Which is to say: This isn’t my greatest video, but, if I didn’t do it then, I was never gonna do it.
In this first of three segments — all about the renovation of my small, 1951 master bathroom — I talk about why I chose beige 4″x4″ field tiles, with white bullnose.
Beige ceramic 4″ x 4″ tile:
- A totally accessible color if tile — available immediately and inexpensively from Home Depot, Lowes and other big box stores…
- An everlasting gobstopper timeless tile color — as is light grey, but I’ve never seen that color stocked on the shelf at Home Depot…
- And it’s super easy to punch up with color via wallpaper or a patterned shower curtain and then, with towels.
Yes, I installed a beige bathroom.
Oh, and this is embarrassing: I swear I cleaned the bathroom. But, the yellow cast of light is making the floor grout look pukier than it really appears in real life. And, crikey, I need to figure out how to really clean the non-skid surface of the Kohler tub, which turned that kind of bottom-of-your-feet color within a month of installation and which I’ve never been able to get white again. Anyone? Bueller?
Two more Beige Bathroom videos to come:
- My Beige Bathroom: Features I Like
- My Beige Bathroom: Things I’d Do Differently
Spray with any cleaner you like, let it set a minute or two, then use a magic eraser type sponge. Wet the sponge, wring it out like a regular sponge, hold the sponge flat in the palm of your hand, and rub the floor with an even steady pressure. Rinse the sponge as it gets goopy. Use a little diluted bleach at the end if it seems helpful.
Don’t get a death grip on the sponge with your fingers and put a lot of pressure on one corner. (Which is what the picture on the package shows. It’s wrong. Ignore it except as an example of what not to do. It’ll tear holes in the sponge and you won’t get your shower floor clean.)
The only way that I know to clean the bottom of a tub such as yours (which is the way that I clean my 35 year old tub) is to wet the bottom and coat with good old fashioned Comet cleanser and work in with a Dobie sponge. The Dobie is nylon and does a great job. Allow the Comet paste that you have created to sit on the tub bottom (be sure to cover all the areas that you want cleaned) and leave for several hours. Scrub again with the Dobie sponge and rinse. Works every time.
I ADORE Dobie sponges!!! My Mom used them in the 70s, and I continue the tradition. Never thought of using them in the bathroom (especially since they’ve become so expensive IMHO) but for dishes, I use NOTHING else.
Yes, they are my favorites. I actually have a story, sitting in draft status for months, about them!
I was going to suggest the magic eraser too. I also used to use the liquid detergent for dishwashers. I would spread it on and then put wet towels over the bottom of the tub and then left the towels overnight. I then rinsed the tub in the morning. You could try bar keepers friend. Also, a water softener in the house really helps with the cleaning of bathrooms, dishes, and clothes. We have city water that is not that hard, and I have found that the water softener still makes a big difference. My daughter said she rinses and dries the bottom of the tub after every use and that has stopped the problem. She used the dishwasher detergent and the magic eraser to clean the bottom before she started with the daily drying routine
Oh that wallpaper is so cool. I can’t wait to see the rest.
And your dress is adorable
A friend swears that vinegar works…
I have heard this works, but have not tried–sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on bottom of tub and then pouring vinegar over the baking soda so it fizzes and then scrubbing the tub.
Ooo, I love that wallpaper! The paper peeling around the shower is a very common thing. You could definitely repair that very easily unless your just ready for a change. You can buy small containers of wallpaper paste at Lowes still, I believe. You can take a dab of paste, mix it with a little water and dab it behind you paper and smooth it back up on the wall. A very quick fix! I need to start a vintage wallpaper collection like yours. That could get me into trouble.
I agree that the paper could be fixed. Also, make sure you leave your exhaust fan on long enough to remove all the steam from the bathroom. The paper and the tile look very nice. Some fans have a timer on them. I read the other day that the fan should stay on an hour after a steamy shower. Also, make sure the fan is ducted to the outside, and not just the attic.
Pam, the bathroom looks great! I think that the wallpaper really makes the room.
As for the cleaning of the tub: I usually use a granulated/powdered cleaner for the textured spots, like Ajax or Comet, because the little granules are able to get down into the crevices and scrub at the dirt. Secondly, I’d suggest a circular motion with a scrub brush; a back and forth motion only cleans from two directions. If you think of the area that you are trying to clean as a small depression, a back and forth motion would simply have the bristle cleaning the north and south walls of the depression, while a circular motion would have the bristle cleaning all walls of the depression.
