Cleaning the bathroom: Dirt and limescale don't stand a chance (2024)

There is no other room in the house where cleanliness and hygiene are as important as the bathroom. There are different opinions about the correct way to clean toilets, tiles, bathtubs, showers, sinks and so on. With these expert tips, dirt and limescale in the bathroom don't stand a chance.

Quick and easy cleaning: Top tips for a clean bathroom

Whether you have a functional wet room or a large spa at home, keeping your own bathroom clean is a top priority for many people. In addition to a general visual impression, there are also hygienic reasons for cleaning the bathroom: Inadequate cleaning allows bacteria and fungi to easily reproduce and mold. High humidity and heat provide ideal conditions for this, so regular cleaning of surfaces, wet areas, toilets and tiles is important.

How often should you clean your bathroom?

How often you should clean your bathroom largely depends on how often it is used. A single-person household produces less dirt than a multi-person household, so the cleaning frequency must be adjusted accordingly. Where possible, the entire bathroom should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week. It's a good idea to remove soap scum and toothpaste from the sinks as soon as possible and to wipe down the fixtures every few days to prevent limescale stains. It is best to wipe shiny fittings with a soft cloth every time you wash your hands. This gives no chance for stains to form.

Rinsing and drying surfaces thoroughly after each use will keep your shower stall and bathtub clean for as long as possible. To remove hair and dust from the floor, vacuuming every few days is often all that is needed. In addition, tiles should be washed every 1-2 weeks to remove stubborn dirt.

Tip

After a bath or shower, water vapor can condense on bathroom windows, causing mold to form over time. Make sure you ventilate your bathroom regularly so that moisture can escape. The windows should be cleaned every few months.

Cleaning tasks and functions in bathroom cleaning

Although tile and ceramic surfaces are generally easier to clean, there are a few things to keep in mind in the bathroom. Organic substances such as dead skin cells, hair, feces and soap scum collect together with mineral dirt such as limescale, urine stone, discoloration of the toilet bowl and rust. Simple wiping is often not enough to remove this dirt, so aggressive cleaning agents, such as toilet cleaners or acid cleaners, and strong physical processes are often used. However, this can damage sensitive surface materials if used incorrectly.

With the right cleaning and household products, usage tips and appliances, you will have a clean bathroom in no time - without tiring scrubbing.

Remove limescale in the bathroom

Where objects regularly come into contact with water, limescale will form over time. No wonder the bathroom is often the best place for limescale, covering fixtures, tiles and sinks. However, with simple materials and few tips, stubborn formations can be easily removed and the formation of new limescale can be prevented.

How is lime formed?

Calcareous water has a particularly high calcium carbonate content and is formed when groundwater seeps through calcareous rock. The higher the concentration, the harder the water and the more limescale builds up on the surfaces it comes into contact with. Stubborn limescale mainly forms when water is heated or evaporated, causing white spots, especially on fixtures, sinks, tiles and taps in bathrooms.

Remove limescale stains with a steam cleaner

If the limescale is not yet very thick, it can be removed quite easilysteam cleaner– without the need for tedious manual scrubbing. To do that, it needs a detail nozzle and a round brush. It is better to clean delicate surfaces only with the detail nozzle to avoid scratches on chrome and stainless steel fittings. Hold the nozzle directly on the areas affected by limescale and steam until the limescale disappears. If this fails to remove the stubborn limescale, or it is in a difficult spot, you can attach a round brush to the nozzle and then scrub the area with strong bursts of steam. Even the most stubborn limescale stains can be removed by direct steaming and vigorous scrubbing.

If the limescale layer is very thick, lemon cleaner can be applied to the area. Wait half an hour and then treat the area with the steam cleaner. The limescale residue should now be easier to remove.

Remove limescale with dishwashing liquid

If you want to use a cleaning agent to remove stubborn deposits, use an acidic cleaning agent with a pH between 1 and 4. Which agent is most suitable depends on the surface. It is best to test the detergent on an inconspicuous area before applying it over the entire surface. Strong acids (with a lower pH) can attack various surfaces, such as base metals, cement compounds, anodizing aluminum and plastics. Therefore, use the mildest possible cleaning agents and test whether they have sufficient effect. There are also commercially available sanitary cleaners with an environmental certificate, such as the EU Ecolabel. These are not only better for the environment, they are also better for the materials than non-certified cleaners.

Tips to prevent limescale deposits in the first place:

• Drying helps: Taps on washbasins, in shower cubicles or bathtubs, tiles and glass surfaces should therefore always be dried after use, for example with a microfiber cloth or a soft sponge.

• If you are in a hurry and don't have time to dry anything, rinse the shower stall, tub and fixtures with cold water. This is because cold water forms less limescale than warm water.

• Regular steaming of fixtures etc. with the steam cleaner prevents future limescale deposits because the production of steam demineralizes the water, so that the steam does not leave limescale residues or streaks.

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