Looking after your bathroom
Most damage to bathroom finishes comes from cleaning products, not from use. A glazed basin, a gold tap and a painted vanity unit all need the same basic approach: warm water, mild soap, a soft cloth and a dry wipe afterwards. The rest of this guide covers what to avoid on each finish. Where a product comes with its own care instructions, follow those.
Ceramic basins, WCs and baths
Glazed ceramic is hard and does not absorb water, so day-to-day cleaning is simple. Wipe basins and baths with warm water and a little mild washing-up liquid on a soft cloth or sponge, rinse, and dry with a clean cloth. Drying stops water marks forming in hard-water areas.
Avoid scouring powders, cream cleaners with abrasive particles, and scouring pads or the rough side of a sponge. They will not damage a gloss glaze in one go, but used regularly they dull the surface and make it harder to keep clean. For limescale on the ceramic itself, a diluted descaler suitable for bathroom ceramics can be used, rinsed off thoroughly; keep it away from taps, wastes and any metal fittings.
Pieces in an easy-clean glaze need no special treatment. The glaze sheds water and dirt more readily, and the same soap-and-water routine is enough.
Matt glazes
Matt glazes, such as matt black, green, hazel, grey, burgundy and brown, have a finer surface texture than gloss, and that is where care matters most. Clean them with mild soap and warm water on a soft cloth, rinse, and dry. Soap residue and hard water dry to a pale film that shows clearly on dark matt colours, so the drying step matters more here than on white.
Never use abrasive cleaners or pads on a matt glaze. They can polish small patches of the surface, which then catch the light differently from the rest of the piece. Avoid strong bleach and harsh chemical cleaners too. If a mark will not come off with soap, ask us before trying anything stronger.
Brassware in chrome, gold and bronze
Taps, mixers, wastes and fittings are finished with a thin surface layer over the metal beneath. Once that layer is scratched or etched, it cannot be restored by cleaning. Clean taps and mixers with warm water and a little mild soap on a soft cloth, rinse with clean water, and dry with a soft cloth. A microfibre cloth works well for the final polish.
Do not use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads or metal polish on any brassware finish. Keep acidic limescale removers, vinegar-based cleaners and bleach off brassware altogether, and take care when using them on a nearby basin or bath so that drips and spray do not reach the taps. Gold and bronze finishes are the most sensitive to this. If a cleaner has touched a fitting, rinse it straight away with plenty of clean water.
In hard-water areas, the best defence against limescale on brassware is to dry it after use. Build-up that has already formed can usually be softened with a cloth soaked in warm soapy water and left on the fitting for a few minutes, then wiped away.
Wooden bathroom furniture
Timber in a bathroom has to cope with steam and splashes, and it lasts well if water is not left standing on it. Wipe up splashes and pooled water on tops, around basins and at the foot of vanity units as they happen. Clean with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then dry. Do not use abrasive cleaners, solvents or spray polishes containing silicone.
Ventilation matters most. Run the extractor fan during and after a bath or shower, or open a window, so that the room dries out. Timber that sits in damp air day after day takes on moisture and moves, which shows as sticking doors and open joints. Try not to hang wet towels over cabinet doors, and leave a little space between the back of a unit and a cold outside wall if you can.
The same routine applies to made-to-measure furniture from our joinery workshop. If a finish becomes damaged, ask us for advice on repair rather than sanding or refinishing it yourself.
Wastes, traps and seals
Clean basin and bath wastes regularly so hair and soap do not build up in the trap. A bottle trap can usually be unscrewed by hand for cleaning; put a bowl underneath first. Avoid caustic drain cleaners, which can damage both the waste finish and the seals. Check silicone joints around basins and baths from time to time and have them renewed if they lift or discolour, since water getting behind a joint can damage the wall and any furniture below.
If you are not sure whether a product is safe for a particular finish, email hello@bathurstandco.co.uk or call 01449 711782 before using it. Other questions are answered in our FAQs.