Minnesota Mortgage Blog

• Caulk — Remove all the cracking, peeling and faded or yellowing caulking around your tub, inside your shower, around sinks and anywhere else and replace it. White and clear caulking packaged in easy-to-use dispensers is available from any hardware or home store and the look new caulking gives is immediately satisfying.
  
• Tile and grout — If you have tiles with white grout that are showing their age, spray the tiles with cleaner and scrub them down with a pad that won't scratch the surface. For the grout use a cleanser with bleach to return it to its original white color.
  
• Shower dispensers — Create a more organized, attractive shower space easily and inexpensively by replacing worn and possibly rusting hanging shower organizers and racks with simple, elegant wall-mounted soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers.
  
• Drains and traps — Take a second to remove the drain stoppers from all sinks and clean them thoroughly with a scrubbing pad to restore their shine. Unscrew the u-shaped trap from the drainpipe under the sink and clean it out. Reinstall the trap and pour some drain cleaner through the whole system to ensure it's completely clean and chase that with some hot water. Then return the newly cleaned drain plug. Your sink will perform like new.
  
• Matching fixtures — Create a designer look by installing matching towel bars, toilet paper hangers, door hooks, light fixtures, drawer pullers and knobs and hinges — or items that complement each other in terms of finish and design. Your home stores will sell sets of all these items to give a unified look.
  
• Showerheads and faucets — If you like your current shower dispense, but it's not functioning well, try removing the showerhead and submerging it in white vinegar for a couple hours to remove mineral deposits and restore its shine.