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How to Clean Your Bathroom offers tips, tricks and advice on how to make your bathroom spotless.
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Introduction
- Bathrooms are supposed to be bastions of personal hygiene and cleanliness. That's why there's nothing more depressing than a dirty one. Who wants to bath in a tub with a ring of dirt around it, or wash their face in a sink spotted with caked-on toothpaste? (We're not even going to talk about the toilet.) If there's any room you need to keep clean, it's the bathroom.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
- You'll need a complete arsenal of cleaning products to get the job done, and don't think one bottle of 409 will cover it. Different surfaces require different cleaning products. The following is a checklist of the essentials:
Cleaners
- All-Purpose Cleaner like 409
- You can make things even easier on yourself by purchasing pre-soaked disposable cleaning wipes or Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers. They're convenient, but more wasteful than using a bottled cleaner and washable rag.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Comet or Soft-Scrubbing Cleanser for the bathtub/shower
- Windex or Generic Glass Cleaner (also available as disposable wipes)
Cleaning Tools
- Feather Duster or Dusting Cloth/Mitts
- Toilet Brush
- Broom and Dustpan
- Mop and Bucket
- Sponges and Rags
- Paper Towels
- Rubber Gloves
- Trash Bags
Step 2: Clean Your Bathroom
- Time to suit up. You're going in. Don't forget to wear your rubber gloves. Bathroom cleaners can be especially abrasive. You don't want them coming into contact with your skin. And, leave a door or window open. The smell of cleaning products can overwhelm even the most stalwart of housekeepers.
- Get rid of any trash or laundry in the bathroom.
- Dust any fans or vents in the room with a cloth and all-purpose cleaner.
- Take down any washable lighting fixtures and artwork. Lightly clean the fixtures with water and an all-purpose cleaner. Don't use liquids on framed artwork as the water can get behind the frame. Instead, use a dry, clean cloth and dust the frame and glass.
- Dust or clean any window coverings you might have in your bathroom.
- If it's dirty, take down your shower curtain. Wash the curtain, and replace the liner. If the curtain is beyond repair, replace it as well. If you have shower door, wash soap scum with a shower cleaner.
- Scrub the shower and tub. Use Comet or a less abrasive shower cleaner. It's easiest to clean the shower or tub while standing in it. Don't forget to wipe down the fixtures.
- Scrub the sink and its fixtures.
- Scrub the toilet with toilet cleaner and brush. After cleaning the bowl, wipe down the outside of the toilet and its rim with an all-purpose cleaner. Don't use an abrasive cleaner like Comet in the bowl as it can scratch the porcelain.
- Take everything out of the medicine cabinet. Throw out any old toiletries or medications. Wash the inside of the cabinet. Put everything back in the cabinet.
- Wash the mirror with a glass cleaner.
- Shake out the bathroom rugs or wash them altogether.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
- Empty and wash out the bathroom's trash can while the floor is drying.
Step 3: Keep It That Way
- Now that you've got your bathroom in tip-top shape, you'll want to keep it that way. Spend just a couple of minutes everyday doing the following, and you'll prevent your bathroom from ever reaching Trainspotting levels of gross ever again:
- Wipe the sink and toilet seat with a pre-soaked cleaning cloth.
- Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush.
- Wipe the mirror.
- Spray the shower and curtain with a self-acting cleaner after your shower.
Resources for How to Clean Your Bathroom
- RealSimple.com: Clean Your Bathroom, Fast
- eHow.com: How to Clean Your Apartment
- CNN.com: How to clean your home in 19 minutes
- Oh My Apartment: Keeping Your Apartment Clean as a Whistle (July 16, 2007)
- AskMen.com: How To: Clean Your Place in 15 Minutes
- SoYouWanna.com: SoYouWanna Clean Your Apartment
- About.com: Cleaning Supplies: A Basic List - 15 Minute Cleanups for Every Room