The Homeowner's Guide To Bathroom Maintenance

Bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house to maintain regularly. Not only are they high-traffic areas, but they also have to contend with moisture and water, which can cause all sorts of problems. By doing regular maintenance and inspections on your bathrooms, you can save yourself plenty of problems, money, and stress in the long run. 

Remember, with your home, it’s always better to maintain than to wait for an issue. Maintenance in the bathroom can save you from plumbing issues, leaks, mould, and mildew. 

Grout and Caulking

It’s important to do a thorough check of your grout and caulking in between tiles and caulking where countertops meet backsplashes or tubs meet tiles annually. Grout and caulking keep moisture from getting behind your tiles and vinyl. If water gets through, mould and mildew can thrive. Check for loose tiles, cracks in your caulking/grout or missing grout. Make any necessary repairs and fill in any areas missing grout/caulk as soon as possible. 

Also, make sure to check the area around your toilet. Ensure that your toilet isn’t loose, as that shows you need more caulking. 

Floors and Walls

Semi-regular examinations of the wall and floors will help you discover rot or decay before it becomes a huge issue. Look for signs of dampness or softness on your bathroom floors and walls. If you do happen to find evidence of rot or decay, you’re going to want to call in a professional. There can be toxic mould that forms in moist environments, so you’re going to want to have it taken care of sooner, rather than later. 

Drains 

By doing regular maintenance on your drains, you can avoid clogs and nasty smells. Once a month mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar and immediately (yes it will be fizzing) pour it down your drains. Let it sit for 1 hour and then rinse with HOT water. This will keep your drains clear. 

Also, to keep your drains free from clogs, don’t let hair, food, or debris go down your drains. 

If you do find yourself with a clog, don’t use Drano! While it might feel effective, it’s only a temporary solution and could end up doing more damage as it can mask the real issue that caused the clog in the first place. Drano can do more damage to your plumbing system since it’s so corrosive. It can melt PVC pipes and break down the glue that holds pipes together. Plus, since it’s a strong chemical, it can mix with other things in your sink and cause toxic fumes that are dangerous to breathe in. 

Instead of draino, reach for a drain snake. They are these plastic things with “teeth” that pull out hair and gunk. If that doesn’t work, try an auger, which can get most clogs out effectively. If THAT is also not working, try using pressure from a plunger. If you’re still not having luck, you can mix a ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of baking soda and put the mixture down the drain. Let that sit for half of an hour. Pour boiling water straight down the pipes (try to not let it touch the actual sink as some materials will not react well to a temperature that hot), which should clear out the clog completely. 

For stubborn clogs that not even salt, baking soda and boiling water will fix, you’ll need to open your pipes and find the clog. 

Fixtures

A couple of times a year, fill a plastic baggie with white distilled vinegar. Submerge the showerhead in the baggie and then secure it with an elastic. Let it sit for at least an hour, or overnight. Once you remove the baggie, run your water to rinse the showerhead clean. This will help to prevent and remove buildup. 

Make sure that you note what kind of fixtures you have and only ever use an appropriate cleaner that will prevent and remove soap scum without discolouring your fixtures. 

Jacuzzi Tubs 

Jacuzzi tubs that are left unused are susceptible to mould build-up as well as dried-up and cracked seals. If your seals do crack, they’ll leak water the next time that you use the tub. The good news is that if you run your Jacuzzi at least once a month you’ll be able to prevent most leaks and mould build-up, so it gives you a good excuse to make sure you get in at least one good soak a month. 

It’s also a good idea to clean your Jacuzzi now and then with vinegar. Simply fill your tub two-thirds full of water and add in the vinegar. Close the air induction valves and then turn on the jets. This will force the water to flow through the plumbing in the tub, giving it a good cleaning. Drain the tub, refill it again and run the jets for at least 10- minutes and then drain the tub again. 

Under The Sink 

Leaks can hide under sinks behind cupboard doors, so make sure to check regularly. Inspect for wetness and check the pikes for corrosion or cracks. If you find cracks, make sure to replace them promptly. 

Toilet Bowl

It’s important to check for running water in your toilet periodically. Running toilets happen when the flapper valve is damaged and can waste up to two gallons of water per minute, which isn’t good for your water bill or the environment. You can check by placing a couple of drops of food colouring in the bank tank. Don’t use the toilet for 30 minutes to an hour. Then check the bowl and if there is any colour in the bowl, you know that your toilet has been running. You can simply replace the flapper valve to fix the issue. 

Fan

Your fan attracts dirt and debris through static electricity, so you’re going to want to clean it semi-regularly. The build-up of dirt can cause air quality issues as well as airflow issues. To clean it, grab a ladder and carefully take a look at what kind of fan you have. If it has a light, you’re going to want to disconnect the wire to the light first and then press the release tab on the connector. That will allow you to remove the cover. If your fan doesn’t have a light, then you simply just have to remove the cover, which is usually attached with two wire clips. 

Place the cover in a sink full of warm soapy water and let it soak. You can wipe it clean and let it air dry fully before putting it back on. The fans inside can be wiped down carefully and you can even vacuum inside the housing if you need to. Reassemble once everything is clean and dry.