Tips Tuesday! The Bathroom Shower

Kitchen is finished. Time to move onto the bathroom. It may be the smallest room in the house, but it makes the biggest demands on your time.

Shower

To get rid of mineral deposits in a clogged shower head, remove the shower head fixture and take out the rubber washer. If it's a metal fixture, boil in 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 quart of water for 15 minutes. Soak a plastic shower head in equal amounts of hot water and vinegar.

Glass shower doors will come clean when rubbed with a sponge soaked in white vinegar. Rinse with cool water. And you'll stay cleaner longer if you spray them lightly with furniture polish, and then wipe.

To wash shower curtains, fill the washing machine with warm water and two large bath towels. Add a 1/2 cup each of detergent and baking soda. Then wash, adding 1 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Do not spin dry or wash vinegar out. Hang immediately and wrinkles will disappear when completely dry.

To prevent mildew from forming on new shower curtains, soak in salt water before hanging for the first time.

Baking soda removes mildew from small areas.

A toothbrush and any spray cleaner works wonders on shower door runners.

Bad stains: Mix a paste of peroxide and cream of tartar. Scrub and rinse thoroughly. If stains persist, reapply paste and add a drop or two of ammonia. Let stand for two hours and scrub again.

Light stains: Rub with a cut lemon.

Dark stains or rust: Rub with a paste of borax and lemon juice.

Yellowed tub: Rub with a solution of salt and turpentine. Rinse well.

For an all-purpose homemade cleaner, mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup clear ammonia and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon hot water. Be sure the room is well-ventilated and wear rubber gloves. This works greater for fiberglass, porcelain and metal fixtures.