The bathroom is one of the dirtiest rooms in your home, with harmful bacteria covering everything from the shower floor to your toothbrush handle.
That’s why it’s crucial to clean your bathroom regularly. But if you’re like most people, cleaning your bathroom is one chore you’d rather skip. Mold, crusty toothpaste, and dirty toilet bowls can be so hard to deal with, you might try to turn a blind eye instead.
But knowing how to clean the bathroom can make this essential part of house cleaning a breeze. Use these seven bathroom cleaning tips to polish up your powder room.
1. Vacuum First
Bathrooms can get quite dusty and dirty, with towel lint, hair, and dust covering the floor. That’s why it’s important to vacuum before you start cleaning.
Once you start spraying your sink, toilet, and other surfaces, the wet spray will likely end up on the floor too. This can make it harder to remove debris later.
Vacuum first, and then clean and tidy the other surfaces in the room. Before finishing the room by mopping, vacuum again if more dust has fallen on the floor while cleaning.
2. Get Creative With Supplies
You don’t need fancy products to clean your home—you can leave that up to the professional house cleaners. In fact, creative DIY solutions and household products can often work well as cleaning agents.
Some creative solutions are even in your medicine cabinet right now. For example, cotton swabs and dental floss can help with hard-to-reach nooks and crannies around your sink and faucet. And old toothbrushes are great for brushing tiles and grout.
You can even clean your toilet with some unexpected supplies. Throw a denture tablet in your toilet bowl, and let it fizz and scrub your toilet clean.
Another hack: use a wet dryer sheet to remove pesky soap scum in your shower and bathtub.
And finally, look to your kitchen for some help. Vinegar is a great all-around cleaner, and it’s especially helpful for soaking a dirty shower head in. You can also use baking soda around the bathroom, mixing it with water to create a cleaning paste.
3. Clean Your Shower Curtain
Chances are you’re already cleaning your shower. But are you forgetting your shower curtain?
Shower curtains are a surprisingly filthy part of most bathrooms. And many types are made of a material that can’t be washed in the washer.
Be sure to throw whatever you can wash into the laundry, like fabric liners. For other plastic or vinyl curtains, rinse with water and then spray with a vinegar solution. You can even take the curtain down and soak it in cleaner to remove stubborn stains and mold.
After cleaning, let it hang dry or dry in the sun for extra disinfection. And don’t forget to give any curtain rings or pole a frequent wiping too.
For more on how to properly clean your shower, read our advice here.
4. Clean Every Inch of Your Toilet
Did you think a quick wipe over the toilet seat was sufficient? Think again!
It’s crucial to not overlook any part of your toilet when cleaning. Bacteria can thrive in the toilet bowl, on the handle, and even on the floor around the toilet.
Always start with the tank, using a cleaner to wipe the entire surface. Then, clean the handle and top of the toilet lid.
From there, move to the toilet seat (being sure to clean both the top and bottom!), and continue cleaning all the way down to the base.
When cleaning the bowl, use a toilet bowl cleaner and brush, replacing the brush regularly.
5. Keep Mirrors Sparkling
We use our mirrors every day, and it shows. Mirrors can easily get covered in unsightly fingerprints, toothpaste splatters, and more.
Like the other surfaces in your bathroom, you should start tackling your mirror with a cleaning product or disinfectant such as vinegar. Cleaning solutions often only make mirrors look worse. However, there are ways to avoid streaks and smears.
First, grab a microfiber cloth to wipe away the cleaning product. If any hairs or dust are left behind, wipe them away using rubbing alcohol.
Then spray the mirror with a glass cleaner. Use another microfiber cloth to wipe, using broad and consistent strokes.
If you don’t have a glass cleaner, try using shaving cream instead. Some shaving creams work to remove streaks, leaving you with a sparkly-clean mirror.
6. Don’t Overlook Dirty Grout
Dirty grout in your bathroom and shower can be distracting, making your otherwise-clean room look dirty.
Cleaning grout can be tricky because it can sometimes be hard to scrub between tiles. And when mold starts to form, it can feel nearly impossible to get rid of.
Make a paste with baking soda and water, and apply it to areas with mold and stains. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before washing away.
For extra help, grab a sponge or toothbrush to scrub away mold and other stains.
7. Air It Out
When cleaning your bathroom, you might make the mistake of only looking at the surfaces around you. But sinks and tubs aren’t all that’s dirty: your air can be too.
Pollutants can hang out in the air found in your bathroom, sometimes creating unwanted odors. This can come from using the toilet, but also from less predictable culprits like shower gels and hairsprays.
Open a window or turn on an exhaust fan in your bathroom as much as possible. An indoor air purifier can also help to clean your air.
And for any leftover stink, try non-toxic air fresheners or even a fresh bouquet of flowers placed on your bathroom sink.
Essential Bathroom Cleaning Tips
From eliminating hair to cleaning the air, keep your bathroom sparkly and clean with these handy bathroom cleaning tips.
And if you still dread toilet cleaning day, give yourself a break and contact Two Gals & A Broom. We offer cleaning services including Top To Bottom Deluxe Cleaning, High Touch Sanitizing, and more. Contact us for a free house cleaning quote!
