Posts

How to Clean Soap Scum from Glass Shower Doors?

/in /by


If you have glass doors in your shower, you’ve probably noticed that after a while, a white film tends to build up on the glass. This soap scum is caused by the mixture of animal fats in soap with some of the minerals in your shower water. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with this scum on your door! You can easily clean off the scum with a commercial cleaner or ordinary household products. Then, all you have to do is make a few simple lifestyle changes in order to keep the scum from building up again.


Mix vinegar and baking soda to clean stains as well as soap scum. Pour 1/2 cup (115 grams) of baking soda into a small bucket, then add about 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of white vinegar to the bucket. Use a spoon to stir these ingredients into a paste. Dip a clean sponge into the paste and wipe it on your shower door. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse the paste off the door while scrubbing it with a microfiber cloth.


The paste that forms in the bucket should be about the consistency of pancake batter. You may need to add a bit more baking soda or a bit more vinegar to the mix in order to get it to this consistency. This is the best method to use if there are also hard water stains on your shower door that you want to get rid of.


Go with toilet bowl cleaner if that’s all you have. Although it’s not designed for cleaning glass shower doors, toilet bowl cleaner is occasionally effective at removing soap scum. Soak a sponge in hot water, then apply a small amount of toilet bowl cleaner to the sponge. Wipe the shower door with the sponge to clean off the soap scum, then rinse off the residue once you’re done.


Be sure to keep your bathroom well ventilated when using toilet bowl cleaner. The odors from the cleaner can be pretty powerful, especially in a small room. Use lemon juice and salt if the door frame is made of metal. This is the best cleaning method to use to also remove any rust on your door’s metal frame. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons (34 grams) of salt to form a cleaning paste. Use an old toothbrush to scrub this mixture into the door frame and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Finally, rinse it off with warm water.

How Designing the Bathroom Layout?

/in /by

Measure the area of your bathroom with a tape measure. Find the lengths and widths of your bathroom walls so you know how much area you have to work with. Check the size of your vanity and bathtub as well so you know what sizes to look for while you’re shopping. If you don’t plan on expanding your bathroom, make sure you look for fixtures that are close to the same size as your existing ones.

Draw plans on a piece of graph paper to get ideas for what to do with the space. Have 1 square on the graph paper equal 1 sq ft (0.093 m2) so you can draw your bathroom to scale. Draw in any fixtures you want to add or replace so you can see how they would fit in your room. Make multiple copies so you can try out different designs so you know what you like best.

Consider what you’ll need in your bathroom in the future. For example, if you plan on raising a family within the next 5-10 years, you may want to have a bathtub instead of just a shower stall. Tip: Look online for free software for interior design, such as SketchUp or RoomSketcher, so you can design on your computer.

Locate where your water lines and electrical outlets are. Note on your design plans where your current plumbing and wiring lead. To avoid spending more money, keep the wires and pipes where they are and make your design around them. If you need to redirect any electricity or water, you will need to hire a professional to work during your renovation. Hiring an electrician or plumber can cost around $200-$300 USD an hour.

Pick a fixture to use as the focal point to design around. Choose at least 1 fixture that you know you want in your bathroom, such as a pedestal sink, handcrafted vanity, or claw-foot tub. When you choose the rest of your fixtures, make sure they match the color and style of the first piece so your room looks cohesive. Don’t pick multiple fixtures with different designs or your bathroom may feel cluttered and eclectic.