Squeaky Clean Bathrooms in 12 Steps
Scrubbing tile is not our fave thing either but put in the elbow grease and you will be rewarded with a sparkling gem
Joanna Tovia
23 February 2017
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Giving your bathroom a quick once-over every week is one thing, but committing to a truly deep clean will not only get rid of unsightly stains and beautify the space, it will also rid your bathing zone of unhealthy bacteria build-up. A sparkling bathroom is a far more pleasant place to be, and that’s enough of a reason to dedicate an hour or two to this important, but not altogether enjoyable, task. Focus on the end result for maximum motivation!
1. Prep a head
Showerheads can accumulate grime that makes showering less hygienic than it should be. Start your bathroom deep-clean the night before by filling a plastic shopping bag with enough white vinegar that it submerges the shower rose when you tie it in place. In the morning, simply remove the bag and run the shower briefly to rinse.
The night before is also the time to prep any stains disfiguring the sealant between walls and the bath, shower or vanity. Break out the bleach, saturate cotton wool balls in it, and place them on the stains. If the mould isn’t gone by morning, it will certainly be far easier to remove with a little elbow grease.
Showerheads can accumulate grime that makes showering less hygienic than it should be. Start your bathroom deep-clean the night before by filling a plastic shopping bag with enough white vinegar that it submerges the shower rose when you tie it in place. In the morning, simply remove the bag and run the shower briefly to rinse.
The night before is also the time to prep any stains disfiguring the sealant between walls and the bath, shower or vanity. Break out the bleach, saturate cotton wool balls in it, and place them on the stains. If the mould isn’t gone by morning, it will certainly be far easier to remove with a little elbow grease.
2. Make your job easier with steam
Cleaning the bathroom can be a drag, no question, and that’s why it pays to let steam give you helping hand. With a non-toxic all-purpose cleaner (either store-bought or one you have made yourself), spray walls, vanity tops, tiles and shower screens and turn on the water in your shower to its hottest setting. Leave the shower to run for five minutes with the door closed until the steam builds up in the room, then turn the shower off, close the door again and go and make yourself a cup of tea. By the time you’re done, the cleaner will have worked its magic and made every surface in your bathroom a snap to clean.
7 Natural Products to Clean (and Green) Your House With
Cleaning the bathroom can be a drag, no question, and that’s why it pays to let steam give you helping hand. With a non-toxic all-purpose cleaner (either store-bought or one you have made yourself), spray walls, vanity tops, tiles and shower screens and turn on the water in your shower to its hottest setting. Leave the shower to run for five minutes with the door closed until the steam builds up in the room, then turn the shower off, close the door again and go and make yourself a cup of tea. By the time you’re done, the cleaner will have worked its magic and made every surface in your bathroom a snap to clean.
7 Natural Products to Clean (and Green) Your House With
3. Vanish vanity grime
An old toothbrush dipped in cream of tartar will rid your vanity countertop of rust and other stains, but don’t forget the grime that’s out of sight. The inside of pipes beneath your vanity are never pretty but if your basin is slow to drain, all kinds of horrible things are likely to be trapped down there. A commercial drain cleaner will do the job, or try mixing up a concoction of white vinegar and baking soda and pouring it down the drain. Leave it to stew for a few minutes before flushing it out with a kettle full of hot water.
An old toothbrush dipped in cream of tartar will rid your vanity countertop of rust and other stains, but don’t forget the grime that’s out of sight. The inside of pipes beneath your vanity are never pretty but if your basin is slow to drain, all kinds of horrible things are likely to be trapped down there. A commercial drain cleaner will do the job, or try mixing up a concoction of white vinegar and baking soda and pouring it down the drain. Leave it to stew for a few minutes before flushing it out with a kettle full of hot water.
4. Tackle the taps
Shiny taps make any bathroom look its best, and a thorough clean will rid these germ harbourers of harmful nasties. Dental floss is a useful tool to get rid of grime between the base of taps and the vanity, as is an old toothbrush. Lemon juice can work as well as a commercial cleaner when it comes to cleaning taps, but keep it away from stone or marble countertops.
Shiny taps make any bathroom look its best, and a thorough clean will rid these germ harbourers of harmful nasties. Dental floss is a useful tool to get rid of grime between the base of taps and the vanity, as is an old toothbrush. Lemon juice can work as well as a commercial cleaner when it comes to cleaning taps, but keep it away from stone or marble countertops.
5. Restore the grout
Discoloured grout brings a bathrooms down, no matter how recently it was renovate’d. If you’ve already worked your magic with steam, your next step is to give the tiles a scrub with hot soapy water or that old standby, vinegar and baking soda. Try this recipe for hard-to-clean spots.
Tile Cleaning 101
Discoloured grout brings a bathrooms down, no matter how recently it was renovate’d. If you’ve already worked your magic with steam, your next step is to give the tiles a scrub with hot soapy water or that old standby, vinegar and baking soda. Try this recipe for hard-to-clean spots.
Tile Cleaning 101
6. Sanitise and declutter
If you’re serious about giving your bathroom a thorough clean, you’ll need to dig deep. Go through any drawers and storage containers in your bathroom and cull anything you haven’t used in a while, or which has expired. A good rule of thumb is to replace loofahs and bath sponges after three months. Mascaras should be replaced every three months or so, and foundation and moisturiser every six to 12 months. Perfume has a use-by date of about three years.
