The different types of washroom cleaners include those for tile, mirror, chrome and other materials commonly found in bathrooms. There are regular as well as heavy duty-strength commercial and household washroom cleaning products. Other types of bathroom cleaners include scrubbers as well as environmentally friendly options found in many homes.
For instance, baking soda may be used as a gentle, eco-friendly scouring powder for porcelain surfaces such as bathtubs and sinks. Vinegar neutralizes odors and may be used as a non-harmful toilet bowl cleaner. Pure vinegar used full strength with a toilet brush may remove hard water stains or rings in the bowl. Vinegar diluted by half with water and recycled newspapers work well to clean mirrors and glass.
The bathroom cleaners most often criticized for not being eco-friendly are the aerosols. These are spray cans that contain the cleanser in a pressurized, gas-propelled state. The result is considered harmful to the earth's ozone layer. Additionally, aerosol washroom cleaners are often flammable.
Ammonia-based bathroom cleaners are often available in liquid form in a bottle with a pump sprayer top. The vapor from ammonia can make the eyes water and may be harmful to the respiratory system. Ammonia washroom cleaners are mainly used for glass or window cleaning.
Traditional types of bathroom cleaning products are often sold in spray top bottles. The same product may also be available in a larger refill size to use with the sprayer. Heavy duty and commercial-strength washroom cleaners may be sold in concentrated form designed to mix with water or they may be packaged in larger jugs or containers. Some scrubbers and sponges designed for using to clean bathrooms contain detergent. Oftentimes, these types of washroom cleaners have a roughly textured scrubbing surface and may also have a softer sponge included.
Washroom cleaning products vary in their applications. For example, some cleaners require rinsing while others do not. Harsh or heavy duty bathroom cleaners, such as those typically used for getting hard water stains off of shower tiles, usually need good ventilation, as they may contain chemicals not suitable for inhaling. Even a heavy duty cleanser may require more than one application to remove built-up dirt. Regular washroom maintenance can help avoid the need for extra strong cleaners, multiple applications and harsh scrubbing.
Cleansers with germ-fighting properties such as bleach are usually needed to properly disinfect bathrooms that haven't been cleaned regularly to help get rid of bacteria and/or viruses. Bleach is also used to get rid of mold and mildew in bathrooms. It's considered a corrosive type of washroom cleaner which means it will ruin the surface of metal as well as be abrasive to skin. Corrosive washroom cleaners should be used with rubber gloves as well as diluted with water in amounts that will vary according to the surface being cleaned.