Also, I’d suggest using very hot water for the cleaning. It will help with breaking up any residue/oil from skin, since the bottom of the tub is probably acting a little like a pumice stone.
Ajax and Comet will scratch off the finish and make the tub more porous and harder to clean. Bar Keepers Friend and Bon Ami can be used when other methods fail. Keeping the porcelain shiny and new is the goal!
Found this very encouraging.
You see… I always feel odd about it amidst the pinks and aquas and so on… but I really like soft white tile in bathrooms, with wallpaper that picks up some of the white but has another colour (or three) involved.
Not that I am a fan of colorlessness… but painting the walls or changing the shower curtain is just so much less scary (or expensive) than changing tile. And so many great wallpapers have white or cream or beige in them.
I’d try the Magic Eraser on the tub first, but get the one especially made for the bathroom. My mom always kept the tub and sinks nice and clean and fresh using liquid bleach. She put just enough water to cover the bottom surface-2 or 3 inches is good. Then, she poured in some good old Clorox. Not a lot, judge the amount on the size of your sink or tub. A cup or so. Just leave it sit for a while, then unplug. Cleans, disinfects, sweetens up the drain/disposal, and its simple.
Pam, that wallpaper is great. Unless its moldy, I’d try sticking it back up. They make all kinds of wallpaper fix-its. The last I bought was to re -glue seams. It was in a handy squeezey tube. it worked very well.
Pam, the bathroom looks great. I am a fan of beige; easy on the eyes and not as harsh as white. The walls and accessories can be any color you like and it’s wasier to change them then the tile on the walls.
What does Kolher say about cleaning the tub? Since it’s porcelain bleach probably won’t hurt. I will have to remember to think about the non-skid finish when it comes tine to rip out the blue steel tub. I like your med. cabinet; looks like a kolher I saw at Lowes. Unfortunately I did nor have the clearance i needed in the existing opening. Great job all around! Congrats on a job well done!
love the beige bathroom !!
i have that ever-classic pink and have wondered what i would do if i ever tired of it. now i know
any recommendations for vintage wallpaper sources?
karyn, see my Remodel Basics category in the navigation above. Head to Wallpaper subcategory. Then you will see this: http://retrorenovation.com/2011/03/01/7-places-to-buy-vintage-wallpaper-from-1-25-to-200-per-roll/
Great bathroom. I’m planning on redoing mine to reclaim a window (after the monstrosity of a porch project is done, remember the pile of bricks?) and planned on using beige tile. Here’s my dilemma. I want to use the tile on the floor as you did but my household is only men. My thoughts are: sleepy man + middle of the night trip to bathroom + tile on the floor around the base of the toilet + porous grout = well you get the idea how that turns out over time. I really want tile but keep leaning toward sheet vinyl. Any thoughts?
I think your concerns are well-founded,though I have no info on the cleanability of various grouts. Maybe use marmoleum, instead of sheet vinyl. It’s quieter underfoot and doesn’t off-gas like vinyl as it ages. Plus lit ooks more retro-appropriate. We used it in a master bath with a thin bead of clear sealer where it hits the toilet and the shower and it looks great after 3 years.
You look beautiful Pam!
I suggest vinegar in the tub. Line the bottom with hot water, pour in half a bottle of vinegar, let it sit over night and it should clean up easily the next morning. It’s also good for fiberglass – doesn’t mar the surface.
Thank you, Brini. I think my hair looks too flat. But overall, rockin’ the 53, dontcha think?
When you repaper, you might consider using vinyl wallpaper. My mom put some in when she spruced up her PINK bathroom, and she’s been very happy with it. Its quite easy to clean, and it resists moisture, so its a good choice for bathrooms.
I have heard that vinyl wallpaper is not good for bathrooms cuz it traps moisture behind it potentially causing mold. HOWEVER, i have not officially verified this anecdote
I hadn’t heard this, so I looked into it, and according to the Dow chemical website, apparently the moisture trapping thing is only a problem if its on a exterior wall, because then the moist air coming into the house from the outside, gets trapped between the wall and the paper. So it might or might not be a problem, depending on the layout of the bathroom. This might be something where it would be a good idea to consult a pro
I had not heard that either. My neighbor is a bathroom designer and recommends it, especially for bathrooms used frequently by men.
Cover the bottom of the tub with paper towels then spray bleach to soak them. Let it sit then peel it up. Has worked for me in the past. The beige looks great BTW!
