Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Real Men Keep House |
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| se7en |
| 08/22/01 at 05:38:58 |
| Tackling the Bathroom By Ed Avis Are you looking for a way to score immediate chits with your wife? Then consider cleaning the bathroom. The bathroom is the Mt. Everest of house cleaning. It's got lots of surfaces to clean, and they're generally covered with unctuous grime. Consequently, cleaning the bathroom is the biggest chit generator of all. And, frankly, it's pretty darn satisfying to see the bathroom become clean. Tackling the bathroom isn't really that hard, and it gets easier with practice. But don't let your wife know this, or you'll get less credit than you deserve for this task. There are a few key ways to maximize your chits when cleaning the bathroom. First, leave the bath mat hanging on the outside of the tub after you've cleaned it. Then let your wife take the first shower after cleaning, so she'll notice your efforts as she puts the mat back in. Also, leave the bathroom rug and garbage can outside the door while the floor dries -- and as long after that as need until your wife notices these things in the hall and surmises that you've just cleaned the bathroom. "Wow, he cleaned the bathroom," she'll think lovingly as she trips over the garbage can in the hallway. Now, the nitty gritty. How do you clean the bathroom? Here's a lesson on how to do the job well and quickly. 1) Squirt toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet, making sure the stream goes right up under the rim. Let that sit while you do other parts of the bathroom. 2) Pick up the clutter. Towels, clothes, magazines...anything that's going to get in your way has to be stashed somewhere. The laundry hamper is a great place for most of it, and the trash is next. While you're at it, put away the stuff that's on top of the toilet tank and around the sink. Stick it all in the vanity or some other place where you're not going to be cleaning. 3) Sweep the floor. It's important to sweep the floor before any water splashes on it, or else all the dust and debris on the floor gets sticky and won't sweep up. Don't forget the corners and behind the toilet. Sweep everything towards the door, then into a dustpan at the threshhold. 4) The tub. The tub is the hardest part of the bathroom job, so tackle it next. First, put up any shampoo bottles or bars of soap that are standing around the edge. You're not going to want to put these items back around the tub until your wife has noticed that you cleaned, so find some semi-permanent new home for them. If you have a bath mat, leave it in the tub as you clean the top of it. Turn on the tub faucet to low so a bit of water splashes onto the mat, then spray the mat with a good layer of the spray bathroom cleaner. Take a firm bristle brush and rub the mat down. Then peel the mat off the floor of the tub and rinse it off in the faucet. Lay it back in the tub, upside down. Spray the bottom side with the cleaner, and scrub it with the brush. This should be pretty satisfying, as you'll usually dislodge some pretty gross mold on the underside of the mat. Then rinse the bottom of the mat off, and lay it on the floor outside the tub. Now spray the faucet, lower part of the enclosure, and the whole tub with a thin layer of cleaner. Wipe down the entire surface you've just sprayed, starting from the top and working down. All the gunk should collect in the bottom of the tub, from where you push into the drain with your sponge. Don't forget the top surfaces of the walls of the tub. This is pretty much all you need to do in your tub. Now take the bath mat and drape it over the side wall of the tub, with the bottom side up so it can air out. If there are a lot of yellow or black stains in the tub or in the grout on the wall, you'll need something stronger to clean it. But this can be a lot of work, so don't waste your time unless you're really trying to impress someone. If that is the case, one good bet is laundry bleach. Just make sure you don't mix the bleach with any ammonia product, or you'll create a deadly gas. When we have guests coming, I close the drain of the tub and pour straight bleach down the sides of the tub until there's a half inch of it on the bottom. I let that sit while I do the rest of the bathroom, then open the drain and rinse it out. That usually does a pretty good job of whitening everything. For dirty grout, I spray an extra amount of the spray cleaner on and then use the firm bristle brush right on the grout. This usually does the job. If it's seriously stained, about the only option is to buy this special whitening paint that covers the stains. 