How to Re-Decorate a Bathroom on a Limited Budget

So you've decided it's time to give your old bathroom the boot and give it a fresh, new lease of life. But you're also aware that you simply don't have the funds to 'splash out' and instead need to take a sensible approach to redesign so you stick to your limited budget and get a lovely bathroom at the end of it all.

There's not need to worry, there are tons of ways you can create your perfect bathroom on a shoestring budget. What's even better is you could also be adding value onto your house by updating so you no only benefit from decorating on a small budget and getting a lovely bathroom but also you also add value to your property. Quids in!

The first thing to think about is your budget. You need to start by knowing how much cash you have to play with. If you have an incredibly low budget you will want to think about cosmetic changes only (fittings, paint, accessories) as these cost the least. For slightly bigger budgets you will be able to make bigger changes like adding or changing wall tiles, changing the bath or shower. It does all depend on your budget and your creativity, so don't feel distressed if you don't think you have enough in the pot to do what you want, these tips might just be able to help:

Expensive Countertops

Granite countertops are beautiful, and they are much cheaper when you buy them for a bathroom because they cover a much smaller surface area. If you're set on having one, try and be open minded about what colour you would like. The most popular colours will be the most expensive, so if you aren't fussy about a particular colour, you could save money here.

You could also buy damaged countertops which aren't perfect. The more obvious the damage the cheaper the countertop will be. Think carefully about this as the damage could be somewhere on the countertop where you will be attaching fixtures and fittings anyway so the damage won't even be seen.

You could also steer away from countertops altogether and consider upcycling an old dresser. Lots of people are doing this now because it's trendy and it's cheap. It's simply a case of crafting the right holes out of the top of a vintage dresser and treating the wood to protect it from water. This could be a great solution if your budget won't stretch to granite and you're a fan of upcycling.

Paint, Paint, Paint!

Painting is the cheapest way of transforming a bathroom and it's probably the most effective as well. If you are choosing to paint remember it will take more time that other rooms because of all the fixtures and you will need to make sure the paint is mildew and moisture repellent.

Limit the Amount of Tiling You Use

Tiling a whole room can be expensive, so try to limit the tiles you use to save money. Perhaps you could just use floor tiles, or use a strip of tiles on the wall and paint everywhere else. Remember you don't have to have tiles everywhere to make an impact. If you have the time you could even try and source recycled tiles which could be much cheaper or seek out discontinued ceramic tiles. If you really want something with some impact such as natural stone tiles or high gloss porcelain tiles then just stick to a small area of tiling. And if you know someone who can put them up for you, again this will save you money. Don't be afraid to call in favours, a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits can go a long way-Michelle N Symonds`

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Simple Cleaning Tips for the Bathroom

Your home's bathroom is probably the last place you want to clean, but it is a job that needs to be done nonetheless. From the toilet to the sink to the bathtub, there is no shortage of work to be performed. To ensure you get all the muck and grime while staying clean and sanitary during the process, having the proper gear and knowing how to clean this room is important. Believe it or not, but there is a routine most professional cleaning companies use that helps them tackle even the toughest of spaces.

Knowing these tips and using them correctly will guarantee that your bathroom will sparkle and shine. For instance, always leave the floors for last. Many homeowners often get distracted by the dirt and debris on the ground that they instantly break out the mop. Doing this is counterproductive, however, due to the fact that you are going to dust the vents and fan sooner or later. Cleaning these devices first will prevent you from having to go to the floor twice, which will save you time and money. Here are some other helpful pointers for getting your bathroom in top notch shape!

How to properly clean your bathroom

· Take out the trash first; do a quick sweep of the floor to gather up any large debris, and then place everything in a garbage bag. This is also the perfect time to go through the medicine cabinet and toss out empty bottles and containers. Remember, this is just the prep phase, so don't spend a lot of time trying to make everything look perfect.

· Grab your duster or vacuum; the latter is typically recommended, as it allows you to capture dirt and dust in hard to reach spaces (cracks and crevices) and it also keeps the debris from spreading. Start from the ceiling and work your way down, making sure to clean the exhaust vent and/or fan blades thoroughly. Many people often skip this step out of haste but don't be lazy as dust can easily accumulate in these places.

· Completely remove the items in your shower/bathtub and sink and place them in a box. You don't want to apply cleaning chemicals anywhere near your toothbrush or body wash. Proceed by soaking the tub and shower stall with a cleaning agent; while the product is soaking, you can clean the mirrors and spend a few minutes reorganising the medicine cabinet if need be.

· Scrub the tub clean and let the hot water run for at least five minutes to ensure everything gets washed down the drain. Put all your items back and then move onto the toilet. Make sure to clean the handle as well as the exterior of the bowl before finishing.

