Having a clean bathroom at all times might sound impossible but with some cleaning hacks together with a strong determination to follow the cleaning checklist, you will be surprised that having a tidy bathroom is something that can be achieved by anyone who has a desire.
Keeping your washroom tidy is likely not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how to give your house a thorough spring cleaning. However, keeping this space tidy and hygienic is essential for several reasons. It’s an area where you spend time alone; it’s also a room that can get gross very fast if not properly maintained.
A cluttered and a dirty washroom can bring down the energy of any home, especially when you see it every day. Luckily, with some careful planning and efficient techniques, making sure your bathroom stays clean can be an easy task to accomplish.
We’ve put together a helpful tips and tricks guide on how to clean your bathroom and keep it that way with our top-secret checklist on all things cleaning related. Get ready to discover our insider tricks today!
How To Clean Your Bathroom: A Step-by-Step Checklist
Decide on one day to clean your bathroom
If you try to clean your restroom in a piecemeal way where you assign a certain area like toilet and sink to be cleaned on a particular day of the week while the shower wall and tub will be on the following week, by doing this you won’t be able to keep up with the mess and grime that can build up.
As a result, you will never see your bathroom tidy and organized and you will most likely feel overwhelmed by how much work needs to be done. This is the main reason why it’s so much better and easier to tackle it all at once. Plus, doing it all in one day will also give you a better understanding of how long each task takes so you can plan your time more efficiently in the future and therefore you will create a better cleaning routine.
Pick a day in a week to scrubbed your bathroom and if your space has a lot of stuff to store or has many users, it may be a good idea to do a deep cleaning once a month.
In my case, every Wednesday of the week is my cleaning and laundry day. However, my husband and I use a shower squeegee to washed the glass shower door and walls every time we take a shower. By doing this, it keeps our shower glass door and wall clean and free from water stains.
Aside from that, on my cleaning day, I only need to spray a glass cleaner all over the surface and wipe it down using a dry and clean microfiber cloth. Then voila, after 5 minutes, I am done cleaning our shower glass door and walls.
Bathroom Cleaning Kit
Purchase a bucket to hold all your cleaning supplies to stop you from searching around the house for rags and other cleaning supplies when cleaning the room. Below are cleaning essentials that you need:
All-purpose cleaner
You can use an all-purpose cleaner for almost anything, from the floors to the counters and even the toilet. Being able to do multiple tasks with one product saves you both time and money.
What I like about all-purpose cleaners is you do not need to use water to rinse the surfaces and all you need is a clean and dry rag to wipe it down and then you are done. It’s quick, easy and most importantly you use less water.
Mildew Remover
For those stubborn mildew stains or odors, mildew remover is a great product to have on hand. In my case, I use the Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach, every time I see mold or stain formation in our shower area.
Tile Cleaner
There are a lot of cleaning products that you can choose to help make your tile cleaning easier and faster. Scrubbing bubbles, cleaner with bleach or soap scum remover by Rejuvenate are one of the many products that you can choose from.
I personally use a cleaner with bleach and soap scum remover to clean the shower tile wall and flooring without scrubbing.
I only scrub our shower wall and floor tile twice a year because we wipe it all down every day after we shower using a squeegee. If you like this idea, buy a squeegee with a waterproof adhesive hook and attach it to your washroom wall to make it accessible.
Vacuum
You may not think of a vacuum as a cleaning product, but it most certainly is. If you have a tile or wood floor, you’ll want to vacuum every week or two to pick up any dust and dirt that’s in the house.
If you have a carpeted bathroom, vacuum every two weeks or so, but only pick up larger pieces of dirt and debris, not any liquids.
In my case, I use the handheld vacuum to pick my long hair that fell into the floor. For me, hair on the bathroom floor can make the space look dirty. That is why I am so thankful that there is a vacuum to pick my hair effectively with just a push of a button.
Scrub Brush Or Cleaning Brush
To keep your toilet, sink, and tub free of buildup, you’ll need to use a scrub brush, cleaning brush or your old toothbrush particularly for the toilet area.
I have two sets of these deep clean brush sets. The first set I use to particularly scrubbed our bathroom sink, while the large brush of the second set is used to washed the bathroom tiles and the small brush is utilized to clean the crevices of the toilet set cover, particularly the toilet seat hinges.
