When you spend good money redecorating a bathroom, you can get a little obsessive about keeping it clean. I know because I've been there. We put new tile in the shower and reporcelained the bathtub in our bathroom this past year and I'm working like a maniac to make sure that mold and mildew don't take residence in there! Here are a few of my green cleaning and maintenance tips:
For prevention:
- Make sure the shower area is well-ventilated - turn on the fan and open the windows and doors!
- Use a squeegee to take excess water off of the shower walls.
- Wipe down problem areas like corners and ledges with a dry cloth.
- Make your own all-purpose shower cleaning spray by mixing 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 big squirt of liquid castile soap or eco-friendly dishwashing detergent. You can also add about 20 drops of antiseptic essential oil like tea tree or grapefruit seed oil. Both the vinegar and the essential oils work to prevent mold.
For treatment:
- Spray mold with straight vinegar to kill spores.
- Mix up a paste of baking soda or borax (a naturally occurring mineral) and scrub with a toothbrush. Use caution if you use borax - it can be harmful if ingested.
- To bleach stubborn stains, mix 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide with 1/2 cup water in a spray bottle. Spray stains and leave to dry.
So far I've kept the mold & mildew at bay. Hope these tips work for you too!
(if you're looking for more homemade household cleaning recipes and other DIY ideas, check the Make It Green tab at the top of my site.)
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since switching to homemade cleaning products, i think my house hasn't been cleaner! because I don't mind cleaning. we love dr. bronner
Posted by: tami | September 11, 2009 at 03:40 AM
Great recipes, thank you for your advices !
Caroline Motte
Find Green Eco-Friendly Products Here
Posted by: Caroline | September 14, 2009 at 08:15 AM
My newest Do It Yourself Honey project is to replace our way too small for the bathroom ceiling fan with a larger one to keep the ick at bay.
Posted by: Condo Blues | September 14, 2009 at 07:47 PM
I wanted to post another tip for killing mold, tea tree oil! Kill even toxic mold. Don't remember the amount so would need to google it but we are currently living with my in-laws while my hubby finishes school so we don't have to rent and I help take care of my disabled MIL and we are helping them fix the house up a bit and they had a mold issue. This is a common problem in Oklahoma and this house was built poorly. We got rid of the mold with tea tree oil and lots of cleaning.
Posted by: Lisa | September 15, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Yes, tea tree oil works great on mold! You can use it in the shower spray that I mention in the post.
Posted by: Micaela | September 15, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Fantastic recipes, thank you for this great post!
-EcoGlamourista
www.ecoglamourista.blogspot.com
Posted by: Sheila V. Flores | September 21, 2009 at 11:30 AM
my mother always makes her cleaning spray with citric acid. You can get it in the canning section or I think she got hers from a natural foods co op. Just use it instead of the vinegar and then you can spray it on the shower walls after each bath and it keeps the soap scum from building up. Works great in the kitchen too.
Posted by: onedeepblue | October 12, 2009 at 03:19 AM
Great tip about the citric acid. I've used it for bath products (fizzy bath balls) but never in a cleaning product!
Posted by: Micaela | October 20, 2009 at 06:30 AM
Great post! I haven't yet tried an all a homemade cleaning product on mold. I have just been nervous that it wouldn't do the trick but I need to get over that and just try out some recipes. Yours will be first on my list! Do you have a good recipe for drain cleaner? I have tried the vinigar and baking soda thing numerous times but it has never worked.
Posted by: Heather Prenger | November 08, 2009 at 08:57 PM
The information provided is immensely useful. Tile cleaning require good knowledge and thorough professionalism. Certain treatments like spraying mold with straight vinegar to kill spores are immensely useful. Thanks for providing an article which possess, magnificent information in such a coherent manner.
Posted by: Tile Cleaning | January 27, 2010 at 02:45 AM
I need to deep clean my tile floors and was hoping anyone had any suggestions on something that isn't too harsh but will clean it very well.
http://www.natural-cures.org/ringworm.html
Posted by: Alok Singh | May 18, 2010 at 11:06 AM
Nice post, This is very helpful, A Nice way of preventing and removing molds in your bathroom.
Posted by: Joey "Mold And Mildew Removal" Carlson | September 29, 2010 at 07:12 PM
Vinegar is a lovely home remedy and it works like magic when sprayed on the necessary area.Thanks for the helpful tips here...really helps the cleaning process.
Posted by: mold inspections five boros | November 21, 2010 at 07:01 AM
My mother uses vinegar while cleaning It give a great results thanks now i use your tips of easy cleaning. Thanks for your blog...
Posted by: Carpet Cleaners Brisbane | June 15, 2011 at 02:43 AM