HOUSECLEANING : Come to Think of It, What Better Place to Come Clean Than the Bath?

Making your bathtub or shower sparkling clean need not be a chore if you know the right steps to follow. Regular cleaning once a week usually wins at least half the battle. Here are some tips to help you achieve complete victory.

The best time to clean a tub or shower is right after using it, when steam has loosened the dirt. Before you exit, just wipe off the damp surfaces with a towel. If you are in a hurry and must set aside another time to clean the bathroom, run the shower on hot for a minute beforehand, then open the shower curtain or tub door to help loosen dirt on other bathroom surfaces. Be sure to close the curtain or door eventually, so it can air-dry.

Wiping tub and shower surfaces while they are still wet is important if you live in an area where water is “hard” (contains minerals). Commercial cleaners applied with a sponge or damp cloth will remove hard-water scale and film. For a homemade cleaner, try white vinegar, undiluted or mixed with up to four parts warm water.

To avoid bathtub rings, don’t use oily bath preparations. If a ring does form, wipe it off with undiluted ammonia (wear rubber gloves) or a wet sponge generously sprinkled with baking soda. For stubborn rings, wipe with white vinegar or automatic dishwashing detergent, then rinse.

Wipe mildewed areas with a cloth dipped in household bleach. Again, wear rubber gloves. Never mix any combination of bleach, ammonia and commercial cleaners; a toxic gas may result. To reduce and often eliminate mildew, increase ventilation as much as possible by installing an exhaust fan (or by increasing the size of the present fan) and opening doors and windows soon after bathing or showering. Extend shower curtains so they dry thoroughly and leave shower doors ajar so that air can circulate inside the enclosure.

Clean stained porcelain surfaces with a commercial bathroom cleaner containing mild abrasives or by applying a paste of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. Avoid cleaners with harsh abrasives; when used repeatedly they can mar smooth finishes. Spread the paste over the stain and scrub lightly; let the paste dry and then wipe or rinse it off. To shine chrome fixtures, wipe with rubbing alcohol or a damp cloth dipped in baking soda.

To clean a fiberglass tub, use a water conditioner for dishwashers or a commercial bathroom cleaner containing EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetate).

Wiping with bleach, vinegar or alcohol will clean the caulk around bathtubs. However, cracked caulk must be replaced. First pry out the old caulk with an ice pick or screwdriver and clean away any residue by wiping with mineral spirits. Attach masking tape to the tub and wall on both sides of the gap, leaving a space about half an inch wide; then fill the tub with water to expand the gap fully.

Slice the nozzle on a tube of tub-sealing caulk at an angle of about 45 degrees to produce an opening about a quarter-inch wide. Starting at a corner, place the nozzle over the seam between the tub and wall and then push or pull the tube while squeezing it to force caulk into the gap. Apply caulk at an even rate. When finished, smooth the surface with a lightly soaped finger so that caulk extends onto both strips of tape. Remove the tape carefully after the caulk has hardened overnight. Drain the tub.