Jubilee In My Sad Bathroom?

I was sent a free sample of Jubilee to review on this here blog; however I wasn't paid and all the opinions are mine! All mine!

Our bathroom kills me. One of the things I liked best about this house is that came with a completely intact pink tile bathroom. Nothing says "Eisenhower was president when this place was built" quite like a candy colored tile bathroom, right?

What kills me about this bathroom is that it's in horrible condition. Decades of renters and poor maintenance haven't been kind to the vintage tile and fixtures.

My biggest complaint is that no matter how often I clean the bathroom it ends up looking dingy and gross within days.

Jubilee Kitchen Wax is a heritage product. The first occupants of Casa MCM could've used it when the tile was fresh and new (...although I find it hard to believe the tile was ever cleaned before we moved in! SO GROSS!!!!). Malco Products licensed the product from SC Johnson (from my research it appears the product was sometimes referred to as Johnson's kitchen wax).

I read a lot of vintage housekeeping manuals and kitchen wax is often mentioned. Y'all know that I believe in green, DIY cleaners. However. My grandmothers' generation were fantastic at making things shine, and more importantly, MAKING THINGS LAST. They used this product for a reason.

Jubilee claims you can use it on wood, enamel, ceramic tile, Formica, et cetera. I was obviously most excited about the ceramic tile part. I wanted to try it on the floor (which is just awful), but the bottle states "not for use on floors." Yeah, waxed ceramic floors in the bathroom might be a little dangerous.

I wiped down the tile walls as usual. Then I used a piece of Frog tape to mark off part of this wall, so I could really see the difference between using the Jubilee and not. I applied a small amount of Jubilee to a damp sponge and attacked the wall. Then I wiped it off with a clean white rag (all according the instructions.)

Wow. It REALLY made a difference. The grout, which always looks so bad that I usually think only regrouting will make it look better, showed the biggest difference.

You can really see the difference in the corner grout. Jubilee also cleans as it waxes.

Here's a picture after a few days went by.

The bottom has attracted its normal amount of pet hair, Tracie hair, and general weirdness. The top still looks shiny and like it's been recently cleaned.

(This bathroom is SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH REALISTICALLY. I mentioned back in the day that it always looks so much shinier and nicer in pictures!)

The only con to Jubilee is that it, in my opinion, it smells strongly. Not bad-just strong. After I opened the window it wasn't so bad.

I love how it made the tile look. I'm painting the bathroom next weekend (YAY FINALLY) and then I'm going to try waxing all the tile. I'll report back if I change my mind, but I doubt I will. I really think Jubilee wax might be the solution for making vintage tile look new and fresh. EASILY.

Paint. My Friend and My Foe.

I'll make one promise on this blog. Never, ever, never will I write "Paint! It's totally the easiest way to change up a room!" Or, "Paint! I don't even use dropcloths because I paint so neatly it's not an issue!"

Nope. Don't get me wrong. I love the huge difference paint makes. Painting the living/dining room was the number one thing we've done that makes this place feel like home. It totally changed a dingy little room into a warm, welcoming space I really want to spend time.

The problem is I HATE PAINTING. It requires coordination and the ability not to make a huge mess. These are not my best things. My grandfather? He could paint CEILINGS without any paint drips ANYWHERE (my grandmother pointed this out after my dad and uncle's attempt to paint her living room was, um, a little less successful. My grandfather>his descendants, obvi.).

But the Sherwin Williams paint sale is this weekend, and 40% off is pretty spectacular. Our kitchen, hallway, bathroom, and bedroom all need painting. Yeah, I'll be doing one. Know your limits, people. One at a time.


Now I just have to pick a paint color. I think I'm going to attack the bathroom (eel!) even though it kind of scares me.

Pink. White. I rather love the pink, but I do want it make the whole room look a little more modern and connected to the rest of the house. I love the sophisticated dark walls with the sweet pink tile.

Picture from Amazon

My other paint plan for the bathroom is to be "inspired" by this discontinued Anthropologie wallpaper.

Picture from Pinterest, originally from Anthropologie

I'd go grayer with the base color, and replace the purple with blue, but I've been obsessed with this pattern for almost two years.

However, going with a nice, dark greeny-blue to tie the bathroom in with the accent colors of the living room seems like a good first step to a cohesive household color scheme.

Picture from Young House Love

Martha Stewart's Peacock paint color is a perennial favorite that I'd love to use SOMEWHERE. The paint chip has been hanging out in my nightstand drawer forever. Young House Love used it in their guest room, confirming my thoughts that it would look fantastic in a room.

So...any ideas? Thoughts? Stories of painting tiled bathrooms?

(I really am going to paint the credenza...just as soon as it stops raining. Painting the bathroom might happen first.)