· Mop the floors last and turn on a fan to speed up the drying process. After everything is complete, light a candle and you will be good to go!

The tips mentioned above are more than enough to get you a sparkling clean bathroom and sure to give it a professional house cleaning touch!

Ronna Kaleah views the world from her perspective and pens down what she thinks to need a second thought, not to mention what needs to be tracked for the daily references too By Ronna Kaleah

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How to Clean Your Entire Bathroom in Minutes ? - DIY Green cleaning Tips

Wondering how to properly clean your bathroom with microfiber and without chemical cleansers? These instructions will tell you how to do it with a single cloth! This is Green Cleaning at its simplest.

Before you start, try to get rid of any stray hairs. You can use your microfiber cloth dry to rally them up and then brush the cloth out into the garbage. You don't have to do this, but I hate dealing with hair when I'm cleaning - especially if it's wet and stuck to my cloth.

Start with the Dusting

- Using the microfiber cloth DRY, dust anything that needs it (eg., lights, sconces, knick-knacks, etc.)

- Shake or brush the cloth off well into the toilet or garbage

- If you have a microfiber Dusting Mitt, obviously you can use it instead. Use the Dusting Mitt DRY.

Move on to Mirrors and Windows

- Clean the mirror first. I like to spray or splash a small amount of water onto the mirror and then just wipe it clean with the microfiber Cloth.

- For dirtier mirrors, dampen one side of the microfiber cloth, clean the mirror with the damp side and then wipe with a dry side. The drier the cloth, the less streaks on the mirror.

- If you have a Window Cloth, use it instead of the microfiber cloth. For a streak-free shine, clean dirty surface first with a moist microfiber Cloth, then polish with the Window Cloth. On less dirty surfaces, simply spray water on the surface and polish with the dry Window Cloth.

- Clean your windows the same way as you just cleaned the mirror. 

TIP: If you have a screen on your window, you can dust it with either a dry microfiber Cloth or a microfiber Dusting Mitt. The Dusting Mitt is a little more plush and will get into the wee screen holes.

Countertops and Sinks

- Dampen the entire microfiber cloth and fold it in half and then in half again (to get 8 cleaning sides)

- Remove everything from the top of the counter, wiping them clean as you do so.

- Then wipe down the entire countertop, sink, faucet and fixtures. I usually use the cloth quite damp to begin with and then wring it out and wipe everything as dry as possible.

- If used flat (not balled up) a microfiber cloth will pick up all the dirt and bacteria in and around your sink. By wringing it out well and giving everything a final "drying" wipe, you'll soak up most of the excess water where bacteria likes to grow.

- Continue down the front and sides of the cabinet, including the cabinet knobs.

Remember, you can stop and rinse the cloth out at any time. If it gets especially dirty, use a small amount of dish soap to clean it.

Tub and Shower

The beauty of cleaning without chemicals is that you can do it any time you're in the tub or shower. Wipe everything down with a wet microfiber cloth just before you get out and your tub/shower is clean and ready for the next person.

- Starting at the wall furthest away from the shower head/faucet, wipe down the entire wall from top to bottom. If the wall is wet, you may want to wring the cloth out occasionally as it doesn't work as well if it is too full of water.

- Continue making your way around the tub, paying special attention to the grout. Microfiber works very well on grout.

- As you get closer and closer to the faucet and bottom of the walls, you might notice that the cloth will drag more - letting you know where there is more soap scum or mineral build-up.

- Microfiber cloths works wonderfully on glass shower doors. If there is substantial soap scum build up, it may take several cleanings with the cloth to get rid of it and you may want to invest in a bottle of the Descaler. For streak-free glass doors, follow the instructions for mirror and window cleaning above.

- Remember to wipe out the soap dish/shelf. Change cleaning sides or give the cloth a good rinse after cleaning the soap dish before continuing.

- Wring the cloth out really well one more time, and go over the faucets and chrome.

- Re-fold the cloth and using a fresh surface clean the tub, starting with the part furthest from the faucet. As with the walls, you will have no trouble identifying where there is more build-up, and when it is clean, just by how easily the cloth moves across the surface.

- It's not necessary, but I usually give the cloth another good wringing out quickly wipe any moisture off the walls and tub.

Cleaning the Floor

   If your bathroom is small or you just want to spot clean it, rinse the microfiber cloth out after cleaning the tub, wring it out well, and clean the floor. This works well for all flooring type, and if it's well wrung out there will be next to no moisture, residue or streaks left behind.

Toilet Cleaning

  After cleaning the floor, rinse your microfiber cloth out well with hot water and a little dish soap.

