Preventing Mold in Your Bathroom

The room in your home that is most closely associated with moisture is the bathroom. Unfortunately, this also leaves your bathroom as the room most closely associated with mold growth. Moisture is to mold, what wood is to fire -- a source of life that keeps it growing bigger and stronger. By eliminating the moisture in your bathroom, you are lowering the risk of mold growth and creating a safer environment for your family. Let’s take a look at some tips for keeping your bathroom mold free.

Squeegee Your Shower

The moisture that is left on your shower walls has to go somewhere eventually. Usually, it evaporates into the air and causes a more humid environment inside your bathroom. Removing this excess moisture after you shower can help remove 75% of the moisture that supports mold and mildew growth. A squeegee’s rubber edge is usually used to clean windows, but it can be equally effective in the shower.  

Stretch Out Your Curtain

Whether it is your shower or a friend’s (hopefully a friend’s), we have all seen the little spots on the inside of a shower curtain. These spots show early signs of mold growth but they can easily be avoided by stretching out your curtains after every shower. This will help break up moisture build up and stop mold before it starts!

Run Your Exhaust Fan

You have one for a reason, use it! You should run your exhaust fan for about 15 minutes after every shower to remove excess moisture from the air.

Seal Your Grout

The grout that seals your tile floors will not last forever. You should reseal your grout lines every year to ensure they remain waterproof.

Putting these tips to use can help reduce the risk of mold growth in your bathroom. Doing them just once is not enough. You should work them into your normal bathroom cleaning routine and continue to maintain a mold-free bathroom!

Looking for more information about maintaining a clean and healthy bathroom? Connect with Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter on Facebook and Twitter! Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit us on the web to learn more about our services.

Easing Allergies at Home

The official start to allergy season is nearly upon us. For all allergy sufferers out there, we know you’ll be doing everything you can to escape the daily sniffles and sneezing. And antihistamine can only do so much.

It may surprise you, but your bathroom can be an even worse environment for your allergies than your backyard. With all those allergy-producing molds, it’s hard to avoid the daily itch. Good news is that you can take action to prevent allergies from getting worse. Here’s how:

Wipe down surfaces
Hot showers can create excess humidity, leading to more mold. So after every shower, make it a habit to wipe down every surface - wall tiles, countertops, and floors. Work your way from top to bottom using a mildew-fighting spray or bleach solution.

Filter the air
From pollen to dust, there are many allergy triggers that can accumulate in your bathroom. Fight them off with a HEPA filter, designed to trap harmful particles in your home and clear the air.

Upgrade wisely
If allergies are interfering with your lifestyle, you might want to consider remodeling your bathroom with allergy-friendly upgrades. For example, avoid textiles like rugs and carpeting and instead choose hardwood or tile - easy to wipe up.

Fix leaks
A leaky pipe can bring on mold and mildew problems in the bathroom, so make sure you keep up on plumbing maintenance. That way, you can prevent home damage and increase your level of comfort.

Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all of your plumbing problems, including leaks. Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website to learn more about our services. 

Green Cleaning Your Bathroom

Think about how often you use your bathroom. Now think about how often you clean it. Even if you do make it a habit to tidy up the bathroom, chances are you’re using harsh chemicals that are not only bad for your health but are also unsafe for your home.

Cleaning your bathroom should be quick and easy, but it should also be done in a safe and healthy manner. That is why we’ve compiled a list of ways you can clean up without toxins putting you in harm’s way:

Scrub the tub. Take one teaspoon of liquid soap and add a few drops of an antibacterial essential oil, like rosemary or eucalyptus. Mix that with one cup of baking soda and enough water to create a pasty texture. Use a sponge to scrub and rinse.

Make marble sparkle. Clean your beautiful marble countertops with a liquid soap, water, and a clean cloth. Avoid using sponges and harsh chemical cleaners that can ruin the surface. Wash as often as possible.

Fight mildew. The more efficient and eco-friendly way to keep mildew at bay is to turn on the exhaust fan during and after steaming up the bathroom. The exhaust fan should eliminate most of the moisture in your bathroom, helping to eliminate fungus.

Make an oily freshener. Need to freshen up a foul odor in your bathroom? Skip the Febreeze as well as other chemical-based fabric fresheners. Instead, add some of your favorite essential oils into spray bottles, add one cup of water, and spritz when needed.

To learn more about how you can green clean your bathroom, click here.

New York Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is available 24/7 for plumbing needs in the bathroom and around the house. Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website to learn more about our services.   

Quick Bathroom Cleaning

Do you have a bathroom cleaning routine pat down? If you need a quick guide to painlessly and thoroughly get rid of dirt and germs, look no further than this 15-minute cleaning guide to get a spotless bathroom from top to bottom:

Sink - Rid the sink of toothpaste and gobs of hair by wiping it up with white vinegar. Pat down with a paper towel. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to refill your soap dispenser and wipe down your toothbrush holder.

Toilet - Don’t forget about the hard-to-reach corners that easily build up dust and hair. Disinfect with a combination of ½ cup white vinegar, ½ cup vodka, 10 drops of lavender, as well as 1 1/12 cups of distilled water. This will keep harsh chemicals to a minimum while accomplishing a quick cleaning job.

