Doing anything to your bathroom may seem daunting, especially if you’re a DIY novice. However, there are many quick and easy fixes you can make to help you achieve all your Little Bathroom Victories.
Bathroom DIY. Even the mere mention of it can fill many with dread. However, for those with a have-a-go attitude, learning how to fix and fit things in this smallest of spaces can be a very satisfying experience indeed.
Now, we’re not suggesting you learn how to replumb a bath or fit a whole new lighting system. Plumbing and bathroom electrics are always best left to qualified professionals. However, there are many tasks—some big, some not so big—you can undertake to reenergise and revitalise your bathroom space.
With that in mind, we’ve come up with 30 quick and easy fixes you can do yourself, to help you achieve all your Little Bathroom Victories. In most cases, there’s even a video and step-by-step instructions to follow.
Read through all our quick and easy fixes for your bathroom or click on the link below to jump to a section:
1. Paint your walls and ceilings
2. Fix that rattly toilet seat
3. Bring sparkle back to shower heads
4. Remove limescale from your toilet
5. Treat glass
6. Swap accessories
7. Fill holes and cracks in your walls
8. Reseal your bath or basin
9. Give tiles or wall panels a clean
10. Bleed your radiator or heated towel rail
11. Remove mould and mildew
12. Regrout tiles
13. Replace damaged tiles
14. Clean your shower valve
15. Replace taps
16. Fit a new bath panel
17. Fit a wall cabinet
18. Replace your shower head
19. Fit a new mirror
20. Lay new flooring
21. Add colour-coordinated towels
22. Bridge your bath with bamboo
23. Add plantlife
24. Make your own bath bombs and organic soap
25. Organise your cabinets and shelving
26. Check your toilet for leaks
27. Create a living wall
28. Fit a new bath screen
29. Replace your shower riser rail kit
30. Save water
1. Paint your walls and ceilings
To kick things off, ever heard the phrase “a quick lick of paint can do wonders”? Well, it’s completely true. By simply glossing the walls and ceilings, you can really brighten things up. Or, how about choosing a new bathroom colour?
Check out our neat tips and tricks for painting behind a radiator and discover which paint is best for bathrooms.
2. Fix that rattly toilet seat
An ill-fitting, rattly or broken toilet seat is, according to our bathroom survey, the most common bathroom issue—often something we end up living with, day in, day out. Which is strange, as it’s actually one of the easiest issues to address.
In many cases, it’s simply a case of reattaching a seat that has come loose. However, if the time has come for a change, fitting a toilet seat is a relatively straightforward task.
Before you begin, you may want to find out the answer to this common question: “Are toilet seats a standard size?”
3. Bring sparkle back to shower heads
If your shower head has seen better days, there is a quick and easy way to bring that sparkle back and help keep it functioning the way it should. Check out our guide to cleaning your shower head.
4. Remove limescale from your toilet
Limescale…it affects large parts of the UK, building up around taps and showers and in your toilet bowl. However, there are some simple ways to keep limescale at bay, and if you’re not a fan of chemicals, they don’t always involve using bleach. First off, it’s always a good idea to give your toilet a thorough clean on a regular basis.
However, if stubborn limescale still remains, you may need to take a firmer grip on things. Whilst bleach is a common approach, we’ll show you how to rid your toilet of limescale using other methods, including white vinegar, baking soda, sandpaper and even pumice stone.
5. Treat glass
If the glass in your bathroom isn’t crystal clear, we've got some great tips to help reduce the amount of cleaning you need to do. First off, it’s time to clean your shower screens using a tried and trusted method.
Next, treat the glass in your bathroom with the Showerguard™ easy clean bathroom coating kit. One application provides protection from soap and limescale for years to come, which, for those of us who hate cleaning, can only be a good thing!
6. Swap accessories
When it comes to designing a bathroom, the devil is in the detail. It’s all too easy to focus on the bigger picture and forget about those finishing touches. Whilst you may have somewhere to hang your toilet roll or place toothbrushes, a mish-mash of different accessories won’t produce that stylish, cohesive look you’re after.
To bring order to your bathroom, why not invest in a new, coordinated accessory set which complements your space? You’ll be amazed at what such a small change can do!
7. Fill holes and cracks in your walls
Over the years, your walls can suffer wear and tear, especially in busy family bathrooms. Along with knocks and dents, removing wall mounted accessories and cabinets can leave unsightly holes.
Luckily, repairing holes and cracks in walls is a standard DIY task which can be completed in less than 15 minutes.
8. Reseal your bath or basin
One of the most irritating issues in bathrooms is mould, especially when it appears on your silicone sealant. But why does mould grow on silicone sealant?
Whatever the answer may be, it looks unsightly and further mould growth could lead to a potential health hazard.
If this is the case, you may want to address the issues which lead to mould growth in the first place. This is usually down to poor ventilation.
Next, it’s time to reseal your bath or basin. This will mean cutting out the existing sealant and cleaning any surfaces, before applying new sealant to the affected areas.
9. Give tiles or wall panels a clean
If your tiles are looking a little grubby, a quick clean could be all you need to breathe life back into your bathroom.
The same goes for cleaning your shower wall panels, although you should always be careful with the type of household cleaner you use on them. Do a test patch first, just to make sure you haven’t picked something overly abrasive.
And, as we mentioned in a previous tip, if you treat your tiles with Showerguard, this will offer protection from soap and limescale for years to come.
10. Bleed your radiator or heated towel rail
With energy prices rising sharply in recent months, there are several excellent ways you can save heat in your home. One of these is to ensure your heating is working efficiently.
During the summer, when we generally switch our central heating off, air can get trapped in the system. This sometimes leads to cool spots in your radiator or heated towel rail, making it work less efficiently.