If you’re serious about giving your bathroom a thorough clean, you’ll need to dig deep. Go through any drawers and storage containers in your bathroom and cull anything you haven’t used in a while, or which has expired. A good rule of thumb is to replace loofahs and bath sponges after three months. Mascaras should be replaced every three months or so, and foundation and moisturiser every six to 12 months. Perfume has a use-by date of about three years.
7. Polish the shiny surfaces
Mirrors are an obvious cleaning task when you’re tackling the bathroom, but don’t forget to make any windows spick and span too. Clean them inside and out if you can (white vinegar and newspaper is a winning cleaning combination for mirrors and glass), and you’ll be surprised how much extra light comes flooding into the space. Glass shower enclosures can benefit from applying a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar. Leave it there while you do the rest of the bathroom and then rinse thoroughly.
Browse more contemporary bathrooms
Mirrors are an obvious cleaning task when you’re tackling the bathroom, but don’t forget to make any windows spick and span too. Clean them inside and out if you can (white vinegar and newspaper is a winning cleaning combination for mirrors and glass), and you’ll be surprised how much extra light comes flooding into the space. Glass shower enclosures can benefit from applying a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar. Leave it there while you do the rest of the bathroom and then rinse thoroughly.
Browse more contemporary bathrooms
8. Employ the washing machine
Take this opportunity to wash all hand towels, bath mats and towels, and vow to wash them about every four days from now on. Add an extra cup or two of white vinegar along with your laundry detergent and, if you have a shower curtain, put it in the washing machine with the towels – they will help remove any grime from plastic shower curtains, in particular. Hang everything out in the sun to line dry.
Take this opportunity to wash all hand towels, bath mats and towels, and vow to wash them about every four days from now on. Add an extra cup or two of white vinegar along with your laundry detergent and, if you have a shower curtain, put it in the washing machine with the towels – they will help remove any grime from plastic shower curtains, in particular. Hang everything out in the sun to line dry.
9. Wipe down the walls and ceiling
You’re almost done, but don’t call it a day until you’ve given any untiled walls and the ceiling a wipe-down. A dry microfibre mop can be an efficient way to get rid of dust and cobwebs if mould isn’t an issue. If it is, clean the affected areas thoroughly, and consider repainting with mould-resistant paint to make your life simpler going forward.
You’re almost done, but don’t call it a day until you’ve given any untiled walls and the ceiling a wipe-down. A dry microfibre mop can be an efficient way to get rid of dust and cobwebs if mould isn’t an issue. If it is, clean the affected areas thoroughly, and consider repainting with mould-resistant paint to make your life simpler going forward.
10. Have fun with fittings
Giving your ventilation fan and any light fittings a clean is an essential part of a deep clean, and it needn’t take long. Turn off the power to be extra safe, then clean any removable components and vacuum and wipe down the inside of light fittings and the fan with a damp cloth.
‘Greenery’ is Pantone’s New Colour of the Year
Giving your ventilation fan and any light fittings a clean is an essential part of a deep clean, and it needn’t take long. Turn off the power to be extra safe, then clean any removable components and vacuum and wipe down the inside of light fittings and the fan with a damp cloth.
‘Greenery’ is Pantone’s New Colour of the Year
11. Sanitise the loo
Cleaning the toilet bowl is usually done with the toilet brush so it makes sense to clean that first. Suspend the brush over the toilet bowl and pour bleach over it before getting to work, and be sure to get in under the rim. The latest toilet designs have a snap-off lid and seat for easy cleaning, but if yours doesn’t, take care to clean in and around the hinges.
Tip: Encourage every member of the household to close the lid before flushing to avoid bacteria catapulting onto towels and toothbrushes – yuck.
Cleaning the toilet bowl is usually done with the toilet brush so it makes sense to clean that first. Suspend the brush over the toilet bowl and pour bleach over it before getting to work, and be sure to get in under the rim. The latest toilet designs have a snap-off lid and seat for easy cleaning, but if yours doesn’t, take care to clean in and around the hinges.
Tip: Encourage every member of the household to close the lid before flushing to avoid bacteria catapulting onto towels and toothbrushes – yuck.
12. Finish with the floor
Add a cup of two of vinegar to a bucket of hot water, along with a few drops of eucalyptus oil, to mop the floor. Be sure any windows are open and turn on the exhaust fan for an hour or more to completely dry out the space. Replace clean and dry towels, bath mat and hand towels and walk away with the satisfaction of a job well done.
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Add a cup of two of vinegar to a bucket of hot water, along with a few drops of eucalyptus oil, to mop the floor. Be sure any windows are open and turn on the exhaust fan for an hour or more to completely dry out the space. Replace clean and dry towels, bath mat and hand towels and walk away with the satisfaction of a job well done.
TELL US
Share your tips for giving the bathroom a super-thorough clean in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more bathroom photos
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Sloughing skin cells with a towel? Shouldn't that start earlier....in the shower? I use a form of exfoliator with sorbolene - starts off a bit rough but settles down after the first use, or you can always put it in the wash before using to soften it up. Can't imagine there are many dead skin cells after running that cloth (Body Shop product) all over.
Sorry - can't seem to edit the post above. The exfoliator is called a Body Polisher by the Body Shop. Recommended by a doctor doing a mole patrol and noting some scaley skin on my lower legs. I use it all over and it has taken care of minor blemishes on shoulders etc. But it is re-cycled polyster so probably generates miniscule particles too . We can't all live in the forest beside a burbling brook and be scrubbed down with hairy leaves. Maybe one day (soon?) "they" will develop filters to apply to treated waste water before it is released to the environment. Until then we will just need to do our reasonable best, I guess.