The bathroom is the second dirtiest room in your house. It can harbor molds, mildew, bacteria, and other germs that can make your family quite ill. The secret to a clean bathroom is having the proper supplies and a routine that helps eliminate these nasty contaminants.
Supplies
Having the proper supplies is essential to keeping your cleaning routine simple and effective. Always have cleaning gloves on hand to protect your hands from cleaners and germs. Many people use reusable yellow gloves, but some people prefer disposable gloves. The reusable gloves can attract an array of germs and must be cleaned after each use. Disposable gloves are simple and easy and may be tossed away after each use.
Next, invest in disinfecting wipes. Again these are simple to use and disposable. You don’t have to worry with storing several washable cleaning cloths along with your cleaner of choice. For those of you that are on a budget, you can find disinfecting wipes at your local Dollar Tree and Dollar General. If you don’t have these stores in your area, you can find these wipes and most grocery stores as well as Target and Walmart.
Toilet bowl tablets are also wonderful to have. They help kill the germs in your toilet with each flush. This is helpful to those that don’t have the time to disinfect the toilet daily. You can find tablets that hook on the side of your toilet bowl or tablets that you can drop in the tank of your toilet.
Disinfecting spray is also handy to have especially if someone in the house is sick. Simply spraying it on surfaces will kill the germs and thus protecting you and your family from spreading harmful germs. Most disinfecting sprays kill mold and mildew as well so it is always good to use on the shower curtain daily to fight mold and mildew. It is also a good idea to use it on the toilet brush after you have rinsed it thoroughly. Plungers are also quiet disgusting so be sure to spray them inside and outside.
Be sure to have bathroom cleaner and a clean cloth on hand for bigger jobs. Never use a sponge or a dirty cloth. They harbor and breed even more germs and you could be making your bathroom dirtier than when you started. Also have glass cleaner handy along with paper towels to clean the mirror.
Make sure you have toilet bowl cleaner on hand as well as a toilet bowl scrubber. The toilet bowl scrubber should have a base to sit in so it doesn’t spread germs to your floor.
Scrubbing Bubbles makes an Automatic Shower Cleaner. This sprays your tub daily to keep your cleaning time to a minimum. All you have to do is touch the button and it allows you to walk away while it protects your tub from mold, mildew, and soap scum.
Another cleaning tool cares for your bathroom floor. Investing in a Swiffer will save you so much time. This is much easier than having to sweep with a broom and mop daily. There are a variety of models to choose from and fairly inexpensive.
Yet another thing to have on hand is a long arm duster and Pledge. This will help get hard to reach spots free from cobwebs and dust.
Last but not least, a waste basket. This is much easier than having to walk your trash to another room. Always line your waste basket with a plastic bag so you can help keep your waste basket clean. Plus it is so much easier to take out a bag and tie it up than tote the waste basket to another trash can to dump it.
Daily Routine
First and foremost, clean up as you go. You should hang up wet towel to dry before tossing into a hamper. Also, pick up your dirty clothes and put them in the hamper. This help keep the floor free from debris you can easily trip on. Pressing the button to the Automatic Shower Cleaner after each use helps tremendously. If you don’t have one, simply wipe out the tub with a disinfecting wipe. It doesn’t take much time at all and leaves it clean for the next person or the next time you shower.
When it comes to cleaning, it honestly takes less than 15 minutes if you have all the proper tools. Simply wipe down counters, sinks, faucets, toilet seats and toilet handle with disinfecting wipes. Don’t forget to use your gloves.
Next, change out your hand towels. Did you know that every time you flush the toilet, you send an invisible spray of bacteria and germs that can travel over 6-feet? Although you can reduce the spread of germs this way by closing the lid before flushing, this is just one reason why you change out the hand towels daily.
Then, check the trash. Most of the time the trash needs to be taken out daily due to the fact it is a breeding ground for germs.
Finally, take out that handy Swiffer and swiff away. This is my favorite part because I don’t have to fuss with the broom or mop and it just takes a minute to do.
Weekly Routine
Once a week you need to give your bathroom a little extra cleaning. Although you may have followed the daily routine faithfully, mold, mildew, and germs are tricky little buggers. Thus an extra cleaning is essential to keeping your bathroom as germ free as possible. Just because your bathroom may look beautiful and clean, doesn’t mean it truly is clean.
Pick one day a week and really scrub the bathroom. Remove everything from the counters so that you can clean the mirror. You don’t want any of the cleaning agents and dust to make its way to your toothbrush and toothpaste.
Next, use a long arm duster sprayed with Pledge. Simply wipe this along the corners that meet the ceiling. This takes care of any cobwebs and dust without it falling down in my face. Then use a dusting cloth to dust any decorations you may have such as pictures and faux plants. Also, don’t forget to dust the baseboards. Those are really bad about collecting dust.
Now use your cleaner of choice and a cloth to really clean the sink and counters. Also get the ledges to prevent dust build up. For the faucet, you could always use an old toothbrush to help get in the crevices and continue on to wipe down the cabinets and drawers.
On to the toilet, go ahead and squeeze or spray the toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet bowl. Let the solution sit in the bowl while you clean the bathtub. When cleaning the bathtub, don’t forget to clean the top edges, walls, and shower curtain. Then go back to the toilet to scrub it and wipe down the outside of the toilet.
Finally, remove the trash and Swiffer the floor. This part is simple and doesn’t take much time at all.
Every Four to Six Months
Every four to six months you should go through your cabinets and discard any old makeup, lotions, and other expired products. This includes your medicine cabinet. Be sure to properly discard any expired prescription and over the counter medicines.
Cleaning doesn’t have to be time consuming nor difficult. The real secret is getting a routine and sticking to it. Once you accomplish that, cleaning the bathroom is no longer a CHORE, but just second nature.
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