Happy Thursday Everyone! In what has been a reoccurring theme to my blog post intros, I DO HOPE this mid-week post finds all of you continuing to stay safe and healthy. If you are like our state, you are probably in the midst of a stay at home order, trying to adjust to a new normal and searching for engaging activities and productive endeavors. I am glad you are here. I hope you can find some useful information and tips! Tonight’s post will focus on spring cleaning the bathroom. The bathroom for most would have to be the least favorite room to clean; however, it is the most critical It is a gathering spot for soap scum, moisture, mold, hair buildup and more. This was also the room I cleaned where I used some of the most toxic cleaning chemicals and sprays and where I did my first product swaps for all natural alternatives.
CHECKLIST:
Discard expired medication, personal care products or makeup. (You can check with local clinics and hospitals on the proper way to dispose of expired meds)
Clean makeup brushes
Clean vanity
Wipe mirror
Clean tub and shower
Clean showerhead
Replace shower curtain liner
Scrub tile grout
Clean toilet
Clean hardware
Sweep floors
Mop floors
Wipe walls
Wipe baseboards
TIPS:
A great tip for descaling difficult to clean showerheads: Fill a plastic Ziploc bag with white vinegar and a few drops of lemon essential oil, and secure the bag on your showerhead with a rubber band or elastic hair tie. The next morning, remove the bag and wipe the showerhead clean.
Work from the cleanest area to the dirtiest to save on cleaning rags. Organize your bathroom cleaning schedule so that you start cleaning the “cleanest” area and end with the “dirtiest.” However, I always use a new rag for cleaning the toilet and never use that one on another area of the bathroom.
Wash your plastic shower curtain liner with a load of bath towels. Pop your shower curtain liner in the washer and let the machine do all the work. Add castile soap and 1 cup of baking soda then add a few towels to help scrub away soap scum and mildew and to help the shower curtain not rip during washing. Once the wash cycle ends, immediately remove the liner and hang it back up in the shower to dry.
Wash your toothbrush holder in the dishwasher. Toothbrush holders can get seriously grimy if they are not cleaned regularly. Let the dishwasher do the work. Pop it in the top rack of the dishwasher to clean it without effort.
Clean mold from around the tub without scrubbing using hydrogen peroxide and a cotton beauty coil. Soak a cotton beauty coil in hydrogen peroxide and lay it on moldy caulking around the top of the tub. Let it sit overnight and rinse.
Recipes:
Eucalyptus Toilet Cleaner: This yields 1/2 cup or 1 application of Eucalyptus Toilet Cleaner. Take 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and 10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil. Add all ingredients to toilet bowl. Using a scrub brush, clean the inside of the toilet thoroughly. Allow to sit for several minutes, then flush.
Sanitizing Toilet Spray: This yields 2 1/4 cups. Take 1 cup of distilled water, 1 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of Castile soap, 10 drops of tea tree essential oil, and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil. Combine all ingredients in a large spray bottle and shake well. Spray on toilet surfaces and wipe with a clean cloth. Spray inside bowl and use a brush to scrub well. Store indefinitely in a spray bottle.
No-Scrub Toilet Bowl Cleaner: This yields 1 application of cleaner. Take 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of white vinegar, 2 cups of water, 10 drops of pine essential oil, and 10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil. Combine all ingredients in a large bucket and mix well. Pour solution into toilet and allow to sit overnight. Flush in the morning! (Note: borax-based toilet bowl cleaning solutions are my favorite. They really get my toilets clean and I love the pine oil for really cutting through bathroom odors.)
Toilet Paper Roll Air Freshener: Add either 2 drops of lavender essential oil or 2 drops of lemon essential oil to the inside of the cardboard center of your toilet roll. Use your toilet paper as normal. Every time you pull the paper, the roll will release the smells of the oil inside.
Scented Bath Towel Sheets: This yields 4 sheets. 1 paper towel. 4 drops of lemongrass essential oil. Take one paper towel and cut it into fourths. Add 1 drop of lemongrass oil to each sheet. Repeat for however many towels you have. Place the scented sheets in between bath towels. Store indefinitely in the linen closet.
Happy cleaning everyone and stay hopeful and encouraged and healthy. Keep positive and I will be back on Sunday as we continue through our Spring Cleaning Makeover.
Lemon and Rosemary 