Tips To Keep Your Sparkling

No matter your choice of surface materials, stay on top of your bathroom maintenance and keep your private sanctuary sparkling with these design tips

- Germaine Cheah

Concrete

While they may not be for everyone, concrete surfaces in the bathroom have been growing in popularity lately. With the ability to be customised into an endless array of colours, textures and decorative inlays, the organic material injects a vibe into your bathroom that ranges from rustic to edgy. However, concrete is a naturally porous material, and needs to be waxed and sealed regularly.

CLEANING TIPS:

Although effectively maintenance-free if properly sealed, concrete surfaces do benefit from the occasional clean. Simply apply a solution of warm water and a mild detergent to the surface with a wet cloth, and then wipe it down with a new cloth dipped in clean water.

SPECIAL CARE INSTRUCTIONS:

Steer clear from ammonia, bleach and any other highly acidic substances on concrete floors as they may react chemically with the material and cause discolouration.

Engineered quartz

An engineered stone product made from about 90 per cent ground-up quartz blended with resins and pigments, quartz is one of the hardiest materials around. Fully non-porous, they do not require any sealing, and is naturally resistant to moisture, stains and bacteria.

CLEANING TIPS:

One of the easiest materials to maintain, all you really need to keep quartz surfaces clean is to wipe it down with soft cloth doused in a mixture of a mild cleaner and warm water. If stubborn stains appear, soak the spot with the cleaning solution for ten minutes and then scrub it away with a nonabrasive scrub pad.

SPECIAL CARE INSTRUCTIONS:

Engineered quartz surfaces in both honed and textured finishes will show fingerprints and smudges quite visibly, so frequent wipe-downs may be necessary.