Whenever I tackle a cleaning task, I always categorize things into three different sections: products, tools, and techniques. The products and tools that you’re going to need for this are:.
Soap suds is something I have talked about a lot over the years, but before I started my cleaning business I had no idea what it was. It was, of course, something he'd heard about in TV commercials, but he wasn't sure what exactly it was. After cleaning hundreds of tubs, I can say with certainty that I am now very clear on what it is all about! It's essentially a buildup of soap, dead skin cells, body oils, and hardened minerals from your water, creating a gummy, pasty-grayish-brown buildup. It gets sticky and hard to remove over time, so it needs abrasion and you really want to pre-treat any surface that has soap scum on it before you start cleaning it.
You should start by removing everything from the shower and tub, anything that sits there for a long period of time has a chance to grow mold and mildew underneath, so it all needs to come out before we start cleaning.
Next we are pre-treating our tiles well and then the bath tub so you can stand up in the bath tub, safety first! Dip your sponge in your bath tub and tile cleaner (or if you're using a spray, follow the same procedure) and work from top to bottom, left to right. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
Now, you're going to scrub the tiles with the scrubbed side of the sponge (it should be nice and damp). You are going to apply pressure and work from top to bottom, left to right. Doing this really helps remove any schmutz that's stuck to your walls, including anything stuck in the grout lines. Now if you need extra abrasion, you can add a little baking soda to your sponge. This will help get rid of any lingering soap residue. By the time I finish this job, everything will be nice and clean. But wait, we're not going to rinse yet.
A quick advice goes here, roll up your bath mat and use it to rest your knees when you're working in the tub, trust me, it'll save your knees! Using the soft side of the sponge, apply the tub and tile product, working from left to right. Again, you'll want to let it sit for 5 minutes before the scrubbing begins. Flip the sponge over and use the abrasive side of the sponge to begin scrubbing the tub. Now the product will have done a lot of the work for you, but you still have to put in a bit of effort if you have a significant buildup of soap scum. If you need some extra abrasion, again, you can always add a bit of baking soda to the mix. Oh, and be sure to scrub your chrome!
Now, let's rinse. I have a detachable shower head which is very handy for this task. However, if you don't have one of those, simply fill a large container and pour water onto your tiles from the top, letting the water run to the bottom. You really want to make sure you remove all of the product for a nice, clean, smooth finish. Leftover product can attract dirt and debris and cause soap suds to build up again!
I will use a squeegee to remove any remaining water (or product) from the walls and tub. If you don't have a squeegee, seriously get one! I clean my tub after every use and I can tell you that cleaning the shower has become so much easier just by being aware of this (I also have a homemade daily shower sprayer that does the same thing). Finally, use a microfiber cloth (I like an extra soft microfiber cloth for this step) to clean and polish the tub and chrome surfaces. If water stains remain, you can clean them with a little vinegar. And that its.
If you have any discolored grout, there is a very simple way to fix it. You can mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl to make a thick paste. Measurements don't really matter here, just do what you need to and make sure it's nice and doughy. Apply it with a cleaning toothbrush on the grout lines and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will give the product time to do its whitening and brightening job! When the time is up, just rinse and clean.
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