The GoVacuum Blog

In continuation of our “In the Cupboard” series dedicating to helping you clean your home with natural ingredients that are readily available, we move our attention to the place considered by some the hardest to clean: the bathroom.

Toilet Bowl
• Baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush
• Borax and lemon juice. For removing stubborn stains, mix borax and lemon juice into a paste cover the stain. Flush toilet to wet the sides, then rub on paste. Let sit for a few minutes and then scrub with a toilet brush.
• Combine 1 cup borax with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Flush to wet the sides of the bowl and sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, then spray with vinegar. Leave for several hours or overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
• Combine liquid castile soap and baking soda or Borax and scrub with a toilet brush.

Note: Denture tablets are an excellent substitute for toilet cleaner. Drop two tablets into the bowl and clean as normal.

Tile and Tub
• Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge. Scour and rinse.
• Apply full strength vinegar to a sponge and wipe the area. Then place baking soda on sponge and scrub. Rinse thoroughly 3) Vinegar. Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Use 1/4 cup (or more) vinegar to 1 gallon water.
• Dip a half a lemon in borax and rub the area. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
• To clean grout, mix 3 cups baking soda with 1 cup warm water. Use a toothbrush or sponge to clean grout and rinse when done.

Metal Shower Heads
Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar with one quart water. Submerge the shower head and boil for 15 minutes.

Plastic Shower Heads
Combine 1 pint white vinegar with 1 pint hot water. Completely submerge the shower head and soak for one hour.

Rust and Hard Water Deposit Remover
Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until spot disappears. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

Plumbing Fixtures
• For stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures: dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water. Wipe on fixtures then rinse.
• Cover lime deposits around faucets with paper towels soaked in vinegar. Leave for an hour and then scrub clean.

Drain Cleaner
Use once a week to keep drains fresh and unclogged:
1/2 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar
1 gallon boiling water
1/2 a used lemon
Pour baking soda down the drain, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing with boiling water.

Porcelain Cleaner
Rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp cloth.

Mildew Remover
Dissolve half-cup vinegar with half-cup borax in warm water.