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How to Clean the Bathroom and Keep It Tidy

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The bathroom is one of the dirtiest rooms in your house. It’s important to regularly clean and sanitize the bathroom as part of your weekly homemaking routine. Today we’re looking at how to clean the bathroom and keep it tidy.

When I first became a homemaker, I remember my grandmother-in-law (I called her Mrs. Jackson) teaching me how to clean the house, do the laundry, and take care of my family the right way.

I don’t think I appreciated her efforts nearly as much as I should. I was young and probably a bit ungrateful.

I lived with her for a few months when I got married the first time, and when she was doing a homemaking task, she would call me in and show me exactly how I should properly complete the chore. Despite my internal annoyance, I paid attention to her lessons and I still do things the way she taught me, 30 years later.

I’ll never forget her telling me, “The bathroom is the only place in your house where guests go and sit by themselves. They have time to sit there and look at how clean your bathroom is.”

She pointed out to me that the baseboards, floor, tub – basically every surface – should be free of grime. Now, some of you may be thinking that’s pretty obvious. And maybe it is.

But I still think about those words every time I go to clean my bathrooms. It reminds me of the importance of homemaking. Homemaking is a ministry of the highest caliber. It’s noble work, even as you kneel down beside the toilet and scrub behind it.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. And as a homemaker, cleaning the bathroom is certainly a humbling task.

“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7 ESV

How to Clean the Bathroom: Overview

So, before we look at the step by step guide to cleaning the bathroom, let’s overview the tasks you’ll add to your routine to keep your bathroom clean and tidy.

A regular bathroom cleaning routine prevents the buildup of soap scum, mold and other problems and makes it easier to quickly keep a bathroom neat and tidy.

Bathrooms require frequent cleaning and maintenance to remain clean and germ-free and to prevent the buildup of mold and odors.

Bathroom Cleaning Products

There are a wide range of commercially available bathroom cleaning products. The minimum requirement would be a toilet cleaner, general bathroom cleaner, window cleaner (for windows and mirrors) and mold cleaning product (bleach or specific mold treatment product).

Air fresheners and deodorizers are particularly marketed for bathroom areas. Air freshener sprays come in a variety of forms from pump packs to aerosols and also in slow-release plug-in or stand-alone units. Toilet disinfectant and deodorizer products are also available.

Tip: Take care that products that are placed in the cistern are positioned carefully to avoid blocking the flushing mechanism.

There are low-cost and environmentally friendly cleaning product alternatives available for many general cleansers including homemade products or commercially available ranges such as Cinderella Products.

Frequent Bathroom Cleaning Tasks

Change hand towels daily in bathrooms that are used regularly. In a guest bathroom, hand towels need only be changed once or twice per week. Replace the hand towel in a bathroom shared by family and guests just before visitors arrive if possible.

When changing hand towels, you can use the old towel to quickly wipe down the bathroom vanity. This will prevent the buildup mess, making the weekly clean easier.

Change bath towels one or two times per week. If towels are used more than once each day or if the bathroom is poorly ventilated, preventing towels from drying completely between uses, this may need to be done more frequently.

Daily Bathroom Cleaning to Keep It Tidy

Keeping your bathroom neat and tidy is a daily process and ideally part of your daily homemaking routine. Tidying up the bathroom doesn’t need to be a laborious task. It can be done in just a couple minutes.

  1. Wipe down bathroom sink and counter.
  2. Put away any clutter and laundry.
  3. Change out hand towels and bath towels as needed.

You may want to do these tasks as you get dressed in the morning or as part of a your morning cleaning routine.

Weekly Bathroom Cleaning

  • Toilet – this should be cleaned and disinfected at least weekly. This includes disinfecting any potty chair or child toilet training aids.
  • Bath – If used regularly, this should be wiped over with a bathroom cleaner. Be aware that some bathtub enamel surfaces require special non-abrasive cleaning products.
  • Shower – Using a squeegee or shower cleaning cloth to wipe down tiles after each use will make the more detailed weekly clean much easier.
  • Mirror – Use a window cleaner or special mirror/window cleaning cloth to achieve a streak-free finish.
  • Mop floor – You can use a mop or clean the floor with a sponge on your hands and knees. Pay special attention to corners to get any built up dirt and grime.
  • Wash or air bathmat – Throw the bath mats into the wash and then hang to dry.

