So, I have to clean my bathroom. Any experts?

Dodge Aspen

Now, I'm not really expecting to find many maids, janitors or housekeepers on the Penny Arcade Forums, but I thought you guys might have some tips.

My wife is pregnant, which is awesome. I'm gonna be a father in January. Very excited. Thing is, she's getting kind of big, and is unable to do some of the household chores that she usually does, so the responsibility falls to me.

I don't mind doing some extra work around the house, but the bathroom is causing me some headaches. I've left it a little too long, and some sort of black film has formed in the bathtub. It comes off, but I am scrubbing the shit out of it to make it move. I keep thinking there has got to be an easier way. I'm using this Lysol foamy stuff. Any tips on a really good cleaner? Is there anything I can do to keep it from getting that way other than doing it every other day?

tl;dr: Does anyone know a good cleaner for bathrooms, or any general tips for keeping a bathroom from getting grungy if it's neglected for a week or two?

Kato

Make sure you are using some sort of mold and mildew remover. That will help a lot. Otherwise, it's a place in the house that you have to keep up with and clean it...at least once a week. twice would be better. We also use that cleaning stuff that you spray on the walls after your shower. It really helps to make sure that the mold and mildew isn't coming back and makes it much easier when you do the full cleaning job. But we make good use of Tilex and 409. Seems to do pretty good.

DiscoZombie

shouldn't you just ask your wife what she did when she used to clean it

really, mildew doesn't come out easy. a good mildew remover and a lot of scrubbing is the only way. Sometimes plain old bleach is good, I think, though you must be careful not to mix it with ammonia lest you mustard gas yourself.

Dehumanized

Yeah, get some mold remover spray and use that. Spray it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it off. Might have to repeat a few times because you've went a while without cleaning. Get strong cleaning products so you don't have to do as much work.

Octoparrot

I just bring a jug of bleach into the shower, turn the shower on, pour a bit out, stand on top of a sponge and kick it around with my foot to scrub it. Cleans up real easy. But now that I write this, the pure bleach splashing around plus balancing on one foot in the shower actually doesn't sound like the best idea. So make one of those 1 cap to 1 cup mixtures, leave it on top of the black stuff for bout 5 minutes, and do it by hand.

Quoth

You can also mix bleach and water in a spray bottle and liberally spray the "black" areas, then let it sit for about ten minutes to a half hour. You can then scrub with a scrubby brush or sponge, or just rinse if that does the job. Don't let your wife in there while the bleach is sitting; I don't imagine bleach is good for preggos. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards, or use gloves.

The foam stuff is good for the rest of the tub and the walls. Spray on, let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off with paper towels or a cloth and rinse.

Daedalus

There is this stuff that's basically powdered bleach in a can. It's usually under the name "AJAX" or "Comet" and it should be very inexpensive.

This is the stuff you use. This and a stiff sponge or brush or pad or whatever.

You may want to wear gloves.

Lukin

Comet powder is nuclear-powered.

Septus

Is the black stuff on the tub itself? I get that, and at first it looks like it's fairly well stuck on there, but get some comet and a scrubber and go to town. If you scrub hard enough, you should see it coming off.

Any specific recommendations on black mildew on the caulk sealing the tub? I've tried mildew sprays and comet, and it won't come off, and I imagine that steel wool or something would be so rough that I'd be tearing up the caulk as I get rid of the mildew.

EggyToast

DiscoZombie wrote: »

shouldn't you just ask your wife what she did when she used to clean it

I'm sure he meant this lightheartedly, but, really, if she normally does this, just ask her. You may have something under the sink that you don't even know about.

Everywhereasign

I got advice on here from someone a while back to use "Kaboom" the stuff that Billy Mays goes on about. I use "BAM" both require gloves and I use a mask, but it really really does what is says, all the dark soap scum just falls off.

You can't leave it on more then a few seconds or it will leave marks as it starts to dissolve the tub/wall/tile etc. Really really scary powerful but works wonders.

