There’s nothing so exciting as renovating your home. You’re finally giving it a fresh take with those upgrades you’ve always wanted – whether it’s a new washing machine for your laundry room, shiny tiles in the shower or maybe a full-blown kitchen is on the way!
But before you put in your order, you need to know about any snags with the design – in particular: what it’s like to clean. Some of the latest trends look incredible in a catalogue, but they don’t always take practicality into account, so your shiny new bathroom might struggle with limescale and mould more than you’re used to!
We’ve rounded up some of the most beautiful home design trends, which are also the most difficult to clean, so you know about the upkeep before you make the purchase. Plus, the cheats to get around them if they’re already installed!
Glossy kitchen cabinets
I still remember choosing the colour of my glossy kitchen cabinets as part of my kitchen package. I went for premium white for a modern aesthetic – that was a mistake.
My cabinets are flush, with no handles, and that means they’re constantly coated with grubby finger marks. And that’s not all. With all the splatter that comes from my hob, grease has beaded up and dried on the surface, which takes some real scrubbing to shift. They appear smeared whenever they’re cleaned, although I’ve found a way to restore them to their glossy glory.
The most difficult thing is reaching to the top of my kitchen cabinets – I can only go so far with a microfibre cloth. So, I’ve switched to a microfibre flat mop instead (it’s the same principle, after all!). That, combined with some soapy water, is all you need. An electric cleaning brush is also handy for shifting grease splatter. Run a squeegee over afterwards for streak-free results.
Waterfall taps
Waterfall taps look incredible at first – you can see what would usually be hidden within! But no one prepares you for the upkeep required.
That once-shiny appearance is wrecked within one use, because drips get caught in the body of the spout. Unless it’s wiped straight away, it dries and leaves obvious watermarks behind. Being uncovered, it’s also easy to see directly into the spout, where more limescale (which is harder to reach) will be lingering.
There’s no quick fix for this problem, although using softened water will prevent so much limescale from forming. Otherwise, regular cleaning with a limescale remover or a solution of equal parts distilled white vinegar and water will be needed to keep it shining. A bottle brush can help you to reach any awkward spots.
Integrated appliances
Not everyone wants to display large appliances in their home, such as washing machines or dishwashers. They’re bulky and don’t always blend with everything else. Integrated appliances offer us a way to hide what we don’t want to be seen, but they do come with some drawbacks.
For one, you don’t necessarily have the same access or convenience as you’d get with a freestanding appliance. So, the filter that would usually be found at floor level on the front of a washing machine might be covered by the kickboard. Or the timer on your dishwasher might be concealed when you close the door. Another common nuisance is the washing machine knocking against the fitting door as it attempts to spin. Integrated appliances also tend to have a smaller capacity and can cost more to repair.
The best way to avoid these issues would be to inspect the appliance before you purchase. You should also check all the relevant washing machine and dishwasher reviews to make sure the performance is up to scratch. But if you’ve yet to make the purchase and you have the space, it might be better to ‘hide’ the appliance in a dedicated laundry room instead.
Range cookers
Range cookers look fantastic in a rustic kitchen, but anyone who’s owned one will tell you they’re a nightmare to clean. My mum has only used hers a couple of times over the past few years – it’s reserved for when she’s hosting and needs every oven fired up. It’s a similar story from most range-owners!
Traditional range cookers come with four or more smaller ovens, which take a long time to clean. There are lots of cavities to scrub, and there might be more mess than you imagined behind the window-less doors. And it’s tricky to spot the mess in those small, dark spaces.
If you have a traditional range, odds are there’s no pyrolytic function to help you. And as it’s likely to be made from enamel, many chemical-based oven cleaners will be unsuitable, so more elbow grease is needed.
In such cases, we recommend using a plant-based oven cleaner that’s suitable for enamel. Ecover Oven & Hob Cleaner scored 84/100 on test at the GHI. It naturally needed a bit more scrubbing than other cleaners, but lifted residue within a couple of minutes. You can make up a bicarb paste to clean the glass doors if needed, too.
Intricate bathroom tiles
If you’ve installed Kit Kat, Moroccan or boulder-style tiles in your shower, you’ll likely be a fan of all things unique and intricate! But no one warns you about the difficulty of cleaning the grout afterwards…
Grout soon changes colour as soap scum and bacteria build up on its surface – it will blacken or even turn orange with growth. Applying a bicarb paste and letting it sit for 10 minutes, followed by spritzing with white vinegar and scrubbing thoroughly, is what’s needed to restore it.
This isn’t so easy on intricate grouting, although an electric cleaning brush can speed up the process (you could alternatively use an old toothbrush head on your electric toothbrush). But stick to the manual toothbrush if you’re dealing with delicate tiles.
We also recommend taking the time to wipe the shower after each use, to keep on top of mould growth going forward.
What you need to clean grout