Apart from all the about detailed guidance for cleaning, KateMacnaughton, the author further give a tip below : Pour a large bowl of water into the toilet. This will force most of the water out of the toilet bowl, and make it easier to clean it thoroughly.

- Starting with a clean side of the cloth, wipe the top and sides of the water tank. Then, clean the top and bottom of the toilet seat, and up the sides of the toilet bowl. Lastly, the rim and interior of the toilet bowl. Don't forget under the rim too!

- The Norwex Enviro (microfiber) Cloth has a silver agent woven into it that kills bacteria, but remember, it takes 3-4 hours for the silver agent in the Enviro Cloth to kill the bacteria. I recommend rinsing it out well with dish soap and waiting a few hours before using the cloth after cleaning your toilet. If your microfiber cloth is not Norwex, it doesn't have the silver agent and will not kill bacteria.

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Top 10 bathroom Spring Cleaning Tips

Like migratory bird patterns, humans find the changing of the seasons to be a time when our thoughts turn to spring cleaning. What seasonal patterns have to do with keeping our homes clean is a mystery, but it continues to be a factor nonetheless. It's almost as if we only recognize the dirt, dust, clutter and debris only at certain times of the year.

After seeing my brother-in-law's home however, I'm grateful for any reason, that would make him want to clean that filthy disgusting bathroom. [Smile]

The bathroom should be regularly cleaned if only to keep germs under control. There are some cleaning chores that can be done on a somewhat longer schedule than the weekly cleaning.

1. Take a look under the bathroom sink and you probably see a good collection of half used personal hygiene products. Go through each and every one of them and decide if they're worth keeping. Some products like medicated shampoos and possibly suntan lotions are good to keep handy. That green strawberry mint flavored shampoo that promised that men would go wild but only gave you a rash could probably be tossed into the garbage.

2. Take a look at how you store all the paper goods to the bathroom. Are they organized and easily snagged when needed? If not, maybe it's time to give those boxes of facial tissue and rolls of toilet paper, a place of their own.

3. Next up are the washcloths and towels. If you're like most of us, we tend never to discard old towels. We end up with a pile of towels and actually only use the first one or two. If this sounds like you, take stock in how many towels and face cloths you actually need and send the rest to the rag box.

4. If your cabinet has drawers, they're probably filled with miscellaneous hair decorations, bands, pins etc. Go through them and anything not used in the last 2 years should be thrown out.

5. Vacuum the inside of the vanity cabinet and drawers to remove hair and lose dirt. Heck, give them a good cleaning by getting one of those old washcloths damp with clear water.

6. Wash the liquid soap container or soap dish. Come on, you know that thing is disgusting, especially if you have children.

7. Use a vinegar solution or commercial product like CLR to remove bathroom scum and hard water deposits from bathtub or shower enclosures. Take down and wash any fabric shower curtains.

8. Use a 10% bleach solution in a spray bottle to remove any mold buildup in the tub area.

9. Check everything in the medicine cabinet and throw away any prescription or over-the-counter drugs that have passed their effective expiration date.

10. Replace that disgusting toilet brush with a new one.

By following through on this quick list, you will find a lot a lot less cluttered bathroom. Visit the site below for more information on how your vacuum cleaner can be used to speed up many household cleaning chores and find more quick house cleaning tips-By Abbie Frank 

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How To Make Your Tub Look New Again

Over the years the bathtub can start to look old and dingy, this can change the whole look of your bathroom, the water can over time stain the tub, it can leave rust stains and calcium deposits leaving the tub look like you never clean it, and making it look old. There are some things that you can do to make it look better. You can refinish the tub, but until you are ready to buy a bathtub refinishing kit there are some things that you can do to make it look better.

Cleaning your tub with a sponge and powder cleansers can make a huge difference, you pour the powder on and scrub it in leaving it on for a few minutes before you rinse it off. It may take you a few times to do this before you notice a huge difference. There is a sponge on the market called Magic Eraser that may help you out some also. These sponges will be able to remove stains that cleaners won't be able to.

Making a paste out of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide may solve some of the problems. Make it a thick paste and rub it on the stains and leave it remain there for about an hour then use a scrubber to scrub it in and the rinse.

Vinegar will help with hard water stains and calcium deposits. Fill the tub with hot water and pour in generous amounts of vinegar and let it set overnight. The next morning you will want to drain the water and rinse the tub. You should notice that the stains are less noticeable after doing this.

There are rust and stain remover products on the market that will help remove some of the stains that are stubborn and are harder to remove. These harsh chemicals should be used in a well ventilated area so that you don't inhale a lot of the fumes. Most of these cleaners will take most of the stains out and you will notice a huge difference, but some stubborn stains just will not be able to get cleaned no matter what way you try to clean it.

