Is your bathroom looking a bit old and grubby? Are you thinking of making some changes to your bathroom? Luckily, there are several things you can do to greatly improve the appearance of your bathroom and, a lot of the time; you can do this for very little cost.

Bathroom design expert Richard Southern at PriceYourJob.co.uk has created this guide on how to improve your bathroom’s appearance. So, if you’re looking to make some changes this year and want to give your bathroom a new lease of life, keep these tips in mind.

Update the Bathroom Flooring

Your bathroom floor takes up a large percentage of the room, so it’s a good idea to have a look at your current bathroom flooring to see if it could do with an update. There are many different options for new bathroom flooring. Tiles and vinyl flooring are two of the most popular options.

Vinyl and tiled floors are relatively easy to clean and maintain. Regular sweeping and vacuuming is the best way to keep them clean. If you need to complete a deeper clean, consider mopping the floor with a vinegar and water solution before towelling the area dry.

With so many patterns and colours to choose from, it’s easy to find a bathroom floor that suits the overall aesthetic of the room. You may be surprised at just how much of a difference a new bathroom floor can make to the overall appearance of the room.

Update the Bathroom Walls

You can greatly improve the overall look of your bathroom by playing with different wall colours and materials. Whether your bathroom is primarily tiled or painted, you can switch up the wall colour to improve the overall aesthetic.

Soft colours work best in the bathroom as they can help you relax and will be more flattering to your skin tone. You may be tempted to experiment with brighter shades in the bathroom. However, in a small bathroom, brighter shades can be far too overwhelming.

Ivory, gentle rose, and light blue shades work very well in the bathroom. Pale yellow tones can mimic sunlight, and this works very well in bathrooms with limited natural light. In smaller bathrooms, choose a light shade such as white or pale grey to help make the room appear bigger. For a coastal vibe, try sky blue with a few coastal-style accents throughout the room. Don’t forget to paint the ceiling too. White is best for helping to make the room seem larger, and this can also help to make your ceilings seem higher.

Avoid too many patterns in the bathroom. Bathrooms tend to be smaller than most of the other rooms in the home, and too many patterns can make the room seem too busy. If you have a traditional-style bathroom, you can complement the theme of the room with creams or pale grey.

Add Some Accents

You can improve the appearance of your bathroom by adding some smaller decorative accents to the room. Choose items that spark joy and that tie in well with the overall design of the room. Things like bath mats and mats around the toilet base can make a big difference in the room and can also help to tie colours together.

Consider adding some live plants to the bathroom. This can help breathe light into the room and will also improve the air quality. However, you need to make sure you choose plants that are suitable for the lighting conditions in your bathroom and that can withstand the changes in humidity in the room.

Some more practical decorative items that you can add include things like soap dishes, toothbrush holders and small storage boxes. Make sure you choose colours that tie in with your bathroom design. Otherwise, they could make the room too overwhelming and could make it appear more cluttered.

Fix Up the Tile Grout

The grout between tiles can very quickly start to look dirty and unappealing. Unfortunately, this can ruin the overall appearance of your bathroom. If your tile grout is starting to look a little messy, it’s best to clean it so that it looks brand new again.

If you have any visible stubborn stains on the grout in your tiles, bleach is the best option. However, you should avoid cleaning tile grout with bleach on a regular basis, as it may cause discolouration to the grout. Instead, use bleach for heavily stained grout only. When cleaning with bleach, make sure the room is well-ventilated.

Simply pour some bleach into a small container and then dip an old toothbrush into it. Scrub the grout with the toothbrush. Keep dipping the toothbrush into the bleach after every few strokes to ensure you’re getting good, even coverage. It’s a good idea to lay an old towel or rag underneath, as bleach can stain carpets or other surfaces. Always wear gloves and old clothing when handling bleach.

If you would prefer not to use bleach, hydrogen peroxide is a great alternative. This is a brilliant, natural cleaning agent, and it has the benefit of anti-fungal properties. This is great for bathrooms that are prone to mould and can prevent you from having to regrout the tiles.

Pour some of the hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle and then spray it directly onto the tile grout. Allow it to soak for around 10 minutes and then scrub. Once you’ve finished scrubbing, wipe over the grout with a damp cloth and then use a dry, clean towel to dry it off.

Some other cleaning methods include cleaning with a grout stain remover, steam cleaning, or cleaning with baking soda and vinegar. Choose a cleaning solution that works for you.

