Saturday, November 24, 2012

Bathtub Blues...

I used to store cleaning supplies underneath each bathroom sink. This served two purposes: 1. The supplies were right where I needed them, and 2. I always had back-up if I ran out in one room. Then one day when I was buying double cleaning supplies, I found this caddy at the grocery store. I decided to buy it and reduce the amount of supplies I kept on hand. This also freed up space under the counter in one bathroom, which was sorely needed.

If you are like me, you have tried an assortment of cleaning products to clean the bathtub. I have tried them all - Mr. Clean, Pine-Sol, KaBoom, Barkeeper's Friend, even WD-40! Yes, at one time people swore by the petroleum-based product as a grease and grime fighting agent. Finally, I settled on the combination of Mr. Clean and his Magic Eraser. I tried the Magic Eraser with other cleaners, but nothing else worked as well. 


I had Mr. Clean on my grocery list when a friend and co-worker suggested a homemade substitute - white vinegar mixed with Dawn Dish soap. She swore by it; it could be made with ingredients i already had on hand; and it was inexpensive - especially compared to buying the pre-made cleaning liquids from the store. I vowed to try her simple recipe, but forgot about it before my next trip to the grocery store. However, a couple of weeks ago I ran out of Mr. Clean and remembered my friend's recipe. I grabbed the Dawn from under the sink and a bottle of white vinegar from the cabinet and headed to the bathroom. I turned the drain stopper, squirted some dish soap in the tub, and splashed some vinegar on top. Using the Magic Eraser, I went to work cleaning the weekly build-up of dirt and grime. I was amazed at how quickly I had a sparkling clean bathtub. The mixture cut my cleaning time in half and gave me the cleanest tub I have had in years.






When I returned to work the following Monday, I asked my friend what ratio she used and if she mixed the two products together before using. She said she mixed hers into a recycled squeeze bottle using a 3:1 ratio, vinegar to dish soap. I have since made my own mixture in a recycled bottle. You might want to do the same.