Kelly Ann wrote in recently and asked:
…How is your bathroom holding up? Our dated bathroom is finally to the point where we can do a reno (pink tile has to go) and I would love some carrara marble. Also, that frameless glass is swoon worthy. But I have to ask now that you’ve had it for a while-how does it work in real life? I am ready for a redo but my husband says he thinks it must be impossible to keep clean. Do you have any practical tips to make it doable? Do you think it’s doable? I would love any advice you can give with it all!…
We’ve gotten quite a few questions lately about how we’re keeping it clean, from the tile to that shower glass… and today we thought we’d share a few of our very favorite tools for easy ways to clean your bathroom.
Because the truth of the matter is, while we do actually usually most of the time when we can keep it neat and shiny and pretty and new, it works hard. For all of us. Aintnobodygottime to tip toe around their bathroom.
Right now, it’s covered in dirty laundry and shampoo bottles that the kids didn’t put away, and there are toothbrushes on the counter. Because that’s life.
The kids love our bathroom, too.
As do our latest two additions who very much like to dig in the dirt and get regular rinse offs, as a result.
For the record, we would never survive without that hand held faucet. Amen.
So we’re putting this out there, first: We love organic cleaners. They’re fabulous. We even made some fun labels for them. We think they are the best, health-wise. Yay.
But if I’m being really honest, sometimes my glass needs a little more of the tough stuff when it gets hard water build up. Sometimes, I don’t have time to plan it out and sit down and make all of the things as it pertains to cleaning. And at the first sign of sickness, I admit I may or may not dive for the clorox wipes and lysol. Die germs die. Admittedly enough, I am not rational when it comes to the voms. I go into war zone mom mode and it is what it is. It works for us.
And when it comes to carrara marble, we’re not messing around.
While it was durable and timeless enough to be found in the Taj Mahal, it can also be tricky if you’re not careful enough to clean it with the right stuff.
So, to answer your question Kelly Ann – the bathroom works hard for us and it is fabulous. No regrets, and it’s the best change we ever made… even if it was because of a leak. But we’ve found that we have to clean it with the right stuff to make it last and keep it beautiful. Here’s a few of our very favorite things that have totally worked for us:
1. Cleanstone plus cleaner and protectant rocks our faces off. It’s a great cleaner for carrara marble and I totally trust it. It cleans and protects in one, removes water marks on our countertop and it won’t eat off the finish. Yep, that already happened when dusting my furniture, but that’s another {scarrrryyyyy} story. You just can’t mess around when it comes to being careful with your materials.
2. A squeegee for the every day showers keeps the whole water-splashes marks down on that gawgeous glass. Our kids even do it after they use the shower. It’s our new rule since it was installed per a reader’s recommendation, and it’s just an extra step to keep it looking nice in between cleanings.
3. Glass cooktop cleaner {a great tip we found here} Our water builds up over time (I think we have really soft water?) and it started to freak us out. I had no idea how to get rid of it, and tried everything. We have been so thrilled with this little hack because it keeps our glass looking brand new. We use it every few weeks to cut down on scum.
4. Any long handled brush with bristles that aren’t too stiff, to get in between those grout lines on the glass tile for the shower wall. It makes cleaning so much easier, and we recommend it for any shower with lighter grout! We just spray it down with our usual cleaner, and it works keeps the gross in check.
We hope this helps answer some of your questions, Kelly Ann! The whole white-seamless-glass-carrara marble-thing is totally doable. We did a lot of research with the bathroom that took forever, and wouldn’t have chosen these materials, if it wasn’t… trust us.
It just helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep it that way.
We say go for it!
We hope this helps if you’re looking at adding new materials for your home! We love cleaning tricks. They never get old.
What are some of your favorite tricks for keeping your glass/tiles/shower/bathtub/floors clean for different materials?
Pam M says
After reading this post I think I might be in love with you a little. It is so refreshing to hear someone not apologize for using something other than green or DIY cleaners. Seriously. I make all of my own own soap and skincare stuff and several of my own cleaners. I want to keep chemicals to a minimum in our house, like so many other people do. BUT, we live in an older home with extremely hard water. Those natural cleaners just weren’t cutting it in the bathroom. They made me work really hard at cleaning with little pay-off. So, I started using chemicals in there again. I don’t feel bad about it either. I love CLR (or The Works) for hard water and rust stains. (When the city flushes the lines, which they do quite often, our water looks like diarrhea. So fun.) Kaboom is my other favorite for cleaning the bathtub and sink.
I adore the marble and dream of having it in my kitchen one day, so I appreciate the honesty. Also that claw foot tub in swoon worthy – especially with those cute furry faces peeking out.
Debbie from Illinois says
Oh my gosh, those puppers in the tub are beyond adorable! I don’t have a comment about cleaning because my house is on the market and all I do is clean……I’m so over it.
Robin says
We have frameless shower too. We love it except for the piece of weatherstripping (for lack of a better word) on the bottom of the shower door. I’m sure it’s purpose is to keep water in the show, but we have a hard time keeping it clean . How do you tackle that part?
Jenna says
Seriously I don’t even know what you said about cleaning because of those little faces. Adorable! Now I’m going back to read. Thanks as always for being real!
carol says
Great tips. There’s always 1 trouble area in my bathrooms, and that’s cleaning the toilet bottom around the bolts and curves and behind the toilet. I know gross. Any suggestions for making this task easier? Thanks.
ashley @ the handmade home says
That’s not gross. That’s reality. And with two growing boys in our house, its also known as the bane of my existence! BLECH! I am with you! I actually just use clorox wipes around that area, because they clean really well get in those hard to reach areas, and I can just flush when I’m done. I feel like it sanitizes and everything. I hope that helps! ;}
Melissa P says
What is your normal cleaner on the floor of the shower? I dont know what to use to not damage it (We have similar) Thank you for your time!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Melissa! We actually use the same CLeanstone on the floor of the shower. And then for the really bad areas, we use scrubbing bubbles, and then rinse it quickly, because sometimes it {mainly the grout} just needs more with build up, etc. We always follow up with a good rinse, and the marble cleaner though. I hope that helps!
Jami says
Where did you get the spray bottles for your homemade cleaners?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Jami! We got those from Amazon. If you follow our printable labels post, I think we have the direct links there. I hope that helps! ;}
Nicole C says
I’m thrilled to see a recommendation for a cleaner for marble. We have marble in our shower and it seems like EVERY cleaner out there is not for marble. It has been such a pain to keep clean. I am going to try the one you recommend. Thanks!
ashley @ the handmade home says
I hope it helps, Nicole! ;}
Brooke says
You most likely have hard water. I used to live in a town that was known for its hard water…water heaters & appliances have a half life there and most people have a water softener. If it’s in your budget, I highly recommend installing one. You’ll notice a huge difference in your glass shower, drinking glasses, dishwasher, washing machine, and clothes, AND be able to use less dish detergent, laundry soap, and shampoo. I want to say ours was around $500 installed from Lowe’s.
JennyBC says
We remodeled two bathrooms last summer and put Carrera on the floors and countertops in both of them. WE also put frameless shower doors up in both of them. I’m glad to see the cleaner you use. We were also told to be diligent about sealing once a year. The glass installer told us to use a mixture of two parts water and one part vinegar to clean the glass. Should you get build up, spray it and leave it a bit to let it work. The soap scum will get softer and them spray again to remove it. The squeegee is really the best answer to keeping it under control. We have loved the clean, updated look.