5) Toilet The toilet puts you into closest contact with the grossest scum, but cleaning that stuff up is also quite satisfying. The toilet cleaner has been sitting in the bowl for a while now. Use your toilet brush rub down all the surfaces inside the bowl, then flush the toilet to rinse it all down. Get on your knees and spray all the rest of the surfaces of the toilet, from the rim of the bowl to the bottom of the pedestal to the tank. Turn on the water in your sink, if it's close to your toilet, or fill up your bucket if it's not. Now wipe down every surface, wringing out your sponge in the water after every wipe. Especially filthy parts will be the very front of the bowl, the space behind the toilet seat, and the bottom of the pedestal. When you're done, put the seat down but leave the lid up. This will allow everything to dry quickly. 6) Sink and Mirror This is the one part of the bathroom that everybody sees, no matter what their visit to the bathroom is for, but it's pretty easy to clean. Spray all the surfaces with the spray cleaner, putting a little extra on the toothpaste "mints" welded to the sink. Turn on the faucet, wet your sponge, and wipe everything down, directing the excess water into the sink. Make sure you get right around the faucet, where a lot of crud collects. Depending how dirty your mirror is, you might be able to just take your damp sponge and wipe it down. If it's pretty bad, spray it with the bathroom cleaner first, then wipe it down. Then take the soiled hand towel hanging next to the sink and dry the mirror and the sink. 7) Floor The bathroom floor is the one floor in the house that should be mopped every week. However, using a mop in a room with as many obstacles as the bathroom is a hassle, so you'll have to get on your hands and knees with a sponge. Turn on the faucet or fill your bucket. Spray a very small amount of the bathroom cleaner on a few square feet of floor, then wipe it up with the sponge. Wring your sponge in the water, then do a few more square feet. Key areas are around the toilet and in front of the sink. Work towards the door, so you can clean the whole floor and end up outside. 9) Ending Empty the trash can, and once the floor is dry, put it back. If you have a bathroom rug, hang it upside down over the shower curtain bar. This allows the backside to air out. Voila! You're done. When you first do the bathroom, it will probably take you 30 minutes or more. Once you've done it a few times, though, you'll be able to knock it off in 15 minutes. That's a short amount of time for the appreciation you'll get from your wife. |
| Re: Real Men Keep House |
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| BroHanif |
| 08/22/01 at 06:29:03 |
| teaching men how to suck eggs next :) |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/22/01 at 11:36:02 |
| AA Thanks for the info! What's a chit? |
| NS |
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| se7en |
| 08/22/01 at 12:33:41 |
| as salaamu alaykum, I have no idea.. I think it means to like, score points with your wife :) I thought this was soo funny: [quote]Also, leave the bathroom rug and garbage can outside the door while the floor dries -- and as long after that as need until your wife notices these things in the hall and surmises that you've just cleaned the bathroom. "Wow, he cleaned the bathroom," she'll think lovingly as she trips over the garbage can in the hallway.[/quote] |
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| meraj |
| 08/22/01 at 17:46:14 |
| slm, my sister and i already take turns cleaning the bathroom, but this had some good pointers in it... good stuff se7en ;-D |
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| The-Doctor |
| 08/23/01 at 01:35:51 |
| [slm] Swiffer does wonders too. I dunno how dusty your homes are, but this stuff just pulls it right off the floor. In fact it will pull dust/dirt that you otherwise might not have seen. I highly recommend it. Since we're on the topic, what kind of detergent do you guys use? I've come to the conclusion that most of the detergents out there are pretty much the same. Here's a nice tip for getting stains out: Get some of that 14 mule soap powder AKA borox. They call it 14 mule because apparently it took 14 mules to haul the stuff out. Anyway so you've got your washing machine filling with water and your fave brand of detergent, pour 1/3-1/2 cup of borox. Also you can make your own borox paste, where you get some water and borox and mix it, just a little water enough to make it pastey. Then use the borox stuff on the stain(s). Note: I'm not responsible for ruined clothing etc, nothing that I've washed the borox with has been ruined but always read the box and use caution ;) I am not a chemist so there's no telling what these mixtures will do. Also Dawn Powerplus, the dark blue soap. This stuff rocks. I'll challenge anyones soap with Dawn Powerplus, thats how confident I am that this stuff will eradicate any grease. Hahah! :) |
