Having moved in to a new flat/apartment I was having a lot of problems with white cruddy deposits clogging up showerheads, taps. The crystal like deposits built up on the expensive tiles on the walls and floor as well :(

After a lot of research and trial, came up with some simple remedies and practices to keep the bathroom clean and happy. I’m sharing them for the benefit of those who are still suffering. I will cover both cleaning and future prevention.

The deposits are primarily calcium deposits, which come from the mineral content in water. Some areas have high mineral content and calcification can form very quickly (my showerhead clogs up in a week). Soap scum is another culprit which forms deposits in wall and floor.

Before starting cleaning and any other steps, the first step is to fix any leaking tap or pipe. Leaking water leaves ugly stains and wastes a lot of water. Now lets move on to the cleaning.

Take a bottle and fill it 3/4 with white vinegar. Fill the rest with water. This solution is your primary weapon in the war against calcium.

First we will fix the showerhead, because it irritates the hell out of me when I turn it on and only a trickle of water comes out!

Pour the solution in a mug. Detach the showerhead from the pipe and dump it in the mug. Go to bed. Wake up in the morning and rinse it with water. Calcium will be dissolved away.

If you cannot detach the showerhead, then pour the solution in a plastic packet. Pull is over the showerhead from below and tie the opening on the top with rope/rubber band. Make sure the head is submerged in the solution. Rest of the steps are pretty much the same.

Now on to the wall and floor tiles. Take a plastic garden spray bottle and fill it with the solution. Spray over the tiles and leave it for 30 minutes. Then wipe off with old newspaper. Any residual vinegar on the tiles will evaporate away leaving no odor.

You must be feeling pretty tired or at least bored by now. I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t want to clean your bathroom either. But now is not the time to give up. Its a war remember? Think of how much calorie you will be burning :)

Lets now turn to the chrome plated faucets and other surfaces. Spray the surface with the vinegar solution and wait 30 minutes. Then cut a lime/lemon in half and use it to clean the surface. The chrome surface will be clean and glistening and your bathroom will have a nice and natural lemon fragrance.

Finally the toilet bowl. I recommend a professional cleaning solution like Domex. Pour it overnight and flush away in the morning. I don’t even have to use the brush, the bowl comes up sparkling bright. However, don’t ignore the rest of the toilet like the seat and the exterior because they can be heavily infested with bacteria, even more than the bowl.

You must be really tired now, but wait there is one final heroic act left. I would have advised hanging a large “Mission Accomplished” banner on the toilet door, but Bush ruined it for us. So do the next best thing. Shout and call everybody and proudly display your newly cleaned bathroom.

Unfortunately you’ll have to do it again, and again, and again. You don’t want to? Well you can’t really totally avoid it, but can reduce it to a large extent. Here’s some tips:

Use shower gels instead of soap. Shower gels do not contain soap. This will prevent build up of soap scum on floor and wall tiles.

Switch on the exhaust fan when taking a shower and keep windows open when you can. This reduces water droplets forming on the tiles and drying, leaving deposits on the tiles. It will also reduce fungus and mold growth (yuk!).

Crush some common candle wax on a cloth and rub over the chrome surfaces, as if polishing them with shoe polish (which is also wax based by the way). The wax will form a thin protective film and protect the chrome surface. Cleaning will be easier, just dip a towel in warm water and wipe of.

Last tip: To clean the disgusting rust stains in bathroom fixtures do the following -

Take a lemon and squeeze its juice over affected area. Sprinkle some salt over it and leave it for a day. If lemon juice dries up, top it up with more juice. You can cover with cotton soaked in lemon juice to automatically keep the area wet. Clean gently with a soft cloth. Repeat if required.

Note that the reason we use lime and vinegar is that they are acids. The acid reacts with the deposits and dissolves or loosens it. These are weak acids and do not corrode the surface like strong mineral acids (Hydrochloric/Muriatic acid is a common household cleaning agent in India).

Do post your comment on your experience and any other tip you have.