Mirror - Mix half vinegar and half water in an empty all-purpose spray bottle. Add about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil for a fresh scent, such as peppermint or lavender.

Tub - Clean your porcelain tub with baking soda and a damp sponge. Then, pour vinegar down the drain with baking soda to get rid of any alkaline buildup. This will also get rid of bathroom mold and mildew - especially if you use daily after showering. All you need is a few minutes!

Floors - Finish up your quick clean with the floors. Instead of spreading around dirty water with a mop, grab a pair of “rag socks”, sweep up the dirt with your feet, and toss them when you're done.

New York Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is available 24/7 for plumbing needs in the bathroom and around the house. Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website to learn more about our services.   

Quick Organizing Tips for Your Bathroom

The bathroom is one of those rooms that usually lacks storage space. No matter how big or small it is, there’s always the need for additional ways to stow away your shampoo bottles and towels. So if you have some time on your hands this weekend, use these four quick organizing tips to get the most out of your bathroom:

Organize your medicine cabinet. From outdated medicines to empty bottles, it’s easy for your medicine cabinet to get cluttered. So, toss them away and move the ones you don’t need to another location - that way your cabinet is filled with only the bare necessities. Bonus tip: consider storing your medicines in the kitchen cabinet, as bathroom moisture can ruin them.

Put away hair products. Don’t leave your hair products laying around! Instead, buy a plastic tub, load it up with all your combs, gels, and hairsprays. Then, place it under the sink so it’s out of sight. Also, sort through what you don’t use often and think about donating them.

Clear out your shower caddy. How many bottles of shampoo do you keep lying around? Now, consider how many you actually need. Having too many bottles in your bathroom can take up space that could be used in other productive ways. So, whether you have a showerhead rack or a corner caddy, try downsizing so your bathroom doesn’t look too cluttered.

Get creative with towel storage. If your towel rack is too small for all your family towels, buy yourself towel hooks. They’re inexpensive and easy to mount, whether your stick them behind the door or on your glass shower. And the best part is that each family member gets to use their own hanger!

For more easy organizational tips for your bathroom, click here. And if you come across any plumbing emergencies as you’re tidying up the room, contact Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter! To learn more about the services we offer, give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website for more information. 

Clean Your Bathroom in 5 Minutes

Do you spend hours trying to catch up on cleaning your bathroom? Don’t bother! Truth is that just five minutes a day can save you time in the long run.

Using the five minute rule really does work. Here's how:

Minute One. Dedicate this time to clear off surfaces. Put away the flat iron and magazines. Stow away your makeup and toss that old towel into the laundry bin. Pick dirty clothes off the floor too!

Minute Two. It’s all about surface cleaning. Apply some toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit until the last few seconds. Wipe any toothpaste, hair, and dust off counter tops. Don’t forget the sink and toilet tank as well. Circle your toilet brush around in the final seconds and you’re good to go.

Minute Three. Straighten things up. Refold towels, make sure you have enough toilet paper, and close your shower curtain so it can air out. If you finish that quickly, straighten up those lotion and shampoo bottles on your counter tops and in the shower.

Minute Four. Almost done! It’s time to check your mirrors for splashes of toothpaste. Wipe it down with your favorite glass cleaner to brighten up the space. If your mirror is already spotless, take this minute to add some shine to your sink and bath fixtures. Those final touches really make a difference!

Minute Five. Do your kids make your bathroom extra messy? Don’t panic - you have a whole 60 seconds to tidy up anything out of sorts, take a step back, and access all the work you did!

There you have it! Five quick minutes to keep your bathroom looking fresh. For maximum cleanliness, use this system every day (if possible). Skipping a few days could add time to a fairly quick routine, so make an effort to give yourself a little extra time either morning or night. Final advice? Don’t let these 5 minutes intimidate you!

If you run across troubles with plumbing or drain systems during your five minute cleanup, turn to Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter -  your trusted Nassau County plumber, ready to handle all of your sewer and drain cleaning needs! Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website for more information.

Bang Out Your Bathroom Cleaning Routine

How do you like your bathroom cleaning routine? Short and sweet, you say? Though it might never be sweet you can definitely make it speedy and relatively painless with this 15-minute cleaning guide:

Round up your tools. Sure - if you keep the paper towels on the kitchen counter, your scrubbers under the sink and a spray bottle in the cabinet down the hall we can see how cleaning the bathroom can become exhausting. Keep a stash of all your bathroom cleaning essentials in one place, even if it means you have duplicate products within your household.

Get wiping. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar and add 10-12 drops of your favorite essential oil. This multipurpose spray can be used to wipe down most surfaces in the bathroom and will keep it smelling the way you like it, too.

Keep the tub in tact. Pour some of that vinegar spray you created down the drain along side baking soda. This solution will fizz and help to dissolve built up residue, keeping your drains clear and smelling fresh.

Get organized. We promise - new issues of cosmopolitan are on their way. You can spare to recycle last year's May and make more room for necessities under the sink. Old makeups and expired medicines might be worth a toss, as well.

Finally, the floors. Have any old socks you haven't worn in years? We know you do! Get them on, water them up, and get mopping. Cleaning with your feet is quick and easy and you can finally toss them when you're done.

New York Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is available 24/7 for plumbing needs in the bathroom and around the house. Call us today at 516.874.7937 or visit our website for more information.