Toilet Brush And Toiler Cleaner
If you don’t already have a toilet brush, they’re a great cleaning gadget to have. They’re helpful for getting rid of buildup without having to use harsh chemicals.
Toiler Cleaner help you to washed and disinfects the whole surface.
Microfiber Mop And Swiffer Duster
A microfiber mop and swiffer duster are great tools for dusting.
Remove Unnecessary Items
Once you gather your cleaning items, remove all unnecessary items such as empty tissue boxes, used towels, remove and empty your trash can, rugs or bath mats, empty bottles and alike to make cleaning easier.
Throw all of the used or dirty towels in the washing machine so when you are done cleaning the space, you will also have clean and fresh towels.
Wash separately your bathroom mats and rugs. And put them back after you are done cleaning the entire room.
Dust All Surfaces
Toilet paper and towels can create a lot of dust due to their frequent usage. Remove dust from all flat surfaces using a vacuum and swiffer duster.
Use a swiffer duster to remove the dust build up in your light fixture, exhaust fan, ceiling, walls, tops of cabinets, shower head and tub surround.
Then utilize a microfiber cloth to clean shelving, cabinets, windows, countertops and drawers.
Pick up the dust and debris off of the floor using a vacuum.
Spray Your Cleaning Products
Spraying cleaning products directly on a surface before scrubbing will help them work faster and more effectively.
You’ll also be able to use less of the product and save money in the long run. You can spray your all-purpose cleaner on the floor, counters, walls, toilets, and any other surfaces before scrubbing.
Mildew remover works best when sprayed on the grout in your shower area while toilet bowl cleaner works effectively when you spray the inside of the bowl, then let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing.
Scrub And Wipe
Image Source Pinterest: wattpad.com
Washed your restroom or any room from top to bottom. Below are the detailed guidelines that I personally follow when Iscrubbed our master bath that you can also include in your cleaning checklist. Do not hesitate to make some changes and make it your own because the best cleaning routine is the one that suits your needs.
Dust light fixtures, ceiling, exhaust fan and anything above
When doing a thorough cleaning, you need to first dust all things above the counter such as ceiling, bathroom fan, light fixtures, tops of cabinets, shower head and similar items. Then do the floor sweeping or vacuuming last to collect particles that land on the floor from your dusting.
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Your walls accumulate a lot of dirt and grime, especially near the toilet. Wipe down the walls and baseboards using a swiffer duster or rag with warm water.
Clean windows
Wood windows can get very dirty, particularly the sills. Wipe them down with a rag and a cleaning solution.
Vinyl windows can also get dirty, particularly if there’s a lot of traffic in and out of your bathroom. Scrubbed them with a rag and a cleaning solution.
If you have blinds, you’ll want to dust them as well. Wipe them down with a sponge or with a wet rag.
Clean mirror, glass shower doors and walls
After your spray your cleaning solution or glass cleaner, use a microfiber cloth to washed the mirror. Start from around the edge and then use the top to bottom wiping approach.
For glass doors and walls, if you want to prevent or minimize the build up of hard water stains, soap scum and mold, allot a minute or two to squeegee the glass door and walls after shower at least once a day or multiple times depending on the number of times you use your shower area.
After you are done shower, leave the door open and keep the fan running for few minutes to dry out any water left in the shower and therefore minimizing mold growth. This will also allow you to spray a glass cleaner and wipe it with microfiber cloth without the need to use too much water, time and energy.
Also on a weekly basis, you can use soap scum remover and a cleaner with bleach in the shower floor and wall. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse it with water.
I have been using this cleaning technique since we moved in our current home and since then I only scrub the shower wall and floor tiles using a cleaning brush and Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach twice a year. As you can see the shower wall accumulated much dirt over time so there’s a need to deep clean them on a periodic basis. Below is the result of our shower wall and floor after deep cleaning. I think I did a good cleaning job because it look so clean and also looks new.
Clean The Plastic Strip Attached At The Bottom of Your Glass Shower Door
If you have a glass shower door, there is a plastic strip attached at the bottom of the glass door. This plastic strip is just like toilet cover hinges and traps most of the soap scum then eventually it turns into grime and mold. Therefore, there is a need to clean it once every month or every time you see grime build up. In my case, I scrubbed this plastic strip once every 3 months.