To rid your heating of trapped air, you can simply bleed your radiator or heated towel rail. However, this should only be done if you are sure this is the cause of the issue. If there is a fault with your heating system, it is always best to call out a qualified plumber to check it over.
11. Remove mould and mildew
Mould and mildew can leave your bathroom looking far from stylish. And, if left unchecked, can present a health hazard to you and your family. Whilst there are measures you can put in place to prevent mould and mildew from developing, there are also ways to get rid of mould when you first spot it.
12. Regrout tiles
Much like the sealant around your bath, basin or shower enclosure, the grout between your tiles is one of the places where mould can develop. If cleaning your tiles won’t rid you of the problem, it may be time to regrout.
This is a 2 step process and you will need some specialist DIY tools, like a grout rake. First, you will need to remove the old grout before you can finally regrout your tiles.
13. Replace damaged tiles
Sticking with tiles for the moment, it’s always a good idea to keep hold of spares just in case of damage. If you do end up with a cracked tile, you can replace it, although it may test your DIY skills a little more and, like regrouting, requires tools you may not already have in your cupboard.
14. Clean your shower valve
If your shower isn’t performing quite as well as you’d like, it may be worth cleaning your shower valve. If you live in a hard water area, it is worth doing that at least once a year, if not more regularly.
15. Replace taps
A dripping or leaking tap can end up wasting around 90 litres of water every single week. If left unchecked, that could rise to nearly 5,000 litres in a year! So, the best water-saving advice is to replace it…and you needn’t spend hard-earned cash hiring a plumber when you can do it yourself!
Check out our guides to replacing a basin mixer tap and replacing a bath mixer tap.
16. Fit a new bath panel
If your existing bath panel has seen better days or you simply want a change of décor, this is something you can easily do yourself. Whether you’re looking to fit an acrylic bath panel or install a wooden bath panel, simply follow our step-by-step guides and video.
17. Fit a wall cabinet
Increasing the storage space in your bathroom is always useful, which is where a new wall hung cabinet can come in handy. To hang your cabinet, you may first need to drill through tiles before finally fitting to the wall.
18. Replace your shower head
Another quick and easy way to brighten up your bathroom is to change your shower head. This one is really simple to do and you can find out which shower head or handset is right for you before you buy.
19. Fit a new mirror
Mirrors can help accentuate both light and space and, much like fitting a cabinet, you can follow our simple step-by-step guide to putting up a mirror
20. Lay new flooring
Whilst it may not seem that straightforward initially, replacing your existing flooring with modern laminate can be carried out yourself, even with very little DIY experience. Check out our guide to fitting flooring to see exactly how it’s done.
21. Add colour coordinated towels
It’s all too easy to overlook towels when adding coordination to your bathroom. So, why not invest in some super soft towels in complementary colours?
22. Bridge your bath with bamboo
One quick and simple update to your bath could be the most effective. Especially if you like to read in the bath. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable materials in the world as it grows so quickly. Why not add to the look of your bathroom with bamboo accessories, like this stylish bath mat and caddy (pictured below)?
23. Add plantlife
Whether you’re green-fingered or not, plants can really bring your bathroom to life. And the best thing is, there are so many suitable plants to choose from, which thrive in warm, moist environments like bathrooms.
If you really have nowhere to place a plant, why not create your very own Macrame plant hanger by following the video below.
If you’re searching for another green idea for your bathroom, how about making a Terrarium (essentially, a miniature indoor garden, enclosed in glass)?
24. Make your own bath bombs & organic soap
Of course, fixing up your bathroom isn’t all about fixtures and fittings. Sometimes, it’s just nice to walk in to a pleasant aroma. And with that in mind, why not get some arts and crafts supplies in and make yourself some homemade-bath-bombs or even some organic soap? With Christmas coming up, they make ideal presents too!
25. Organise your cabinets and shelving
Are your cabinets or shelves cramped and cluttered? Check out some of our clever tips on organising your bathroom cabinet, to help you keep everything in its place. And, if you have ladder shelving, we’ll show you how to organise that too!
26. Check your toilet for leaks
It’s a shocking statistic, but 1 out of every 25 toilets in the UK is faulty, with a cistern which runs constantly. Hundreds of litres of water are wasted each year, often unknowingly.
To ensure you’re not wasting water unnecessarily, get lavvy savvy by checking your toilet for leaks. It’s really easy to do, using just a single square of toilet tissue.
27. Create a living wall
As previously mentioned, green bathrooms are proving very popular up and down the land. One fabulous way to bring even more plantlife to your bathroom space is to create a living wall (pictured below), filled with lush greenery.
28. Fit a new bath screen
If you’ve been wanting to turn your bath into a multi-functional shower bath for ages, now’s your chance. With a few simple tools (and a little help from friend, partner or relative), you can fit a bath screen to your straight bath.
29. Replace your shower riser rail kit
Keeping with the shower theme, riser rail kits tend to suffer from wear and tear (especially if you use them every single day). If you’re looking to replace a broken shower kit but don’t really want to drill into the wall, check out the Clarity range of easy-install, magnetic shower heads and riser kits.
This clever design eliminates rails, brackets and sliding parts—the bits that commonly break—and, with strong adhesive backing, there’s no need to use any tools to fix it in place. Easy!
30. Save water
The last of our quick and easy fixes for your bathroom involves saving water. You can easily do your bit for the planet (and save cash on your water bills if you’re on a meter) by following some simple water-saving advice. For example, do you turn your tap off when you brush your teeth? Do you have a set time limit for your daily shower?
More fixes and switches for your bathroom
For more easy switches and fixes for your bathroom, head to our Switches and Fixes hub, where you’ll find loads of great ideas and advice. From bigger projects, like swapping your bath for a shower to our top home care hacks, at Victoria Plum, we’ve got you covered for all your bathroom needs.
