Bathrooms tend to get dirty faster than any other room in the house. It’s where people go to clean themselves, and it’s heavily trafficked by family members and guests alike.
No matter how lavish your bathroom is, if it’s dirty, it’s going to be unpleasant. You’ll dread going into the bathroom and possibly gag at the sight. And your guests may be polite enough to not say anything, but they might walk away with an unfavorable impression of you as the homeowner.
Fortunately, keeping the bathroom clean can be easier with just a handful of important techniques.
Tips for a Cleaner Bathroom
There are some obvious strategies you should use when cleaning the bathroom. For example, you should wipe down surfaces regularly, including the counter, the faucet, the sink, the toilet, and the tub. But beyond that, try using these tactics to make your bathroom even cleaner — and more consistently clean:
1. Choose the right materials. Your first job is to choose the right materials for your bathroom and structure your bathroom intelligently — assuming you have the flexibility to do so. For example, one of the most aggravating parts of cleaning the bathroom is cleaning up the grout between tiles. If you choose bigger tiles, there will be fewer spaces between those tiles—and far less grout to clean overall. For your counters, make sure you choose non-porous materials that are engineered with cleanliness in mind.
2. Get shower doors and mirrors to sparkle. Most people give their shower doors and mirrors a basic wipe down, but if you want them to truly sparkle, you’ll need to take the next step. Your best tool for this job is a commonly neglected one: the squeegee. A squeegee will make it much easier to get rid of streaks and spots on glass. Consider using one after every shower; it only takes a few seconds and can leave your glass much cleaner (especially if you have to deal with hard water).
3. Harness the power of baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar are both great cleaning materials, and for different reasons. Baking soda functions as a deodorizer and can work as an abrasive to scrub stained grout. Vinegar is acidic, which makes it great for getting rid of extra buildup around your showerhead and other fixtures. You can even combine them to get that familiar fizzing effect – and clean out a stubborn drain.
4. Commit to a good scrubbing. For some areas of your bathroom, you’ll need to put in some manual effort. Commit to a good scrubbing with a stiff brush. You’ll get much better results, even with the same cleaning products.
5. Detail the nooks and crannies. Little touches can make your bathroom look even cleaner. Consider detailing the nooks and crannies of your faucet, toilet, and other areas. Use a toothpick or even some dental floss for these hard-to-reach areas.
6. Try dyer sheets on soap scum. Built-up soap scum can be annoyingly difficult to get rid of. Fortunately, there’s an easy and convenient solution: dryer sheets. Simply use these basic materials and with a bit of scrubbing, your soap scum problem will disappear.
7. Soak and revisit. Sometimes, a surface-level cleaning won’t be enough to get your bathroom fixtures to where you want them. If you’re running into issues, soak them in a cleaning solution overnight and revisit them in the morning. These solutions can eat away at built-up residue and make it much easier to wipe away.
8. Prevent rust with clear nail polish. If you have metallic areas that might be susceptible to rust, consider using a coat of clear nail polish to protect them. Just make sure the surface is clean first; otherwise, you’ll be trapping in dirt and debris.
9. Clean a little bit each day. Too many homeowners clean their bathrooms as a massive endeavor once a week, or even less frequently. It’s much better if you commit to cleaning a little bit each day. With just 5 minutes a day, you can keep your bathroom looking like new – and prevent excessive buildup.
10. Get everyone involved. You don’t have to go it alone! Make sure everyone in your household takes responsibility for cleaning something in the bathroom on a regular basis.
Learning From Others
These are just a handful of helpful strategies that can introduce you to a cleaner, more refreshing bathroom. But people come up with new ingenious hacks and cleaning methods all the time. Talk to your family members, neighbors, and friends about the solutions they use for their bathrooms—and be open to learning from them. In time, you’ll pick up all the tricks of the trade, and your bathroom will be cleaner than you ever thought it could be.