How to Keep Your Bathroom Clean Without Really Trying
Keep the bathroom window closed and use the exhaust fan instead. If you are like my husband, you like to open the window when you are in the shower, either to keep the room cool, or let out some of the hot air escape. But, opening a window may just make your problems worse. Open windows let in dust and dirt that clings to damp surfaces like bathroom walls, sinks, and countertops. Instead, turn on the exhaust fan before you take a shower and leave it on for about 20 extra minutes after you get out of the shower. The closed window will stop dirt from getting in the bathroom and will also lower the humidity to help prevent mold and mildew growth in tile caulking and grout.
Use an after shower mist or spray after every use of the shower. Get on your children and husband to use the spray also. Most of the after shower sprays on the market today are easy to use, inexpensive, and most are no rinse solutions. Using the spray daily will help cut down on the time it takes to clean your bath or shower, and you can even use it on shower curtains too!
Use lemon oil or lemon juice to clean your glass shower. If you soap leaves white marks all over your glass shower doors you don’t have to kill yourself trying to get it off. Just use some lemon oil or lemon juice on a dry rag, and apply it to your shower door in horizontal strokes, not circular. The acid in the lemon will break down the soap scum, and if you are using lemon oil the oil will repel future soap and water. Do this once or twice a month to keep your shower glass clean. Bleach and Ajax also remove soap scum but they are harsh chemicals, so wear gloves when using these kinds of products and open a window to let some fresh air in.
Use a grout sealer in and around the shower. If you have a tile shower and you have some problems with mold and mildew, or you just want to keep your grout white the best way is to cover the grout with a sealer that repels moisture, which cause mold and mildew growth. Grout sealer is inexpensive and can be purchased at any home supply store. It can be mopped on or brushed onto the grout and when dry it will also help keep dirt out and protect the grout from harsh cleaners and stains.
Don’t use soap that leaves a lot of residue behind. Most often, soaps that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), perfumes, dyes, or deodorants will leave tons of soap scum behind. Switch to glycerin, Aloe Vera, vitamin E, or olive oil soap and your shower will be much cleaner from day to day, and also a breeze to clean up.
Use a 2 step, spray and wipe bathroom cleaner. After you have given your bathroom a good cleaning you want it to stay clean, forever. It’s just a silly dream right? Well, not if you use a spray and wipe cleaner every once in a while. The cleaner will do the work for you, and keep your bathroom sparkling. Try an all purpose cleaner that you can use on the sink, mirror, and floor if you have to.
Use a mold killer or bleach to clean away mildew and mold in your bathroom. If you experience problems of this nature it would be appropriate to try using some mold killer or mildewcide. Regular bathroom cleaners will not do the trick and it the mold will just keep coming back, sometimes within days or weeks. You can buy mildew preventative fillers for paint also and even add it to wallpaper paste. If you are using bleach, a 10% bleach and water solution will clean away the mold in about 30 seconds. Once the mold is cleaned away you should still apply some sort of pre-emptive spray.
Vacuum your bathroom exhaust fan and heating vent once or twice a month. When cleaning the bathroom, this is one thing that is constantly overlooked. Vacuuming the exhaust fan and heating vent will clear out dust and dirt that makes your bathroom dirty, and keeps the exhaust from working properly. If you notice there are some dust bunnies jumping around in your exhaust vacuum it right away. You will immediately notice that your fan works better and your bathroom will be drier after using the shower or bath.
Use toilet cleaning tablets or clings. Using a water treatment tablet in the tank or a cling tablet on the bowl will help cut down on the amount of time you spend cleaning your toilet. Using a tablet will not only make the toilet easier to clean, but you will have to clean it less often. You can even get fragranced tablets that make your bathroom smell good.
Seal your bathroom floors. No matter what kind of flooring you have in your bathroom you should make sure that there is a sealer on top of the finish. The sealer will protect the flooring from water, dirt, mold and mildew, and also protects the finish. You can buy the sealer at any home improvement supply store just make sure you check the back of the bottle to make sure it is safe for your floor. There are sealers for wood, laminate, marble, stone, tile, and all other sorts of flooring. Just mop it on, and let it dry for about 12 hours and your will have a floor that is easy to clean, and will retain its shine much longer than a floor without the sealer.
Using a sealer on the floor will greatly decrease the amount of time you spend sweeping or mopping, and clean up is a breeze. A damp sponge or micro-fiber cleaner will do the job in minutes, without water. If you are installing new flooring in your bathroom remember that textured flooring automatically holds more dirt than a non-porous surface, so it will stay cleaner longer.
Get your bathroom organized. If you have a lot of clutter and mess in your bathroom the best way to get rid of it is to get organized. Use a toothbrush holder and some baskets or cups to keep the other stuff like hair brushes, skin care, and perfumes organized and in one place. Place a laundry hamper in the bathroom for used towels and dirty clothes, or install a chute to the laundry room for fast collection of dirty laundry. Keep your bathroom cleaners handy by storing them under the sink or in a cabinet in the bathroom.