Clean the Bathroom

Finally, one of the best things you can do to quickly improve your bathroom’s appearance is to give it a good deep clean.

Take the below steps to deep clean each area of your bathroom:

Cleaning the Toilet Bowl

When cleaning the toilet, you should start with the bowl so that you can give the cleaning products enough time to do their thing while you tackle the other areas. Follow the steps below to clean the toilet bowl:

1. Put on rubber gloves before beginning the cleaning process.
2. Begin underneath the rim of the bowl and apply toilet bowl cleaner to the inside of the bowl. Make sure you cover all of the interior of the bowl. Make sure you choose a product that is designed to clean and disinfect the toilet bowl.
3. Using a toilet brush, scrub away any deposits and stains within the bowl. Make sure you scrub all of the areas well, including underneath the rim and into the toilet bend, if possible.
4. Allow the cleaner to sit for around five minutes before flushing everything away.

Cleaning the Outside of the Toilet

To clean the outside of your toilet, it is recommended that you use an all-purpose disinfecting bathroom spray. Take the following steps to clean the outside of your toilet properly:

1. Take on one area at a time. Spray the cleaner directly onto the outside of the bowl and the tank and allow it to sit there for around 10 minutes.
2. Then, wipe each area thoroughly with a cloth or sponge. Rinse the sponge well before moving on to the next area.
3. Pay close attention to the small space between the tank and the toilet seat, which can easily become dusty and grimy.

Cleaning the Toilet Seat

You must also not forget to clean the toilet seat as well. Take the following steps to clean your toilet seat properly:

1. Use an all-purpose bathroom cleaner to clean all areas of the lid and toilet seat properly on both sides. Use the same method as the tank and the other toilet surfaces.
2. Lower the seat back on the bowl when you’ve finished cleaning the seat.
3. Go over the toilet flush handle with a disinfecting wipe. It may be worth doing this a couple of times as this is a high-touch area. Then, allow the handle to air dry.

It’s also worth giving the toilet flush handle a quick wipe with a disinfecting wipe once a day between proper cleaning sessions just to ensure this remains as clean as possible.

Cleaning a Shower Drain

It’s important to clean your shower drain regularly to remove soapy sludge and trapped hair. This will prevent it from becoming clogged. If there are multiple people in your home using the shower to wash their hair, you may need to clean the drain weekly to keep on top of things.

Start by pouring boiling water down your drain, as this will help to loosen anything that has built up. Then, mix together one cup of baking soda with one cup of white wine vinegar. Pour this solution down the drain and leave it to soak for around 15 minutes. Then, rinse the solution away with more boiling water. This should shift any build-ups in your drain and leave it clean. Plus, the baking soda and vinegar solution will help to remove any smells from the drain.

Cleaning a Showerhead

White vinegar is great for cleaning and descaling a shower head. It is the number one natural cleaning product. If you’re looking for an affordable and simple way to clean and descale your shower head, white vinegar is the way to go.

It’s important to keep in mind that malt vinegar is not a particularly effective cleaner, and brown vinegar may leave stains. With this in mind, it’s always best to clean with white distilled vinegar.

1. Remove the shower head from the attached hose. Put the small rubber washer to the side as you do this so you don’t lose it. It’s important not to lose this as this is what stops the water from leaking out at the point where the hose meets the shower head.
2. Place the shower head in a bucket or large plastic container and cover it in white vinegar.
3. Leave the shower head to soak in the vinegar for a minimum of 30 minutes. Try to aim to leave it for around an hour, if possible. However, if your shower head is made from brass, you shouldn’t leave it in the vinegar for any longer than 30 minutes.
4. After the soaking time is up, remove the shower head and rinse it with water.
5. Then, use an old toothbrush to remove any remaining limescale. Pay particular attention to the nozzle.
6. Rinse the shower head again with water.
7. Polish over the shower head with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.
8. Reattach the hose to the shower head and then turn the shower on. This will flush out any remaining limescale and leave your shower head looking sparkling clean.

Also, don’t forget to give your bathtub a good scrubbing with a suitable cleaner and do the same for your sink and faucet. Floors should be vacuumed and mopped, if necessary. Once you’ve completed the deep clean, aim to keep on top of cleaning your bathroom regularly to ensure it’s always looking its best.