How to Get Your Bathroom Cleaner Than It's Ever Been

Many have often stated that the bathroom is a breeding ground for germs. It's the one room in the house that is prone to the most moisture and with moisture comes mould and with mould, comes an endless array of problems, says Mike Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie's International Real Estate. ''The bathroom is one of the most valuable assets in a home, especially when wanting to sell your property so it's imperative that it is always being looked after'', furthers Greeff.

Ridding showers, bathtubs, toilets, and other surfaces of build-up and grim takes both time and elbow grease, but with these few easy steps, you can clobber germs like never before.  By implementing these tips and tricks, your bathroom worries will soon be something of the past. These don't need to be done all at once, you can opt to break them down into smaller sessions to make it more manageable.

From DIY home remedies to nifty cleaning techniques, this is your guide to getting your bathroom sparkling.

1. Banish grime and soap scum

''Miracle'' products promise to get the job done, but they never really do. Instead of spending unnecessary money, you can get rid of grime and soap scum by using an easy DIY concoction.

• Stir three tablespoons of baking soda and 1/2 cup household ammonia into two cups of warm water. Once you've wiped the solution on the surfaces and rinsed it off with a sponge or cloth, the bathroom surfaces will gleam.

2. Toilet cleaning made easy

Nobody enjoys cleaning a toilet, but unfortunately it can't be avoided. However, it does not have to be an entirely unpleasant task and here's how.

• Antacid Tablets: Drop two antacid tablets, for example Eno Tums, or one denture tablet containing baking soda into the toilet bowl and let them dissolve for +-20 minutes. Once dissolved, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. Tip: a vitamin C tablet will do the trick as well.
• Mouthwash: Grab a bottle of mouthwash from the medicine cabinet and pour a ¼ cup into the toilet bowl. After a half an hour, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and flush.
• Coca-Cola: Empty a can of Coke into the toilet bowl and let sit for 30-60 minutes before scrubbing and flushing.

The toilet bowl itself can lose colour from time to time and this can make it appear dirty. To remove stains, especially those that appear at water level inside the toilet bowl, try this mixture below.

• Make a paste of two to three parts borax or baking powder and one part lemon juice (stir the juice in gradually until you have the correct consistency) and apply it to the stained toilet bowl, rim included. Let it sit for 1 to 2 hours and then scrub it off with a toilet brush.

3. Get mildew-free shower curtains

Mildew thrives in bathrooms because of the moist environment and more so, on your shower curtains. You can prevent mildew for a certain time by soaking the curtains in salt water before you hang them up, but this is only a temporary solution. Once the curtains are up, and mildew appears, here's what you can do to combat it:

• Add ½ a cup of Borax or baking powder and ½ a cup of vinegar to two cups of water and pour it onto the affected areas of the curtain and let sit for 8-10 minutes, then scrub the curtain with a sponge or cloth.
• Mix two tablespoons of washing-up liquid with one litre of household bleach and spray the solution on the curtain.
• Make a paste of vinegar and salt and spread it onto the mildewed area. Let it dry for 1-2 hours, then clean it off with a damp cloth.

4. Clean the ceiling

The bathroom ceiling is one of the most overlooked spots in the bathroom because we get fixated on cleaning everything else. If you glanced up, you might not like what you see - from mildew, to dust marks, to built-up grime.

To clean the ceiling effectively, you need to fill up a bucket with equal parts of water and white vinegar. Because of gravity, you can expect excess moisture to fall on you, so it is suggested that you put on googles or a similar kind of protective eyewear when tackling this task. Once you're geared up, dip a long-handled mop - preferably a sponge mop - into the solution, squeeze it really well and reach up to clean one section of the ceiling at a time.

5. Get spotless bathroom tiles

The grouting between your bathroom tiles is a magnet for dirt and it's easy to miss because of those hard-to-reach crevices. To get rid of all the built-up dirt, give the following a try.

• Make a paste of one part borax, two parts baking powder and one to two parts water and scrub it onto the grout with a toothbrush.
• Rub away grime with a new pencil eraser. This might sound odd, but the shape of an eraser is perfectly suited to reach those narrow spaces.
• Scrub the tiles with a mouthwash containing a tooth-whitening agent.
• Soak a cotton wool ball in household bleach and set it on a spot of badly stained grout for a few hours; for grout on walls, attach the cotton ball with Sellotape or masking tape.

6. Make glass shower doors sparkle

Many people opt for shower doors when designing their bathroom. Shower doors are convenient and provide that extra bit of privacy, not to mention it keeps the water from spraying everywhere. However, shower doors can very quickly cloud up with soap scum and lose its bright and sparkly aesthetic. To regain its glistening appearance, try the following:

Shaving cream: Squirt some of the foam onto a dry cloth and wipe down the shower door. The foam will leave a film that keeps the door from fogging up and makes it harder for scum to stick.

White vinegar: Keep a spray bottle filled with vinegar and a sponge near the shower so you can make wiping down the surfaces part of your post-shower routine.

Vegetable oil: Pour a little bit of vegetable oil onto a sponge or paper towel and scrub the doors, adding more oil as you need it. This works in a similar way to the shaving foam as it leaves a film on the door that prevents soap scum from sticking.

Furniture polish: Use a cloth to rub polish directly on doors, then wipe it off with a clean cloth. The polish will not only clean but will also protect against the future build-up of soap scum.

As mentioned, no one likes cleaning the bathroom, and it is probably one of the most physically taxing chores to do, but it is unavoidable. If you implement these tips on a regular basis, the job becomes less painful and soon, it might even become a habit. Not only will you be a pro at bathroom cleaning, but your bathroom will always be spic 'n span - a bonus!