| hahaahah.. |
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| princess |
| 08/23/01 at 11:28:53 |
| as'salaamualikum ;-D [quote]2) Pick up the clutter. Towels, clothes, magazines...anything that's going to get in your way has to be stashed somewhere. The laundry hamper is a great place for most of it[/quote] ;-D hahahah..;-D this is EXACTLY why everyone in my house has their [i]own[/i] hampers :) what's borox? ??? i've never heard of that :) feamanAllah ;-D |
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| eleanor |
| 08/23/01 at 14:19:20 |
| slm My husband is the best bathroom cleaner in my household. He claims the best way to keep the bathroom clean is to spray on bathroom cleaner directly after your shower and when you're done drying yourself and so on, then rinse it off. Same for the sink, spray on the cleaner before you get in the shower and then rinse it off after you're done. He also says if you notice hair or stuff on the floor then *don't wait till later* but just grab a bit of toilet paper and gather it all together and flush it away. He works on the "don't put off till tomorrow.." principle and it generally means that you never have a big bathroom cleaning task. Just the floor, max. The only flaw in his perfect plan is....me! ;-D I work *solely* on the "do it later" idea... and then two or three weeks later I have a big bathroom cleaning marathon. (well I would if he wasn't around). wasalaam eleanor |
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| se7en |
| 08/25/01 at 03:56:48 |
| [quote]When we have guests coming, I close the drain of the tub and pour straight bleach down the sides of the tub until there's a half inch of it on the bottom. I let that sit while I do the rest of the bathroom, then open the drain and rinse it out. That usually does a pretty good job of whitening everything. [/quote] yo that bleach thing really works. :) question -- can you put bathroom rugs in the washing machine? |
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| AbdulBasir |
| 08/25/01 at 10:21:18 |
| [quote] He works on the "don't put off till tomorrow.." principle and it generally means that you never have a big bathroom cleaning task. [/quote] [slm] Eleanor, your husband's got it right, it's all about being pre-emptive. You save so much time in the long run. The quick daily clean-rinse works; it might sound a bit crazy at first, but it does. Why spend a hour dying from toxic fumes, straining your back, scrubbing all this soap scum and trying to scrape off all the mildew between the tiles when you could walk into a sparkling clean bathroom every day? And all it takes is just 10 seconds of work eacy day! No more mildew or soap scum ever! They even have "daily shower cleaners" that you just spray on if you don't want to use the cleaner and then rinse. You just spray and you're on your way! And that's it! I'm starting to sound like an infomercial. By the way, anyone seen this steam cleaner thing on TV? Just saw it recently, all it does is give off high pressured steam and makes cleaning easier? Looked a little bit to easy to me and fake, but it had me wondering? Anyone know of it or use it? [quote] question -- can you put bathroom rugs in the washing machine? [/quote] You can wash them in the washing machine but you have to be careful, particularly if you're gonna put them in the dryer too. The rubber matting on the bottom can get cracked and scrape off. But the rugs do get clean and the rug itself never gets damaged. Not a bad idea to do it now and then and vacuum them in the interim. [slm]:) |
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| The-Doctor |
| 08/25/01 at 22:49:01 |
| [slm] [quote] yo that bleach thing really works. :) question -- can you put bathroom rugs in the washing machine? [/quote] Yeah you should be able too, why not? I mean you could wash them by hand but then it'll take ages. Drying them in the dryer is another story. I think the rugs end up getting ruined if you put them in dryer, better to let them air dry. |
