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An easy to clean bathroom - please give me your idea's

29 replies

ICantFindAFreeNickName · 09/05/2014 22:58

We are about to re-do our bathroom from scratch. It's only a small room (approx 1.8m x 2m). I'm very lazy and hate housework, so please can you give me your best idea's to make it as easy to clean as possible.
We were thinking a wall hung toilet might make floor cleaning easy, is this true? Are matt or shiny tiles better, or should we try a shower panel? Please give me any idea's you can.

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ALifeOfPie · 09/05/2014 23:02

Panelling on the walls instead of tiles is definitely a good idea - it's made a huge difference for us. Also build in some very shallow storage so that you can keep all toiletries and paraphenalia put away - a lot of the effort of cleaning is in having to move everything to wipe the surfaces, if you can keep your surfaces clear then cleaning will just be a quick spray and wipe around.

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littleblackno · 09/05/2014 23:08

I currently have a wall hung toilet and am having my bathroom done and definatly don't want another one. I find it collects dirt under it.

I'm interested to read this as I'm equally as slovenly where housework is concerned!

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thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 09/05/2014 23:22

Steam cleaner....seriously...has changed my life, so quick and easy. Blitz the bathroom pretending I'm Ripley from Aliens Blush Grin

I don't have tiles (yet) but I can imagine matt would be harder to clean - I'm imagining ingrained dirt?

Oh and what AlifeofPie said - moving lots of fiddly stuff, bottles, etc to clean under then put back is beyond tedious!

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MerryMarigold · 09/05/2014 23:29

DARK GROUT ON THE FLOOR, DARK GROUT ON THE FLOOR. And probably dark grout wherever you need to put grout. (I have dark brown in my kitchen and not only does it look great, it doesn't discolour), navy or black also look good.

And def not shiny tiles. I have never cleaned my matt tiles in 2 years (the ones on the walls not near bath or shower!). They are slippery tiles (I wouldn't choose them on the floor again) but they are not shiny ie. not gloss. You couldn't polish them up. I think shiny tiles look manky as soon as they get a splash on them, even a bit of humidity.

The simplest shower screen possible with the fewest screw bits.

A tip on toilets. DO NOT GET A RECTANGULAR ONE. They are a bugger to clean on the inside (think toothbrush). You want a normal oval shape (which we have downstairs) - so much easier and the toilet seat doesn't keep breaking like the rectangular one upstairs.

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marceline · 09/05/2014 23:42

I've recently had my bathroom refurbished for the same reasons. I've now got stormwall panels in the shower - so much easier to keep clean. Particularly as they are grey!

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ICantFindAFreeNickName · 10/05/2014 15:55

Thanks for the ideas. Glad I'm not the only one who puts easy of cleaning top of their list. Last time we did the bathroom it was all about how it looked, I never gave a thought to how easy it was to clean. I think I must be getting lazier.

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EffectiveCommunication · 10/05/2014 16:02

Lessons I learned from tiles. Dark grout. Do not get shiney tiles and do not get grained tiles on the floor, one never looks clean the other is hard to clean.

I found not having open shelving helpful.

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noddyholder · 10/05/2014 16:05

Wall hung basin and loo. Tiled floor with grey grout. Please don't use wall panels horrid things fill a spray bottle with bleach and water and spray grout every month very easy. Frosted glass shower screens have become a lot nicer if you can't bear descaling.

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ICantFindAFreeNickName · 10/05/2014 16:10

noddyholder - I misread your post and thought you said 'spray grout every morning' !!!!! I think I can ust about manage every month.

Luckily we are in a soft water area, so don't have to bother about descaling.

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noddyholder · 10/05/2014 16:20

Every morning!!!!!!!! I have just cleaned our bathroom today only took 10 minutes and its spotless but I don't mind cleaning and it is all fairly new.

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littleblackno · 11/05/2014 00:22

Do we have any opinion on lino? I was thinking of this rather than tiles as its cheaper and easy to replace when the cat has pissed on it one too many times. Or should I go for tiles which are likely to last longer?
Decisions decisions!

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RhondaJean · 11/05/2014 00:55

Yes no toilets or anything else with corners.

Look closely at the hardware before you buy for bits that will collect dirt.

My mother has panels and not tiles on teh wall, they don't look as nice but they are easy to scoosh down?

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MerryMarigold · 11/05/2014 08:39

My boys can't wee straight and tiles are great. They don't absorb anything.

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Phalarope · 11/05/2014 08:52

No horizontal surfaces - well, as far as you can manage, obviously. Basically, avoid anything that'll get damp and then collect dust. So yes to wall-hung (or back-to-wall) loo, but make sure for instance that your sink pedestal doesn't curve out at the base, or that the loo doesn't have annoying little bolt holes to collect grot in. Box in all pipe work. And get a squeegee for the shower screen - needs cleaning less often if you wipe the water off after each shower.

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KatieKaye · 11/05/2014 09:11

Don't have tiles - grouting always looks grotty and is a bugger to clean properly. And tiles make a small bathroom look smaller
I've got a panelled shower and use a washing up brush to clean it! Spray panels and screens with cleaner, use brush to give good clean (don't have to bend down so much and cleans large surface really fast) then rinse with water. Use brush to clean nooks and crannies in shower rails. Clean the shower while you are in the shower - I do this when I've got conditioner on my hair - and it only takes a couple of minutes.
Try to keep all toiletries etc in cupboards - your bathroom looks bigger and it's easier to clean if you don't have to move things around.
Get a feather duster or equivalent to brush down walls and ladder radiators, as towel fluff goes everywhere.

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KatieKaye · 11/05/2014 09:13

No to tiles on floor - cold and hard. Go for good quality vinyl instead. Plus wee can stick to the rough grouting unless you either scrub like mad or steam clean.

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BobPatandIgglePiggle · 11/05/2014 09:21

Get a 'smooth' toilet.

Ours has bolt holes and indents / crevices and I hate it - collects dust really badly!

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littlegreengloworm · 11/05/2014 09:51

Vinyl all the way for me. I have one room with ceramic an one with vinyl.

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CoilRegret · 11/05/2014 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

3lovelykids · 11/05/2014 12:10

We have just renovated our bathroom and the toilet, sink etc are all in built in vanity units so nothing to clean only the work surface above and no where for the dust and dirt to gatherGrin

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BackforGood · 11/05/2014 12:24

Make sure you have somewhere in there to store a cloth and a spray bottle, so it's easy to just give things a wipe over whenever you are in there and 'cleaning the bathroom' never becomes a big job.

Agree with panels rather than tiles though, as, after a while grouting always looks like it needs a clean.

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noddyholder · 11/05/2014 13:42

Doing all this may save you 5 mins better to get what you want and clean it with music playing

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namechangenumber5 · 11/05/2014 15:36

Omg coil, what a funny sink!

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goodasitgets · 11/05/2014 16:17

Things I have learnt from the inept people that built mine

Don't box in the pipe work in a way so that when you need to change the toilet seat, you have to hold the screw with a pair of tweezers. This is because the box goes right against the toilet seat screw
Don't install a sink in such a way that when the sink gets blocked you have to lie feet in the hallway and head at a 90 degree angle whilst holding a torch in your teeth
If there is a stopcock, don't make the access so small that your beautifully boxed in work has to be sawn apart in order to gain access
Mosaic tiles. Just no. Too much sodding grouting
Yes to wall hung toilets. Am totally unable to access the back of my toilet except to see the thick layer of dust that mocks me

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MrsTaraPlumbing · 12/05/2014 13:00

Some suggestions here:
suite.io/deborah-percy/22k5225

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