifer advises swapping the scrubber for a microfibre cloth for pristine shine. Jennifer’s tip is to apply a car wax sealant every few months. Although unorthodox, it’s a great way to prevent and reduce future buildup.
How to Clean a Shower Head
Angelique advises soaking your shower head in white vinegar monthly to get rid of mineral deposits and deep cleaning on a quarterly basis.
Alex shared her hack for cleaning the shower head: "Fill a Ziploc bag with white vinegar and, wrap it around your shower head, tighten it with a thick rubber band. Let sit overnight, remove the bag and scrub with a toothbrush."
FAQs
Should Bathroom Fixtures Be Sanitized?
"Absolutely," Jennifer says. "Bathroom fixtures need sanitizing — they're hotspots for bacteria and mineral buildup. You don’t need to overdo it though, a gentle approach will keep the fixtures healthy and your family happy."
Angelique offers a general guide for cleaning bathroom fixtures:
Daily: Quick wipe down of frequently touched surfaces
Weekly: Deep clean of all fixtures
Monthly: Descaling and detailed attention to problem areas
Sanitizing your fixtures sits in the weekly category, with occasional biweekly cleans, should there be need in the event of mishaps like a spill or seasonal virus.
It can be hard to maintain a pristine bathroom when its sole purpose is to keep you clean. Without a realistic schedule, good products, and expert tricks up your sleeve it's even harder.
These tips should not only teach you the most efficient and effective ways to keep your bathroom looking and smelling fresh but they'll help you integrate this into your routine, elevating both your home and your lifestyle.
