Saturday, August 25, 2012

Homemade Two-Ingredient Bathroom Cleaner

I've been seeing lots of posts on Pinterest for homemade cleaning products and I've been wondering whether they really work.

This morning I woke up knowing that I needed to tackle the master bathroom - not a fun task so it's not cleaned as often as it should.  We have a huge jetted tub and tower surround constructed from that poured, man-made marble stuff. Our shower head is in the tub surround, which means water sprayed at the walls rolls down onto the deck and right onto the floor. To solve for this we have a huge set of custom, glass, sliding doors to contain the watery mess. Add very hard water to the mix and you get a really scummy, scaly, icky situation. I know it sounds disgusting, but it is what it is.

I have tried so many products to cut through the build up, with no success. Part of the problem is that to really get the shower/tub area clean I have to get into the tub. I end up getting cleaning chemicals all over me and give up before the job is done.

That is, until today!

Today's Encore stars are Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and White Vinegar appearing together in their own Encore as Bathroom Cleaner. I started off by heating 12 oz of white vinegar in the microwave for three minutes. I poured it into a spray bottle using a funnel. Then I added 12 oz of Dawn Original Dishwashing Liquid and shook gently. I sprayed down the walls, tub, doors - every surface I could reach in the shower/tub enclosure. It works on chrome, too, so all the fixtures got a heavy dose. The Dawn helped it to cling to the walls.

After about 30 minutes I took a kitchen scrubber sponge and gently scrubbed and swirled the mixture. The vinegar fumes were a little strong, but I knew they weren't harmful. I didn't get the headache or nausea that I usually experience with the store brands. As I scrubbed with one hand, I ran the other hand along the surface to check for any remaining scum. You know it's clean when it's smooth as glass. Once I had scrubbed everything down, I used a plastic cup to rinse everything down. Yes, I got wet during this process, but it was just water, soap, and vinegar so it didn't burn my skin or bleach my clothes. And it was worth it.

 I couldn't believe how well this worked. I may never buy bathroom cleaner again!