It’s one of those household items that you probably don’t think to clean as often as you should. I mean, it’s a bath, right? It gets filled with hot, soapy water every night, doesn’t it?
But according to bathroom experts Bathroom Supastore, your bath needs a proper clean more often than you might think. That’s because dirt and grime gets stuck in places, around drains and taps, settles into scratches and when bath water doesn’t drain fast, it can still leave dirt and grime residue behind – not something you really want to be soaking in. Supermarkets and homeware stores offer all sorts of products aimed at tackling grease and grime in baths, from sprays and creams to antibacterial disinfectants and various mould and mildew removers.
But you don’t need expensive chemical-laden products to bring your bath back to life – simply use washing up liquid, say bathroom experts.
It’s important not to use bleach, as this can stain and damage acrylic baths in particular.
Bathroom Supastore says: “Make sure that you use a sponge or soft cloth, ideally a microfiber one. Don’t use anything rough as this can cause scratches to the bath surface.
“Be sure to use a gentle cleaning solution. This mustn’t contain bleach of any sort, so be sure you read the labels on the big brand cleaning sprays.
“The best solution is to use is washing up liquid and warm water, as this creates a lovely bubbly solution. Which are essential for removing any grease or grime without too much elbow grease.
“This should be carried out as soon as the water has drained from the tub, whilst the bath is still warm, as this will help remove any grease.”
And if you’ve got a more upmarket bath colour, like matte black, you can’t even use washing up liquid as even that could be too abrasive.
They added: “If you’ve chosen a matt black look for your bathroom, you’ll need to be extra careful when it comes to cleaning. Any harsh cleaning product will cause the coating to become chipped or damaged. We would only recommend you use water and a soft cloth on this finish of bath waste and tap.”
It turns out that washing up liquid has all sorts of cleaning uses, also effective on shower screens and in microwaves.