Dodge Aspen

EggyToast wrote: »

DiscoZombie wrote: »

shouldn't you just ask your wife what she did when she used to clean it

I'm sure he meant this lightheartedly, but, really, if she normally does this, just ask her. You may have something under the sink that you don't even know about.

Oh, I do what she always does: Scrub the shit out of it, and it comes off eventually. I just thought there might be an easier way, and maybe a way to keep it from coming back so fast. By the sounds of things, there is no easy fix. Good ol' elbow grease is what I've been using, and I guess I'll keep it up. I just need to remember to do it regularly, so it's not a fucking 5 star workout every time I decide it's time. Thanks for the tips.

Weretaco

Another neat thing (I'm a total neat freak who loves cool new cleaning supplies) is one of those expandable shower scrubbers.

It has a replaceable pad that sticks to the bottom of the pole. I can just spray down the shower with cleaner and scrub it about then rinse it down all with the pad on a pole deal

Not having to bend over and scrub makes me a happier cleaner

Quoth

Septus wrote: »

Any specific recommendations on black mildew on the caulk sealing the tub? I've tried mildew sprays and comet, and it won't come off, and I imagine that steel wool or something would be so rough that I'd be tearing up the caulk as I get rid of the mildew.

Spray bleach on it and let it sit for a while. That's the only thing that works for me.

Eat it You Nasty Pig.

Honestly indoor bleach is a great answer to most bathroom cleaning situations. Bathtubs, toilets, tile/linoleum floors. You can even mix the liquid kind with water and do mirrors/windows, so that you avoid any chance of mixing it with ammonia.

wunderbar

Comet is the shit.

And ya, be careful with liquid bleach. it's actually stronger than a lot of people know. At the pool I work at we have a few bottles as a second backup to help balance(raise) the chlorine levels in our pool. It's pretty much the weakest way for us to chlorinate the pool, and we've never had to actually use it for that purpose, as it would require our primary, and backup chlorine solutions to be empty/failed, at which point we usually just close the pool. We use it mostly as a dis-infectant when our normal dis-infectant can't do the job. It's funny, when I use bleach at home, I will dilute it, and wear gloves if I remember. When I handle it at work, I have to wear thick rubber gloves, eye protection, and a respirator mask for the fumes. Kinda scary/weird.

Big Dookie

Quoth wrote: »

Septus wrote: »

Any specific recommendations on black mildew on the caulk sealing the tub? I've tried mildew sprays and comet, and it won't come off, and I imagine that steel wool or something would be so rough that I'd be tearing up the caulk as I get rid of the mildew.

Spray bleach on it and let it sit for a while. That's the only thing that works for me.

If it's really bad, it might be better to just scrape the old mildewy caulk out of there and re-caulk. It's not difficult to do, and it looks really nice when you're done.

Eat it You Nasty Pig.

wunderbar wrote: »

Comet is the shit.

And ya, be careful with liquid bleach. it's actually stronger than a lot of people know. At the pool I work at we have a few bottles as a second backup to help balance(raise) the chlorine levels in our pool. It's pretty much the weakest way for us to chlorinate the pool, and we've never had to actually use it for that purpose, as it would require our primary, and backup chlorine solutions to be empty/failed, at which point we usually just close the pool. We use it mostly as a dis-infectant when our normal dis-infectant can't do the job. It's funny, when I use bleach at home, I will dilute it, and wear gloves if I remember. When I handle it at work, I have to wear thick rubber gloves, eye protection, and a respirator mask for the fumes. Kinda scary/weird.

That is probably outdoor bleach. Which is pretty hardcore stuff (I played with it a lot too, back when I used to work at a pool.)

There is indoor, consumer-strength liquid bleach too, though, which is much less intense.

Trillian

Septus wrote: »

Is the black stuff on the tub itself? I get that, and at first it looks like it's fairly well stuck on there, but get some comet and a scrubber and go to town. If you scrub hard enough, you should see it coming off.

Any specific recommendations on black mildew on the caulk sealing the tub? I've tried mildew sprays and comet, and it won't come off, and I imagine that steel wool or something would be so rough that I'd be tearing up the caulk as I get rid of the mildew.