To washed this plastic strip, grab the exposed end and pull it down. If this is your first time doing it, you may need to use some strength to pull this plastic strip down. Once you remove this strip, spray it with a cleaning solution and scrubbed it with brush cleaner then rinse and wipe it with dry rag.
Also take this opportunity to washed the bottom part of the glass door before putting the plastic strip back.
Clean cabinets or shelving
Your cabinets are likely an organization disaster. Clean them out and wipe them down with a rag and a cleaning solution.
Clean Bathroom Counter
Scrubbed counters with a rag and a cleaning solution, particularly around the bathroom sink and faucet. Use a cleaning brush to remove hard water buildup around the faucet, drains and sink.
If you have a decorative tray to hold your essentials, remove all the items inside the tray and wipe the tray with rag and cleaning solution. Then as you return all items inside the tray, also wipe them down as well.
Clean your plastic shower curtain
Your shower curtain will pick up a lot of dirt and grime, particularly near the toilet. Put it in the washing machine with warm water and a small amount of detergent. You can also use vinegar to get rid of any mildew smell.
Washed your tub
You can washed your tub in a few different ways. You can use a cleaning solution in the shower or a bucket of warm water and baking soda. Or, for a more thorough cleaning, use a rag with all purpose cleaning.
Unclog drains
Drains can get clogged with hair and other debris, causing your restroom to smell bad. To unclog your drains, you can use a drain cleaner or boiling water.
If you want to prevent hair from clogging your shower drains, the best way is to pick up your falling hair while shampooing and then place them on the shower walls. Then once you are done and about to step out from shower area, use your fingers to grab all those hairs that you stuck on to the wall and then put them into the trash. By doing this, it will prevent your drain from clogging and it will prevent you from getting grossed out by having to pick up your hair from the drain.
I have been doing this for almost 4 years now and never have problems with clogged drains.
Scrub toilet
The bowl of your toilet accumulates bacteria and grime that needs to be cleaned regularly. To scrub your toilet bowl, apply the toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes. Then spray the tank with all purpose cleaner as well as the seat, mounting cap and the entire surface (outside of the toilet). Do not ignore the seat hinges as it stores most of the dirt.
I use a small soft-bristle brush to scrubbed the hinge area to avoid scratching porcelain or plastic hinges. Grab your toilet brush to scrub the bowl until it’s clean. Next, using a microfiber cloth rag, wipe the entire surface including the seat hinge and the surrounding toilet rim.
Then put the toilet seat cover down and flush it. In this way, it will keep the toilet bowl clean and make it more eye appealing.
Scrub floors
You can use a mop with a cleaning solution as a quick way to scrub your bathroom floor. If you want to scrub your floors more thoroughly, use a scrub brush.
In my case, after I vacuum the floor to pick up debris and hair in the floor, I use a microfiber mop and then mop it again but this time with a floor tile cleaner by Rejuvenate.
Once a year or as needed, I conduct a deep cleaning where I scrubbed the grout on the tile floor using a clean brush and cleaning solution and then wipe it down with warm water. I then wipe it down again this time with a mixture of water and vinegar to remove the stickiness from the cleaning solution. Once the grout dries up, I apply grout pen white tile paint to make our floor tile look cleaner. Below is the before and after picture:
Bathroom Checklist Completion
Once you are done cleaning the entire bathroom, put everything back into its place such as your clean rug, bath math, trash bin and so on. Then take a look at your newly cleaned bathroom so you would feel accomplished and thankful that you will able to enjoy a tidy bathroom once again.
Conclusion
Having a clean bathroom is having a good cleaning routine checklist where you categorize areas the need to be cleaned on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The cleaning plan should be kept simple and easy to follow.
To make cleaning easier and faster, you need to keep your restroom clean at all times by picking up debris and hair on the floor, throwing away all empty boxes and bottles, squeegee the glass door and walls after showering, and keep the shower door open.
We hope that this guide, How To Clean Your Bathroom: A Step-by-Step Checklist, has helped you realize that cleaning your restroom doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With a little planning and the right cleaning tools and products, you can have a clean and tidy space in no time.
