When the weekend comes around, the last thing you want to do is clean the bathroom. And while you could shuffle that responsibility off to another family member, someone has to take care of it. No matter who ends up cleaning the bathroom, you want to end up with a complete job.
It might seem intuitive to some, but there is a way to organize your cleaning efficiently so you can move onto the next thing as soon as possible. After all, the faster you finish your chores, the sooner you can get on with how you really want to spend your day.
1. Clear Out the Clutter
In the interest of time, it might be tempting to leave everything in its place and clean around it, but doing so only lengthens your task. Instead, clear everything off the counters, behind the toilet, shower, medicine cabinet, and tub so that every surface is clear.
Clearing everything will not only give you access to every place you need to clean, but it will also give you a chance to get rid of any clutter. Empty shampoo bottles, expired medicines, and old razors can finally make their way into the trash and not take up much-needed space.
2. Spray and Soak
Now that you have clean surfaces, take your all-purpose bathroom cleaner and spray your shower and tub to let them soak. This can help you get rid of any soap scum or mildew when you go back to scrub.
If you find a lot of deep orange stains that resemble rust, you might want to consider installing a water softener for prevention. These hard water stains are mineral deposits and can be difficult to remove.
Also, squirt some toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet to let that soak as well.
3. Start from the Top Down
While the cleaner gets to work on your more challenging areas, it’s time to clean your other surfaces. Start from the top and work your way down.
First, use a duster to get rid of any dust or cobwebs. Then, spray and clean your mirror, counter, shelves, doors, towel racks, and lights. Don’t forget to wipe inside your medicine cabinet, your baseboards, and the back of your toilet both behind and underneath. You also want to clean all around the seat and around the outside of the bowl.
Finally, empty the trash and wipe out the can, if necessary.
4. Circle Back Around
Since you let your tub, toilet, and shower soak, cleaning them should be a breeze. Take the toilet brush and scrub the inside of the toilet, paying particular attention to what’s under the rim.
Moving on to the shower, scrub down the walls, shelves, showerhead, and doors or shower curtain. If you have a separate tub, go ahead and scrub it, starting with the top and working your way down. Once you clean everything, run the water to wash the cleaner away.
With all that complete, wipe down all your products and return them to their rightful places in the bathroom.
5. Eyes on the Ground
The only thing left to do in your bathroom is the floor. After you sweep, start with the farthest edge of your bathroom and mop your way out the door. Then, close the bathroom and give the floor some time to dry.
Until Next Week
This list may seem like too many steps to clean your bathroom, but this chore doesn’t have to take too long. Plus, if you keep it up each week, you’ll find the mess stays under control, and your bathroom always smells fresh.