Pam!!!!!! Not a thing wrong with beige as like you said, you can punch it up with color. I think your bathroom looks fantastic! LOL @ the tub! I have horrible newer ceramic tiles in my kitchen (no, I didn’t-the 2nd owner did) that look dirty all of the time, so I know how you suffer.
I don’t have any tub-cleaning suggestions (I could use some of those hints myself) but I love the video—from the opening music, your fabulous polka-dot dress (perfect combo of retro, classic and glam, and looks amazing on you!), and of course the bathroom itself. Who knew beige could look so great? So fresh & clean. I have trouble with neutrals in that I almost never want to use them, anywhere. This is a great demo of why I should reconsider that stance!
The wallpaper—oh, I love it! I’d probably try to repair that and get a few more years out of it, but you no doubt have a warehouse of vintage papers to replace it with, and why not?
Off to a great start, can’t wait for the follow-up videos!
Great post and makes me like my beige guest bath a little more. Though the shower tile isn’t original, I am lucky the previous owners picked 4′ x 4′ ceramic tile that is appropriate. I’m dying to do wallpaper in both of my bathrooms but neither has a fan/exhaust (though both have working Thermador heaters) and I am worried the wallpaper will not last.
I’ve used whitening toothpaste to remove stains from Corelle and once, ages ago, I used the regular type to clean my bathroom sink. If nothing else works, it might be worth a try. (Mind you, the mint fumes are *majorly* overpowering in large doses.)
yay! finally another teeny tiny master bath like mine. i think yours is still bigger though. what do you do about storage of all the bath/beauty products? we installed a shelf over the toilet (made out of an old drawer and painted) but it looks kinda…messy.
also, my hall bath is beige (original) but it’s got speckles and the bullnose is brown so not quite as versatile
For storage, we have a two narrow linen closets in the hall. Stuff goes in there. I keep my makeup in drawers in the bedroom. So it’s really all quite manageable.
Bathroom is so cute, and so are you. Love the wallpaper, and the tile looks great.
For the bottom of the tub, I have tried everything: vinegar, ammonia, bleach, Comet with bleach, Magic Eraser, Barkeepers Friend, TSP. Nothing has worked. I think the Comet or Barkeepers Friend works because it leaves white residue behind, so if your tub is white it looks clean. If your tub is yellow like mine, it looks like your tub is still dirty AND now it also has powdery residue all over it. Sigh.
My last comment!! Several blurbs on the net say this works:
TUB. To clean non-slip strips on the floor of a tub or shower. Use WD-40 and a stiff scrub brush. Also recommended is a product called TRR, which stands for toilet ring remover. You can find TRR in most drug stores or WalMart. It is a liquid cleaner. You don’t want the pumice type of bowl cleaners.
Thank you. Now I don’t feel so bad. I am going to reach out to my contacts at Kohler on this one and see what they recommend.
I sort of remember trying the WD-40 method, and not being too thrilled with the result (or with then getting all that grease out of the tub).
All things being equal, Magic Eraser did get the tub much cleaner, if not back-to-new clean, and it’s easy to use.
You have absolutely no idea how much I’d give for beige and white, or simply white. I have the most gawd awful blue fixtures (the walls were too when we moved in) that anyone has ever seen. White is clean. Beige is clean. The two together are clean. And color can be added in with accessories, towels, wallpaper.
Love that floor tile.
I had a crystalisation problem with my blue toilet a few years ago due to drought flushing was limited. I tried all sorts of chemical cleaners nothing worked. I was on the point of replacing it with another blue unit I had then a friend suggested vinegar the secret is to top it up and let it soak for 2 or 3 days if the problem is really bad. Then a bit of careful scraping in this case (or your case a good scrub) and it looked as good as new, I think this could be adapted to the bath tub if needed and baking soda will give it a nice shine after, I have not tried mixing the both togeather
Very nice bathroom Pam. Awesome video…which I enjoyed very much. BTW….You look sooooo pretty in your video.
Thank you, Blondie!
My favorite part of the video is when you pause to look in the mirror and decided to fix your hair before moving to your next sentence. Nice.
I’m a landlord with 70 buildings in the historic district of Albany, NY. The ONLY way we’ve found to get those non-slip tubs clean is Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. You will never see them until the tub is dirty again of course. We tried using a generic brand to save $$ but it didn’t work nearly as well.