Five quick tips to makeover your bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the hardest-working rooms in the house, and they can quickly end up looking tired and tatty. There’s nothing less welcoming than a dingy bathroom, so give yours a quick facelift with our top tips – you’ll be surprised at the difference!

1. It’s curtains for dirt

Is your shower curtain looking grimy? Soap and shampoo scum quickly builds up to leave orangey stains, while a damp shower curtain in the winter can go mouldy.

Try these fixes to clean that curtain up:

• Soak the curtain in a solution of warm water and biological washing powder, then put it through a machine wash with a towel. The towel will help to scrub off the mildew as it rubs against it. If you don’t have any biological washing powder, try using bicarbonate of soda. Scrub any stubborn spots with an old toothbrush.
• Once the curtain’s clean, soak it in plain water with a cup of white vinegar added. This will help to prevent the mould building up again.
• If there are still mould spots, try targeting them with a dilute bleach solution – rinse the curtain out thoroughly afterwards.
• It’s normally just the bottom hem of the curtain that gets mouldy, so if all else fails cut off the bottom hem and re-sew it to make the curtain slightly shorter.

If your towels are looking tatty, it could be time to replace them, and a smart new bathmat will transform a room.

2. Clout that grout

Stained, dingy grout will make any bathroom look dirty, even when you know it’s not! Try one of these tips to restore it to pristine brightness.

• If the grout isn’t too stained, a generous squirt of Cif and a a scrub with an old toothbrush should sort it out.
• For more stubborn staining, try spraying grout with a dilute bleach solution or proprietary mould and mildew remover before scrubbing.
• If that hasn’t worked, it’s time to wheel out the big guns! Put on some rubber gloes, and make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and bleach. If you have carpet in the bathroom, put some old towels down to protect the floor in case you spill any of the paste. Paint it onto the grout using an old paint brush, and leave it for an hour. Finally, give it all a rub with an old cloth and rinse it clean.
• For grout that’s really had it, you can buy grout reviver from any hardware shop which can be painted over the top of the original to freshen it up.

3. Colour me bright

Adding a new set of bright accessories will give the room a fresh pop of  colour. In addition to towels, think about replacing your soap dish and toothbrush holder.

Hide any everyday necessities such as aspirin or razors in a pretty box or storage cupboard. If you have a windowsill, glass vases and accessories work really well as they’re easy to keep clean and won’t suffer from the damp.

4. Mirror, mirror on the wall

We all have mirrors in our bathrooms, but is yours doing the room justice?

If it’s not, trawl charity shops and auction houses for large mirrors with pretty frames – you can always tidy them up with a coat of paint or varnish.

5. Decadent plants

Plants give a bathroom a real feel of luxury. Most of us don’t have much room to spare, so choose something small that will fit on a windowsill or on the corner of the bath. Orchids are rainforest plants and love the damp, steamy atmosphere of a bathroom – they’re also easy to look after. Other good choices include ferns and peace lilies.

(Mirror image courtesy of Shutterstock)

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