How to Clean the Bathroom

Let’s face it – when it comes to cleaning bathrooms, most people would rather be doing something else. Cleaning the bathroom can be hard work.

Showers, tubs, toilets and sinks oh my! But clean we must to keep bacteria, germs, mildew and soap scum away.

With regular and efficient cleanings, the result will be a shining, clean and sanitized bathroom that smells as clean as it looks.

Cleaning Products and Tools

The bathroom gets used many times throughout the day. It’s important to have a good collection of cleaners and supplies on hand you can use when needed. Supplies for cleaning fixtures, sinks, the toilet, tub and shower and so on to keep the bathroom spotless.

Some of the items you may need are:

• Disposable gloves
• A sturdy scrub brush
• An old toothbrush
• Cleaning rags
• Sponges
• Glass cleaner
• Pumice stone
• Mildew remover
• Soap scum remover (Soft Scrub ®, Lysol ® Tub & Tile Cleaner, etc.)
• Disinfectant Cleaners
• Furniture polish
• Mop
• Toilet brush
• Duster
• Vacuum

Just remember to keep multiple cleaning rags, sponges, etcetera on hand as you don’t want to use the same sponge you used on the toilet on the shower or counter surfaces.

Where to Start

Before you actually start cleaning, there are a few things to do first.

Remove Items from Shower/Tub and Counters

Remove items from the shower and counters so you have empty surfaces and don’t have to move things around while cleaning.

Remove Bath Towels and Rugs

Take out bath towels and rugs for washing and shaking out. If there is a trash can, take this out as well and empty if needed.

Take Down Shower Curtain and Shower Curtain Liner

If necessary, take down and wash the shower curtain liner and/or change it out for a new one. These should be washed at least once a month to keep soap scum and mildew at bay. If you also have a decorative shower curtain, these should also be washed, especially if they are close to the toilet (not something we all think about).

Dust and Vacuum

Now get the duster and remove cobwebs that might be hanging out in the corners of the room, light fixtures and vents and baseboards. If you have shelves in the bathroom, it’s a good idea to dust and clean these as well. Then vacuum up any debris.

Pretreat the Bathtub and Shower

Spray the bathtub and shower stall with appropriate cleaner. If you clean regularly, all you may need is your all-purpose cleaner. If it’s been a while and it looks as if there is a buildup of soap scum and mildew, use appropriate cleaner for that.

Just keep in mind you don’t want to mix multiple chemicals together at the same time. If only part of the tub/shower looks like there is a buildup, then opt to spray entire area with that cleaner. Allow it to “work” while you spray the toilet bowl inside and exterior with disinfectant.

Cleaning the Toilet

Pour a little disinfectant inside the bowl and let that sit for a moment while you use a rag or sponge wet with disinfectant to wipe the rim and the outside of the bowl, down to the floor. Don’t overlook the seat and the lid, and the area behind the seat.

Using your regular toilet bowl brush or your scrub brush, reach inside that bowl, apply elbow grease and give that bowl a good scrubbing – then flush!

Pumice Stone

If the toilet is porcelain and has hard water stains, mineral buildup or toilet bowl rings and you don’t want to use harsh chemicals, you can use a pumice stone.

Just be sure you follow the instructions carefully (such as to keep it wet, wet, wet to avoid scratching, using a dry pumice stone can remove the protective finish and make cleaning more difficult in the future) especially if you have a colored toilet – you don’t want it to show scratches.

Do not use a pumice stone on laminates, marble, plastic or fiberglass as it will permanently damage the surface.

White Vinegar

If the toilet has stains and buildup on the inside of the bowl and you don’t want to try the pumice stone. You can use white vinegar. Turn off the water supply and flush the toilet to remove most of the water. Soak paper towels in white vinegar (can be done over the toilet) and place over the surface. Let sit overnight and clean in the morning.

Finish the Bathtub and Shower

Go back to your bathtub and shower that was sprayed with mildew remover – you may need to re-wet some surfaces but most of the work should be done for you. Removing soap scum can be an especially tedious job if there is a lot of build-up.

Grab your scrub brush, and – working from top to bottom – begin gently scrubbing the tub or shower walls, then the bottom. Rinse to find areas that still need attention, apply a little Soft Scrub ® (or similar product) and continue until the scum is gone.

Tub/shower doors may accumulate an especially stubborn build-up of soap scum. Again, using soap scum remover and a scrub brush along with elbow grease and a steady, over-lapping motion, scrub the glass from top to bottom and don’t forget the tracks.

Use the toothbrush to scrub around seams, and the faucet and drain areas. Rinse all of the surfaces well, flooding with fresh water and allowing it to run off then wipe down with a dry clean rag. Glass enclosures benefit from an additional application of a glass cleaner, especially on the outside.

Cleaning the Sink and Vanity Surfaces

Spray the counter top with disinfectant, and the sink with household cleaner and/or soap scum remover. A household sponge laminated with a Teflon ® surfaced, abrasive material, works well for the bathroom sinks, counters and faucets.

Take the toothbrush and scrub around the faucet and drain to loosen any gunk or mildew. Rinse the sink well with fresh water then, using paper towels, wipe down the entire counter, faucet, and sink.

When finished with the counters and sink, wipe down the cabinets with furniture polish and a soft rag to remove dust and protect from water stains.

Cleaning Bathroom Windows and Mirrors

A quick, easy and homemade cleaner for windows and mirrors can be made using water and vinegar mixed 1 to 1 in a spray bottle.

If the mirror has globs of stuff (like toothpaste, hair or makeup products and fingerprints), first wet a cotton ball/pad with rubbing alcohol and clean away these areas.

When those are gone, spray a clean soft cloth with the water/vinegar mixture and wipe down glass and windows. Dry with another clean soft cloth.

Cleaning Other Surfaces

Spray a cleaning rag with an all-purpose or disinfectant cleaner and wipe down towel racks, fixtures, door knobs, shower rod, etc.

Mopping the Floor

Laminate, vinyl, porcelain and ceramic floors tend to be the most common bathroom floor types. Cleaning on a regular basis can help prevent the accumulation of grime and dirt from getting out of control.

Vacuum up debris first or if you have one, use a Swiffer Sweeper. Then mop with Swiffer WetJet. I like these as the wet clothes are designed for use on most floor surfaces.

When finished mopping, dry the floor.

Tips to Make Bathroom Cleaning Easier

• Keep a squeegee in the shower to wipe down walls.
• Use the bathroom fan to help keep humidity away or open a window if there is one.
• To help with soap scum in the shower, use a liquid body soap.
• Use a mat by the shower and in front of vanity area.
• Use a liquid hand soap by the sink instead of bar soap.
• Clean and wipe down vanity and cabinets.
• Use a toilet bowl cleaner that clicks under the rim to help keep it clean.
• Use dryer sheets to run along baseboards and floor to easily pick-up dust bunnies and hair.
• Keep a spray bottle of white vinegar and water nearby. Spritz the liner every so often (in between washings) before getting in the shower.

Well, I hope we’ve helped to make cleaning your bathroom a bit easier.