How to Deep Clean a Bathroom Like a Pro

That Cleaning Girl · Deep Cleaning

Bathrooms are small, but they hide a lot. Soap scum, hard water, mildew in the corners and dust in the exhaust fan all build up quietly. The good news: with the right order, even a neglected bathroom comes back in a couple of hours. After the kitchen work in How to Deep Clean a Greasy Range Hood and Filter, this is the other room where a deep clean makes the biggest visible difference.

Start by bringing everything in at once so you aren't leaving the room mid-scrub.

• A bathroom cleaner or all-purpose spray, plus white vinegar for hard water.
• A toilet brush and a pumice stone or toilet-safe scrubber for rings.
• A grout brush or old toothbrush and a non-scratch scrub pad.
• Microfiber cloths, glass cleaner, a squeegee and gloves.
• A vacuum or broom and a mop or floor cloth.

Open the window or turn on the exhaust fan before you start. Bathroom cleaners are more pleasant with fresh air, and moisture leaves faster when you rinse.

Step 1: Clear out and dust

Take everything off the counters, the tub ledge and the shower caddy. Shake out the bath mat and take it out of the room. Then dust from the top down: the exhaust fan cover, light fixtures, the top of the mirror, shelves and the top of the toilet tank. Dust first so you aren't turning it into mud later.

Step 2: Spray the shower and let it sit

Spray the tub, shower walls and glass generously, and walk away. Dwell time is the secret of every good bathroom clean. While the cleaner works on soap scum and grime, you do the rest of the room. For hard water spots on glass and chrome, a cleaner with some acid in it, like diluted white vinegar, works better than an all-purpose spray. Skip acids on natural stone like marble.

Step 3: The toilet, top to bottom

Apply toilet cleaner under the rim and let it sit. Meanwhile, wipe the outside of the toilet starting from the top: tank lid, handle, tank, seat (both sides), the hinges, the bowl exterior and finally the base and the floor around it. The hinges and the base are where the real grime is, so use a toothbrush there. Then scrub the bowl. A pumice stone or a toilet-safe scrubber takes care of mineral rings that a brush can't.

Step 4: Back to the shower

By now the cleaner has done a lot of the work. Scrub walls and the tub with a non-scratch pad, working from the top down. Go after grout lines and corners with a grout brush. Scrub the fixtures and the showerhead face, then rinse everything with warm water. Squeegee the glass and dry the fixtures with a microfiber cloth so they don't spot.

If you have caulk that's black with mildew deep inside, cleaning may only lighten it. Sometimes the real fix is new caulk. Fresh caulk is an easy weekend project, and a clean white bead around the tub makes the whole bathroom look newer.

Step 5: Vanity, sink and mirror

Scrub the sink basin and drain, then use a toothbrush around the faucet base, where toothpaste and hard water team up. Wipe the counter, the backsplash and the cabinet fronts, which pick up drips and fingerprints. Clean the mirror last with glass cleaner and a clean, dry microfiber cloth for a streak-free finish. Wipe light switches, door handles and towel bars too. Those are the most-touched spots in the room, and they're the first thing to get skipped when you're tired.

Step 6: Floors and finishing touches

Vacuum or sweep first, getting hair out of corners and from behind the toilet. Then mop or wipe the floor by hand. Hand-wiping is honestly faster in a small bathroom and gets the baseboards at the same time. Put the clean bath mat back, put out fresh towels and return items to the counter. A clean bathroom with clutter-free counters looks twice as clean.

How to keep it this way

The hard part is done. Now a few habits keep the buildup from returning:

• Squeegee the shower glass after every shower, or at least most of them.
• Run the exhaust fan during showers and for a while after.
• Keep a microfiber cloth under the sink for a ten-second faucet wipe.
• Clean the toilet weekly; rings form faster when it sits.
• Wash bath mats and shower curtains every few weeks.

The water here in North Texas is hard enough that skipping a week shows up on the glass right away, so the squeegee habit is worth its weight in gold.

If you have more than one bathroom, do them in a row while your supplies are out. The second one always goes faster than the first, because you've found your rhythm and know exactly which tools work on your fixtures and glass.

Hand it off

A full bathroom deep clean is one of the most satisfying jobs in the house, and also one of the most tiring. If you're in the Waxahachie, Midlothian or Mansfield area and would rather spend your time elsewhere, our deep cleaning services cover every bathroom in the house.