Monthly Bathroom Cleaning

Shower doors/curtains – clean well, removing shower curtains and allowing to dry in the sun if possible. Ensure that the tracks of bathroom doors are also cleaned well. An old toothbrush can be useful to reach awkward, hard-to-reach spots near hinges or corners.

Clean bathroom exhaust fans – wipe down and dust as needed.

Check walls and ceilings for signs of mold. Mold should be dealt with quickly if it appears. Commercially available mold cleansers, sugar soap or dilute bleach solutions can work well, but should be tested first to ensure that they do not damage paint or other surface finishes. Mold-resistant paint can help to minimize mold growth and good ventilation will reduce the risk of mold problems.

Three-Monthly Bathroom Cleaning

  • Replace toothbrushes.
  • Clean out vanity. A good opportunity to clear out almost-empty products and purchase replacements.
  • Wash bathroom curtains or blinds if applicable.
  • General Bathroom Cleaning
  • Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning and maintaining spa baths.
  • Check medicine cabinet contents at least every six months, checking supplies of regularly used items and reviewing expiry dates on medications.
  • Throw out old and expired makeup and other toiletry products.

Step by Step Guide to Cleaning the Bathroom

Cleaning the Bathroom: Weekly

You can print the card below to place my step by step guide to how to clean the bathroom weekly.

How to Clean the Bathroom @ AVirtuousWoman.org

How to Clean the Bathroom

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Simple, step by step instructions to help you clean your bathrooms well.

Tools

  • cleaning caddy
  • glass cleaner
  • disinfectant
  • toilet bowl cleaner
  • microfiber cloths
  • sponge or scrub brush
  • mop or sponge for cleaning the floor
  • abrasive scrub cleaner

Instructions

    Prep: Before you begin, pick up any clutter, laundry, or trash and put it in it's right place.

    Step 1. Use a small hand held whisk broom or brush and sweep the floor, dusting the baseboards as you go.

    Step 2. Fill a bucket with warm or hot water and add a disinfectant to the water.

    Step 3. Add a disinfectant to the toilet bowl. Swish it around with the toilet bowl brush and allow to soak while you clean the rest of the bathroom.

    Step 4. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.

    Step 5. Use separate cloths or sponges for cleaning the toilet and sink and floor.

    Step 6. Begin by cleaning the sink and cabinets. Use a mild detergent or abrasive for cleaning inside the sink, around the fixtures, the cabinets, and the walls around the sink.

    Step 7. Rinse and clean soap dish. Wipe off the light switch.

    Step 8. Dust vanity light bulbs.

    Step 9. Clean mirrors.

    Step 10. Sprinkle a mild abrasive or spray your preferred bath tub cleaner into the bath/ shower. Use a sponge to scrub away soap scum build up and water marks. Doing this weekly instead of once the tub is gross will reduce the effort! Liquid bleach gets rid of mildew. Rinse tub well.

    Step 11. Saturate a sponge in the bucket of water. Squeeze excess moisture out and begin scrubbing the baseboards. Because of the moisture in the bathroom, dust tends to dry and stick to the baseboards causing them to look dingy and unattractive. Move around the room, rinsing your sponge as needed. Dust window sills, cobwebs, top of door molding, and top of shower.

    Step 12. Saturate a sponge in the bucket of water. Squeeze excess moisture out and clean around top of toilet, working your way down the sides of the toilet. Rinse sponge as needed.

    Step 13. Using a sponge and a product such as Mop and Glo, scrub floor until it sparkles. Begin mopping in the corner of bathroom and work your way out of the room. Leave the room and make sure no one goes in until the floor is dry – about 20 minutes. You can place a fan on the floor to speed this drying time.

    Step 14. Pour dirty water outside or down the toilet. Disinfect sponges or cloths in a bucket of fresh water and bleach. 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Soak them for at least five minutes. Rinse well and air dry.

Action Steps You Can Take Today

  1. Begin by asking God to give you a right attitude if that’s something you struggle with.
  2. Choose a day of the week for your bathroom cleaning routine.
  3. Print out the How to Clean the Bathroom Weekly card above and place in your home management binder for easy reference – you can even use it to teach your kids how to clean!
  4. Take pride in having a clean bathroom by cleaning it on a regular schedule, preventing the build up of dirt, grime, and germs.

Bathrooms are high traffic areas that can quickly become unhygienic if left unattended. Developing a regular cleaning routine or establishing a cleaning checklist will ensure that the bathroom remains clean and tidy for use by family and visitors.

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