Get a scrub brush and some diluted bleach in a spray bottle. Spray the bleach on and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then scrub your life away. It'll come off eventually once the mildew dies

RNEMESiS42

DiscoZombie wrote: »

Sometimes plain old bleach is good, I think, though you must be careful not to mix it with ammonia lest you mustard gas yourself.

Chlorine gas*

supabeast

I’ll let you in on my secret bathroom cleaner: twice a month we leave a check for $140 on the dining table and a half-dozen El Salvadorans show up around 11 am and clean. It’s fab, and they use all their own tools and chemicals so I don’t have all that toxic shit sitting around the rest of the time.

Desert_Eagle25

Google "comet cleaner." Shit will tear through anything.

Wezoin

Another idea you might consider, depending on how long is still left in the pregnancy, is one of those automatic shower cleaners from Scrubbing Bubbles. I think they are something like $20 and automatically clean your shower everyday. Haven't really tried one but I'd imagine it must work somewhat decently, and it would prevent you from getting to this stage again.

DrFrylock

If only there were a site on how to clean anything...

Donovan Puppyfucker

We have this stuff in Australia called Domestos. They make a 'hospital grade' liquid cleaning product that I just wipe on with a sponge, leave it for a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly. It gets scum, grease, mould and mildew, calcium buildup, anything off. I do have to have both bathroom doors open, the extractor fan on and a pedestal fan blowing through the bathroom to stop the fumes from overpowering me though, so it's probably best to get the pregnant missus out of the house for 10 to 15 minutes while you do it! If the buildup is intense, a quick once-over with a scrubbing brush will help.

Other stuff like to use is called Shower Power. You just give the shower a quick spray, leave it for a minute, then rise. I do it every couple of days, it's great, but it doesn't get rid of mould and mildew very well. That's when the Domestos comes out of the laundry cupboard...

fadridrocky

Dodge Aspen wrote:

Dodge Aspen wrote: »

Now, I'm not really expecting to find many maids, janitors or housekeepers on the Penny Arcade Forums, but I thought you guys might have some tips.

My wife is pregnant, which is awesome. I'm gonna be a father in January. Very excited. Thing is, she's getting kind of big, and is unable to do some of the household chores that she usually does, so the responsibility falls to me.

I don't mind doing some extra work around the house, but the bathroom is causing me some headaches. I've left it a little too long, and some sort of black film has formed in the bathtub. It comes off, but I am scrubbing the shit out of it to make it move. I keep thinking there has got to be an easier way. I'm using this Lysol foamy stuff. Any tips on a really good cleaner? Is there anything I can do to keep it from getting that way other than doing it every other day?

tl;dr: Does anyone know a good cleaner for bathrooms, or any general tips for keeping a bathroom from getting grungy if it's neglected for a week or two?

First of all congrats man. Now from cleaning point of view you can go to market and purchase some magic cleaning solution for bathroom. Take a wiper or wet cloth something like towel to clean your bathroom. SO simple without any headache.:)

iMatt

Septus wrote: »

Any specific recommendations on black mildew on the caulk sealing the tub? I've tried mildew sprays and comet, and it won't come off, and I imagine that steel wool or something would be so rough that I'd be tearing up the caulk as I get rid of the mildew.

Remove all caulk from around the tub. Reapply anti-mould caulk. Laugh at never having to do this again!

I kid - I end up recaulking every 3 years with the anti-mould stuff but it's not a big job

when you get your father the plumber to do it!

Zilla360

Man, if there was a way to game-ify cleaning the bathroom, I would clean the shit of my tub.

Curse my laziness.

iMatt

Zilla360 wrote: »

Man, if there was a way to game-ify cleaning the bathroom, I would clean the shit of my tub.

Curse my laziness.

Epic Win on iOS - it turns every dull task into rewarding diablo quest style joy!

zepherin

Steam cleaning the tub is the fastest way I've done it, normally if your cleaning it is not because of the prep and progression time, but if that shit is on there good, you may want to bust up a steam cleaner on it. Also steam mops are farking awesome for cleaning bathroom floors.