An independent reference about bathrooms and the wet rooms of a home. We sell nothing and do no work; we are not connected with the former site on this domain. Trust electrics, gas and shared building pipes only to specialists.
Care
A bathroom is not ruined by one big disaster but by lots of little things: drops nobody wiped off the glass, a towel drying in a bunch, an exhaust fan whose grille has long been clogged with dust. The good news is that most of these little things are fixed by habits, not renovations. Below is care by fixture and by season. Use any product per the manufacturer's instructions and never mix different products with one another.
Glass wiped right after a shower never has to be scrubbed free of deposits later.
How this section works: we share habits that help a bathroom stay dry and clean, and we do not name brands, models or cleaning products. The manufacturer's instructions will tell you what to use on a particular surface, and any new product should first be tried on an inconspicuous spot.
What to keep an eye on in the everyday life of a bathroom, toilet and laundry nook.
After a shower, wipe the water off the shower walls and leave the door ajar so the grout has time to dry. Remove dark specks right away, before they set in. If sealant has come away or blackened from within, it is not cleaned but replaced.
The strainer in the tub and shower drain catches hair, and cleaning it often is easier than taking the trap apart later. If water starts draining more slowly, begin with mechanical cleaning. Use drain products only per the instructions and do not mix them.
The aerator screen on the spout collects sand and scale, and the stream turns uneven. You can remove and rinse it as described in the faucet's instructions. If a faucet drips or leaks at the base, call a plumber rather than tightening it harder.
Wipe the dust off the fan grille without reaching inside, and check the draw with a sheet of paper from time to time. If the mirror fogs up for longer and the draw has weakened, let the building management know: they maintain the shared ventilation duct.
Drops on shower glass and on the mirror leave hard-water marks. The easiest thing is not to let them dry: go over the glass with a squeegee or a soft cloth right after a shower. Abrasives and harsh scrubbers leave scratches where deposits then cling.
Towels and robes dry faster when they hang spread out rather than piled on one hook. Straighten the shower curtain after a shower and wash it per the care label before dark spots appear in the folds. Do not leave wet laundry sitting in the washing machine for long.
The mat by the tub should lie flat and not slide. Dry it rather than leaving it wet on the floor, and wash it per the care label. If the non-slip backing has worn off or started to crumble, it is time for a new mat.
Tile and mosaic, grout and sealants, moisture-resistant panels and paints, flooring, glass and curtains: what to consider when choosing. Plus our article catalogue.
How to renew the sealant around a tub, clean a sink trap and refresh tile grout lines, calmly and following the manufacturer's instructions.
What to keep on hand for inspections, small repairs and leaks: from a flashlight and a level to a bucket and rags.
Domfordom's advice is written in general terms and is based on the instructions of finish and plumbing fixture manufacturers and on guidance from building management. Check the label for sealant or grout drying times and for how to use a cleaning product, and leave electrics, gas and shared building pipes to specialists.