Cleaning Hard Water Deposits Off Your Shower Hardware

As I have made abundantly clear on this blog, I love bubble baths, but nothing irritates me more than a dirty bathtub. It just will not do. Among my many pet cleaning peeves is the ever persistent hard water stain. Caused by the minerals naturally occurring in most water sources, as the water droplets dry on your bath hardware, or glass doors the water leaves behind a white mineral deposit. Over time this can build up to become quite the unsightly mess, and can not be removed with just soap and water. 

I recently searched online for a method, free of harsh chemicals, to take care of the water stains on my bath tub faucet and handle. I found white vinegar a popular natural alternative but most recommended an over night treatment involving removing the hardware and soaking it in vinegar for 24 hours. Or, filling a bag with vinegar and securing it to the shower head or faucet and letting it sit over night, or soaking paper towels in the vinegar and draping it over the fixtures for the 24 hours. I wanted faster, easier results.

I read that one professional house cleaner wipes down the affected area with oil and then scrapes the deposits  off with a razor blade, so I gave that a try. Here are my results.

Before

After

I was quite pleased with the outcome. The oil really shines up the fixture and the mineral deposits are gone, it feels as smooth as a new fixture. Sadly, there are some permanent stains because I live in an apartment and it appears that past tenants tried cleaning the fixtures with steel wool, which gets a temporary result but scratches the surface of the metal so much that it creates a nice foot hold for future deposits to linger upon. The quality of the fixtures is also very cheap, so it stains easily. Despite all of this, I feel that the oil makes a big difference, even more noticeable in real life, the pictures don't really do it as much justice as I would have liked. 

Hopefully in the future, we can avoid hard water stains by wiping down the metal surfaces with a towel after a shower, or spritzing it with some white vinegar which I feel would make a great maintenance option. In the case of glass doors, keep a squeegee hung in the shower and just squeegee the door before getting out of the shower. Even doing this once in a while will help lessen the mineral build up. 

I understand that this approach is time consuming when you are dealing with a large glass surface, but when properly maintained it shouldn't require your attention as often.  When you do have to tackle the big glass doors, add a little lemon essential oil to your mix and enjoy the lovely scent, (lemon is also naturally acidic and will help dissolve the mineral buildup, as well as kill germs) turn on some music and take the time to contemplate the universe. Also, pat yourself on the back  for keeping your cleaning habits healthy for you and the environment. Your hands will be so soft and lovely after all oil you use, your mood will be lifted from the lemon oil, and your bath will be sparkling clean! I use my favorite body oil, which happens to be apricot but any oil will do nicely.

If  you'd like to remove the oil residue from your glass door, wash down with a scrub brush using a mixture of water and white vinegar,  then squeegee off. In the case of fixtures you can buff off access oil with a clean towel.

Now, reward your hard work with a bubble bath! 

Happy cleaning!

-Domestic Diva 

Make way, for new baby!

My Closet

I love to organize and de-clutter. For me, it is a passion, a hobby, and a form of creative self expression. Making labels is an art I take very seriously. Color coordinating my clothes is fun and entertaining. Singing cleanup songs around the house occur with the same frequency as "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" it's just who I am.

But the moment I get pregnant, Tidy Heidi joins forces with Mrs. No Nick-knack Nickerson and together they sweep through the house uprooting everything in its wake asking the hard questions a less hormonal version of myself doesn't think to ask. Or doesn't honestly answer....

"Do you LOVE this?"
"Do you NEED this?"
"Have you used this in the last year, how about the last six months?"
"Does it fill your heart with joy?"
"Where are you going to be in the next year, is it coming with you?"
"Really?"
"Honestly?"
"Just answer the question, yes or no."

Maybe it's the thrill of a new life inside me, and all the promise that baby holds. The future bringing me closer to that moment when another human being enters the stage of life and ripples through the eternities leaving everything changed. But I feel such an urgency to make way for growth. For baby. For new life. I want to make room for everything wonderful this child will bring into our home.

And I'm starting today.
Wish me luck.
The next nine months are going to be awesome!

-DD

Golden moment #24 Organizing!!!!

Golden Moment for June 22, was creating order on the shelf above my washer and dryer. Sure, it wasn't TERRIBLE, I have scarier messes lurking behind closed doors in my house, but it just wasn't functional.  Here is my before picture.

As you can see this shelf is becoming a bit of a "catch all" so I thought it best to stop this in it's tracks. I also have the problem of a toddler who keeps getting into my cleaning supplies under the bathroom sink and wanted to re-locate those things to above the washing machine. And I needed to gather all of my laundry supplies into one basket I could easily pull down when I did a load of laundry, here is my after shot!

I'm quite pleased with the result, it's already making my chores easier. Fred Meyer only had three of the baskets I needed in the right size, so now I'm on the hunt for one more! But what really makes my heart sing over this set up are my LABELS! I love labels, labels make things look pleasant and exciting, and organized! But these labels make chore time ADORABLE! Check out my lovely label close up!

I highly recommend making fun labels for yourself. I made these with scrapbooking paper I already had lying around and then I just had them laminated. I have to admit, this label making business is fun work....I might be posting more label projects in the very near future. Once you start, it's really, REALLY hard to stop....

What is on your best working organized system in your home?
What needs tackling, that you've been putting off?

-The Domestic Diva

Squeaky clean golden moment #4

It was a grey, rainy, spring day. The sort of day that makes you want to throw open the windows so your house fills up with that fresh smell of rain. So I did. And then, I started cleaning. A lot. Seven loads of laundry, three loads of dishes, picked up the bedrooms, vacuumed the house, dusted, and scrubbed the bathrooms. It was a glorious day of cleaning, and to make it even more enjoyable was my wonderful little magic bottle of "Purify" the most delightfully clean smelling "anti-everything that makes you squirm" essential oil.

Ahh, that blissful feeling after a good day of cleaning, when you can sit back and enjoy that feeling of freshness all around you. I love it. Gold, absolute squeaky clean gold.

What is your favorite chore? Do you have one you always put off till the last minute? Out of your arsenal of cleaning products, which is your go to favorite?