Bathrooms are small, but they take more effort per square foot than any other room. There's soap scum, hard water, toothpaste spatter and whatever is happening around the base of the toilet. The good news is that a pro routine turns it into a quick, predictable job. If you just finished the kitchen, How to Clean a Kitchen Top to Bottom pairs well with this one.
Gather everything first
Running back and forth for supplies wastes more time than the cleaning itself. Before you start, grab:
- An all-purpose bathroom cleaner and a separate toilet bowl cleaner.
- A glass cleaner or a microfiber cloth that works with just water.
- A non-scratch scrub sponge and an old toothbrush for corners.
- A toilet brush.
- Several microfiber cloths, ideally in different colors so the toilet cloth never ends up on the sink.
- Gloves.
Open a window or turn on the fan. Bathrooms are small spaces, and good airflow makes the job more pleasant. Never mix bleach-based products with ammonia or acidic cleaners. The fumes can be dangerous.
Clear and pre-treat
Take everything off the counter, the tub ledge and the back of the toilet. Shake out the bath mat and set it outside the room. Then spray the tub, shower walls, sink and the outside of the toilet, and squirt bowl cleaner under the toilet rim.
Now walk away for a few minutes. This is the step most people skip. Cleaners need dwell time to break down soap scum and grime. If you spray and wipe right away, you're doing all the work with your arms instead of letting the product help.
Dust and dry work first
While the cleaner sits, dust the high spots: the top of the mirror, the light fixture, the exhaust fan cover and any shelves. Dust falls, so this keeps it from landing on surfaces you've already wiped. A quick swipe of the fan cover also helps it pull moisture better, which means less mildew later.
Shower and tub
Now scrub the shower walls and tub with your non-scratch sponge, working from top to bottom. Use the toothbrush on corners, the caulk line and around the drain. Rinse everything well, because soap residue left behind attracts new grime.
Shower glass needs special attention in North Texas. Hard water leaves cloudy mineral spots that ordinary cleaner won't touch. A cleaner made for mineral deposits, or a vinegar solution on a non-stone surface, helps. Squeegee or dry the glass afterward so spots don't come right back.
Sink, counter and mirror
Scrub the sink basin and the faucet, using the toothbrush around the base of the faucet and the drain. Wipe the counter and backsplash. Clean the mirror last in this area, using a lightly dampened microfiber cloth followed by a dry one. Wipe in a Z pattern from top to bottom to avoid streaks.
Wipe cabinet fronts, drawer pulls, the towel bar and the light switch. These high-touch spots are easy to forget and make a big difference in how clean the room feels.
The toilet, the right way
Scrub inside the bowl with the brush, getting up under the rim. Then wipe the outside from cleanest to dirtiest: the tank and handle, the lid, the seat on both sides, the hinges, then the base and the floor around it. That order keeps you from spreading germs from the base back up to the handle.
The hinges and the area behind the seat collect a lot. If your seat has quick-release hinges, pop it off once in a while for a proper clean.
Floors and finishing touches
Shake out or wash the bath mat. Sweep or vacuum the floor to pick up hair, then mop, working from the far corner toward the door. Get around the toilet base and behind the door by hand if your mop can't reach. Put everything back, hang fresh towels and empty the trash.
Step back and look at the room from the doorway. Shiny fixtures, a clear mirror and a clean floor are what people notice first. Then give the door handle and light switch one last wipe on your way out, since your hands have been on them the whole time.
Rather not scrub the shower this week?
We clean bathrooms on every visit, hard water spots included, and bring all our own supplies.
Get a free quoteHow often bathrooms need it
Most bathrooms need a full clean weekly, with a quick wipe of the sink and counter every day or two. Kids' bathrooms and the one guests use may need it more often. In busy homes across Waxahachie, Red Oak and the rest of the south DFW area, bathrooms are usually the first thing families hand off to a cleaner.
If that's where you'd like help, see what's included in our house cleaning services.