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 

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?

The art of relaxation

There are some things in life we are born good at, there's no denying it, we have a natural God given gift and talent. One of those things for me, is relaxing. I LOVE to relax.  This entry is all about setting up the perfect bath and meditation I use to help myself relax.

My bath sweetner of choice is Epsom salt and an essential oil I'm in the mood for. I buy all of my oils through the DoTerra company.  They are quite simply the best producer of essential oil in the world once you've used their oils you will never use anything else. I favor grapefruit for a pick me up and their serenity blend for relaxation. Be sure and light your candle, have a cool glass of water or your favorite juice nearby and some gentle music. My favorite relaxing music is "Sleep" by lifescapes.

As I lounge in my bath, I like to meditate. Sometimes I listen to a guided meditation cd, I like "Getting into the Vortex" personally.  Or I read a meditation written by Maureen Garth from one of her popular guided meditation books for children.  Or I fall back on my own favorite meditation in which I imagine the light and energy of kind loving hands hovering just above my body starting at the top of my head. As the hands pass over my head and slowly move across me, ending with my feet, I concentrate on each area of my body the hands hover over and focus on relaxing that part of my body. As the hands move toward my feet, I imagine all negative energy or ill health is gently being pushed toward my feet and pours out the bottom of my feet. As soon as the stress and anxiety touch the air (or water in the bath)  it is released as golden light, and is transformed into health and vitality. The most important part of this meditation is simply to not let your mind wander. It may take a while to imagine moving from the top of your head to your tippy toes, don't let your thoughts veer off.

I also find it helpful to imagine the healing hands hovering over me are those of my husband, as he is the one person I feel most safe and secure with, and who's love I trust implicitly.

So my divas, take some time today and go relax. You'll be happy you did, trust me. I think one of the easiest talents to foster is that of pampering and loving oneself. Most people just don't take the time to do it, but once you do, I think you'll find it comes quite naturally.

Take a hot bath with bubbles
Forget all your troubles!

The Domestic Diva