If these cleaning solutions don't work for you and you still are not happy with the results of your tub you can always look into having your bathtub re-glazed. You can do this through a professional who will come and do it or buy a kit that you can do yourself over a weekend-By Jacee Edwards

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Five Easy Tips for Cleaning Bathroom Furniture

When it comes to the bathroom furniture, it is increasingly important to be able to keep it clean and looking great. No one wants to go to a bathroom that looks like it has been through a mess and no one has cleaned up after it. Furthermore, when you have guests, don't you want to put your best foot forward? There are easy ways to keep your bathroom furniture looking sparkly and new without having to break your back scrubbing it every day. Some of the most common and easy bathroom furniture cleaning tips include wiping down the surface of the furniture everyday, protecting the sink when using spray beauty products, rinsing out the sink after every use, rinsing out the tub after every use, and avoiding products that create film or build up.

Wipe Down The Surface Every Day

When you go through your daily routine you should add in wiping down the bathroom furniture each day to the routine. It is unbelievable the amount of dust and hair that can collect on and around the furniture on a daily basis. Moist cleaning wipes make doing this on a daily basis easy and convenient. You can take the cleaning wipe to the bathroom furniture once a day and make your cleaning chores each week a lot simpler. You will eliminate the need for scrubbing and make your bathroom furniture look great every day.

Protect The Sink When Using Spray Beauty Products

The sink is subject to a lot of build up through out the day, and one of the biggest culprits is the build up after using spray beauty products like hairspray. Hairspray can create a thick and undesirable film on the surface of the sink that in unpleasant to touch, and challenging to clean up. To avoid this, you can simply place a towel over the lip of the sink that will block the hair spray from getting on the sink.

Rinse Out The Sink After Every Use

Another big issue with the bathroom sink is the build up of soap scum and toothpaste. If you simply rinse out the sink after each and every use, you will be able to eliminate the presence of the nasty build up and make your sink look great every day. Not only will the sink look great every day; however, when the end of the week comes and it is time to clean the house, you will not have to spend hours in the bathroom scrubbing up toothpaste and soap scum!

Rinse Out The Tub After Every Use

Some toiletry products leave a film on and around the bathtub. Shaving cream leaves an especially thick film on the tub that once it dries, is relatively difficult to scrub off. Therefore, once you are finished in the bathtub, if you simply rinse off the tub and wipe it down, you will eliminate the chance for the film to dry and become difficult to clean.

Avoid Using Products The Create Film And Build Up

You should avoid using products that actively create films and build up on your bathroom furniture in general. However, sometimes this is not possible. In those instances you should rinse off, protect, and wipe down your bathroom furniture-By Faith Shah

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Useful tips on organizing the small space in your bathroom

Just like keeping the rest of your house clutter-free and hygienic, one should pay special attention to their bathroom. This is because a bathroom is also indicative of your personal style. After all, what's the point of a nice clean home but a bathroom that looks neglected? Here are some methods to help you spruce it up:

- De-clutter your bathroom shelf. It is important to throw out all the unused and outdated shampoos, conditioners, face washes and all other personal hygiene products. You don't want to hoard expired products.

- Most of us often forget to get a new set of towels for the bathroom. You can wash and re-use them after your family or guests have utilized them but only up to a certain point.

- Clear out your bathroom cabinets of things that are more than a year old. Whether its hair bands, old scrunchies and other accessories, you need to replace them with new ones. Your bathroom shouldn't be used as a dump-yard.

- Soap dishes should be cleaned regularly. The soap residue that accumulates in the dish can become unhygienic.

- It's nice to buy a new toilet brush every six months, as they are used everyday and wear off faster - TNN

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How to give a sparkling look to your bathroom ?

Just like keeping the rest of your house clutter-free and hygienic, one should pay special attention to their bathroom. This is because a bathroom is also indicative of your personal style. After all, what's the point of a nice clean home but a bathroom that looks neglected? Here are some methods to help you spruce it up:

- De-clutter your bathroom shelf. It is important to throw out all the unused and outdated shampoos, conditioners, face washes and all other personal hygiene products. You don't want to hoard expired products.

- Most of us often forget to get a new set of towels for the bathroom. You can wash and re-use them after your family or guests have utilized them but only up to a certain point.

- Clear out your bathroom cabinets of things that are more than a year old. Whether its hair bands, old scrunchies and other accessories, you need to replace them with new ones. Your bathroom shouldn't be used as a dump-yard.

- Soap dishes should be cleaned regularly. The soap residue that accumulates in the dish can become unhygienic.

- It's nice to buy a new toilet brush every six months, as they are used everyday and wear off faster - Times of India

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