How to Clean a Bathroom Step-by-Step

Bathrooms are supposed to be the cleanest room in the house, however they are the most dreadful to clean.  Well, it’s like they say: “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it!”  Keep all of your cleaning supplies together and this will make the job a little easier.  Since the bathrooms are probably cleaned more often then the rest of the house, it’s a good idea to keep separate cleaning products in the bathroom cupboards, if space permits.  A steamer is very good for cleaning the entire bathroom without chemicals.  It gets out scum and mildew and leaves everything squeaky clean.  If you buy one that comes with attachments, you can sometimes get a special attachment to clean under the rim in the toilet.  If however you don’t have a steamer, here is a list of cleaning supplies you will need to keep your bathroom sparkling clean:

1.     soap scum and mildew remover

2.     bathroom surface cleaner

3.     window washing fluid and newspaper

4.     toilet bowl cleaner – including a brush

5.     dust rags,

6.     paper towels

7.     paper towels

8.     sponges

9.     scrub brush

10.  floor cleaner

The first step to cleaning a bathroom is to remove any dirty clothes or dirty towels and make sure that everything is in its place.  Remove any rugs to wash as well.  The hardest part of cleaning the bathroom is cleaning the shower.  It is the most likely place to get a build up of soap scum and mildew if it’s not cleaned on a regular basis.  A good way to keep the shower free of scum and mildew and to ease the scrubbing process is to keep a squeegee in the shower and squeegee after every shower.  By using the squeegee after every shower, the water will not sit on the surface thus making it easier to clean.

I always start with cleaning the sinks because it’s the easiest thing to do.  I either use a spray cleaner or my steamer.  I make sure to get into all the crevasses around the sink and facets.  I use a wet rag to do the cleaning and then a soft rag made up of an old cotton t-shirt or flannel pajama to dry; this makes everything really shiny and does not leave streaks. 

Next. I clean the mirrors.   When they get steamy, the kids love to write in the steam, which of course leaves wonderful streaks all over.  Give the mirrors a little spray and then use a piece of newspaper to wipe them clean.  The newspaper are fantastic for cleaning mirrors and don’t leave streaks or lint like paper towels.

After the sinks, facets, countertop and mirrors are clean, I proceed to clean the shower and tub.  I spray a good cleaner all over and let it sit for a while.  Actually, I usually spray it before I clean the sink so that it’s ready to be wiped down when I’m done the sinks, facets, countertops and mirrors.  Don’t forget about cleaning the shower curtain or the shower door plus the track.  There are a lot of products that are made to clean a shower.  The choice of which products to use is up to you.  Rinse the shower really well with water after you have cleaned it.  It just gets rid of any other loose dirt and chemicals.

Next step, the dirtiest job ever; cleaning the TOILET!  There are several different areas of the toilet and they all need to be cleaned.  The inside of the toilet can be cleaned with a regular toilet brush and a little bit of toilet bowl cleaner or a disposable toilet bowl cleaner.  The rim of the bowl and the under part of the lid and the seat also needs to be wiped clean.  The back of the toilet can be cleaned with a good surface cleaner.  An area of the toilet that some people overlook is the pedestal especially towards the back near the floor.  You can use a surface cleaner for this also.

The last thing to do in the bathroom is to dust any shelves, moldings, doorframes and baseboards and finally to mop the floor and to empty the garbage.  I like to use old rags to clean the bathroom.  It’s an eco-friendly way of cleaning but make sure to use a different rag for each step of the bathroom.  Because of all the germs in the bathroom, you don’t want to clean the toilet and then realize that you missed a spot on the counter and then clean that.

Hopefully this information will help ease your way through cleaning the bathroom and make the job a little easier because after all “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it!”