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| meraj |
| 08/26/01 at 00:17:28 |
| slm, yeah se7en.. what they said :) you can wash em in the washer, just make sure you hang dry them.. cause the rubber cracks and falls off. |
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| jannah |
| 08/26/01 at 03:37:42 |
| wlm, u guys have to be kidding... u can wash those bathroom mats.. ie not the cloth kinda mats, not like prayer rugs, but the big fat rugs with rubber on the back in the washing machine??? what about all the threads/yarn and stuff.. what if they come out and get clogged or something.. no way.. i think our washing machine will blow up.. better that we chuck it and spend the 10 bucks to get a new one!! |
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| se7en |
| 08/26/01 at 03:52:25 |
| jannah *three* people said you can.. the washing machine will not blow up!! |
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| jannah |
| 08/26/01 at 03:55:05 |
| ok.. i'd like to see you bundle up all your laundry, carry it the four blocks to the laundromat along with 6 rolls of quaters, detergent and a basket...u know that commercial on TV where the woman starts hugging and kissing strangers in the laundromat and says goodbye to them cause she just bought a new washing machine.. well that won't be US!!! think twice let's go to wal-mart...! |
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| meraj |
| 08/26/01 at 05:01:52 |
| slm, jannah give it up.. 4 against 1 ;) as a matter of fact, my mom washed the rugs form the kitchen today and had me hang dry them outside... i knwo they're not bathroom rugs but they're basically made of the exact same materials. last time she put them in the dryer, they got messed up and the rubber started to come off in chunks, but hang drying them is fine :) so there ;-D |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/26/01 at 21:52:05 |
| slm [quote]but the big fat rugs with rubber on the back in the washing machine??? what about all the threads/yarn and stuff.. what if they come out and get clogged or something.. no way.. i think our washing machine will blow up[/quote] A few weeks ago the washing machine here wasn't working right. It wouldn't drain the water properly. You know what happened? ??? The drainage pipe had some of those yarn bits in it, and then the pipe was replaced with a new drainage pipe, and it worked fine. What had happened was that a bathroom rug was washed in it and clogged the drainage pipe. I think the best solution is to get a thinner bathroom rug, not one that is so thick. |
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| AbdulBasir |
| 08/26/01 at 14:25:31 |
| [slm] So I guess the moral of the story then is that you [i]can[/i] wash bathroom rugs in the washing machine, but to be safe don't use your own washing machine... [slm]:) |
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| Saleema |
| 08/26/01 at 20:30:54 |
| [slm] We wash our bathroom rugs once a month in the washing machine. We have been doing it for years. Just make sure that it's not some cheap rug. :) [wlm] Saleema |
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| eleanor |
| 08/27/01 at 05:31:48 |
| slm I've washed my bathroom rugs loads of times in the washing machine and no probs. Make sure you don't set the spin frequency too high, water not too hot and then nothing can go wrong. Having a decent washing machine helps too I suppose. Brother AbdulBasir, the problem is I *know* my husband is right I'm just too darned lazy ... but I'm changing..slowly but surely..for the better..Insha Allah wasalaam eleanor |
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| Lisha |
| 09/01/01 at 01:42:49 |
| slm we wash our rugs in the washing machine all the time, but alhamdulillah our rugs arn't damaged yet:) to top it off we hav a realy old machine!!! .. and insh'allah it won't blow up;) take care, w'salaam |
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| se7en |
| 10/19/01 at 08:04:44 |
as salaamu alaykum, another question -- is there any way to un-shrink something you put in the dryer? |
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| shadow493 |
| 10/19/01 at 08:51:54 |
| umm hello se7en its called... S T R E T C H I N G sheesh... |
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| meraj |
| 10/19/01 at 10:57:08 |
| slm, se7en, ignore adami :) yeah you can stretch stuff, but you usually have to make it wet first.. then place somethign inside of it to hold its stretched shape until it dries :) |
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