How to Properly Clean the Bathroom
So here’s a simple step by step guide to cleaning one room of the house that tends to get dirty quickly: The bathroom.
All you really need is a cleaning cloth, and some type of disinfectant or scrubbing product. Ajax is useful for scrubbing sinks and tubs for instance, but some people prefer to use bleach because they want to disinfect as they’re cleaning. Natural and safe cleaning products are my preference though, so I usually clean with baking soda, vinegar, or lemon juice.
1. The first step is to throw away any accumulated trash that may be sitting around on surfaces. Whether you have empty toilet paper rolls sitting on the back of the toilet, or you have empty toothpaste and deodorant sticks next to the sink, pick them all up and throw them away. Also be sure to discard anything that’s outdated. Women’s makeup which is more than 6 months old for instance, and medicine which has passed it’s expiration date.
2. Put things away that don’t need to be discarded. If makeup is sitting around on the counter, pack it all up into it’s containers and place it under the sink. If you don’t have containers or bins to put stuff in, find or buy some. I use plastic bins underneath the sink for instance, to put boxes of tampons and extra soap in. I have decorative tins sitting on the counter which hold cosmetics, toothbrushes, and hair ties.
3. Take down dirty linens. Once you have trash cleaned up and everything put into it’s proper place, then you’ll want to take down the wash cloths, hand towels, bath towels, and any other lines normally used in your bathroom. Place these into a laundry basket or cloths hamper for washing.
4. Clean the bathtub. The bathtub is often a large job which requires the most energy, so it’s best to tackle that job first before you’ve started getting tired. Sprinkle some baking soda around the inside, then mix a bit of water into your cloth and scrub. Scrub the bottom, sides, and around the top edges. Make sure to scrub on and around the faucets too. It helps to scrub the entire shower wall at the same time, but this chore can be left for once a month if needed.
Once you’ve finished scrubbing any grime and soap scum off all bathtub and shower surfaces, rinse everything with clear warm water. If you’d like your faucets to sparkle and shine, then rub them down with a clean dry cloth after rinsing.
5. Clean the toilet. The toilet can also be scrubbed with baking soda, or you might want to use vinegar or lemon juice for a disinfectant instead. I recommended using a different cleaning cloth for this task because the toilet contains more germs.
Sprinkle your baking soda around the inside of the toilet bowl, or pour the vinegar or lemon onto the sides inside the bowl. Use a cloth or toilet scrub brush, and start scrubbing all the sides of the toilet. Be sure to scrub underneath the inside lip, and down into the hole at the bottom as well.
Next scrub around the inside top lip area, and along the edge of the toilet under the seat. Then scrub the bottom part of the seat, and next the top. Don’t forget to scrub or wipe down the inside and outside edges of the toilet seat too, and around the screws where it’s anchored at the back.
At this point you need to clean the outside areas of your toilet. Wipe down the lid with a cloth which has disinfectant on it. Also wipe down the tank or back area of the toilet, and the handle too. Then start wiping down the outside of the toilet bowl. Be sure to clean the entire outside surface, particularly down at the floor where it’s anchored, because a lot of dirt and “misses” end up collecting down there.
Rinse your cleaning cloth in water with vinegar or lemon juice as you go from one section or surface to another, to make sure you’re not dragging dirt from one place to the next.
6. Clean the sink. Follow the same steps here as you did with the bathtub and toilet. Use baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar and scrub or wipe down all around the inside of the sink. Then clean around the outside and lip, the faucets and areas around them, and the counter space your sink is attached to. Make sure to remove everything from the counter and sink area before starting, so you’ll not miss any sections.
7. Clean the floor, including baseboards. Once the bathroom fixtures are clean, you now need to sweet and mop the floors. Everything that may have been swiped off of higher surfaces has landed on the floor, so it’s just a matter of finishing up. Be sure to sweep all corners of the bathroom, and don’t miss the area behind the toilet either.
Use a mop or one of your cleaning cloths after sweeping, and again be sure to mop in all corners and behind the toilet. Then take your cleaning cloth and wipe down the baseboards all the way around the room.
8. Empty the trash can. Since you removed everything from the floor before sweeping and mopping, you can empty the trash can while waiting for the floor to dry. I use plastic grocery bags in my bathroom trash bin, because it makes emptying easier and the can stays clean for very long periods of time.
9. Put up fresh linens. Once your floor is dry, put everything back into place and then put up your fresh wash cloths and towels.
Here are a few general tips you might find useful in the future:
– Use a bag in your trash can to keep it cleaner longer.
– Wipe down the shower walls when cleaning the bathroom and you won’t have to scrub them hard very often.
– Put a bleach tablet in the back of your toilet to help it stay fresh and clean longer
– Remove hair from shower and sink drains a few times each year.
– Clean the windows and wash curtains a few times each year.
