The Busy Mom’s Guide To Deep Clean The Bathroom Fast

Are you like most people and dread the day deep cleaning your bathroom shows up on your cleaning checklist?

I get it!

I can’t say it is my favorite room in the house to clean either!

I can wholeheartedly say, however, that I LOVE a clean and fresh bathroom so when it is all done it makes my heart happy (and my mind knowing I have it done for another week!)

Bathrooms can be gross to clean.

They are the most used room in the house because everyone that lives there or visits uses it. They often smell bad (although using a weekly cleaning schedule helps this a ton) and they have bacteria and germs all over.

It just isn’t a pleasant experience!

I can’t make cleaning the bathroom enjoyable so I hope you don’t have that expectation as you read on! 🤔

What I can do is share the tools, products, and methods I use that simplify the job to make it easier and faster.

I do a few small tasks in the bathroom daily, spot clean it once a week, and deep-clean it once a month.

It may sound like this would take more time but in reality, this is what saves the day when the deep-clean day arrives!

Let’s take a deep dive into getting the bathroom spic and span clean so you can quit dreading it and enjoy the rest of your day!

Speaking of this, on the day I clean the bathroom it is the first thing I do. I used to put it off and then it just messed up my whole day. Getting it done and checked off my list first thing has done wonders for my productivity on those days!

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General Cleaning Tips

• Gather all your cleaning supplies before you start
• Open the windows to let in fresh air (as long as the weather is right)
• Clean from top to bottom
• Clean from one side of the room to the other
• Remove all items from flat surfaces (countertop, shelves, etc.) and sit outside of the room before you start
• Pretreat surfaces that need extra time for the cleaner to work before you start so you aren’t wasting time waiting when you get to that area

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Bathroom Cleaning Supplies List

If you have more than one bathroom, my recommendation is to keep the general cleaning supplies that are used weekly in each bathroom so you don’t have to carry them around the house from one bath to the next.

For the deep-cleaning supplies, I keep mine in a rectangular mop bucket and easily transport them between bathrooms on the deep-clean day.

[bctt tweet=”Love to save time cleaning? Keep cleaning supplies in each room!” username=”drtawnaschmidt”]

• Rubber Cleaning Gloves
• 3-4 Microfiber Cloths (I am picky and only use the brand Streak Free Microfiber Cloth)
• Extendable Duster
• 3 Soft Old Toothbrushes (one each for grout, toilet lid, faucets)
• Nonabrasive sponge
• Vinegar & Water (see quick tip below)
• Multi-Purpose Cleaner (I prefer the foaming kind for the bathroom)
• Grout Cleaning Paste (see quick tip below)
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Shower/Tub/Tile Cleaner
• Dish Wand
• Vacuum or Broom/Dust Pan
• Mop

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Daily Bathroom Cleaning Routine

My daily bathroom cleaning routine is simple and quick. Essentially, they are just habits that I developed and now I don’t even have to remind myself to do them.

The sole purpose of the daily routine is to keep the bathroom tidy throughout the week so the weekly spot-cleaning doesn’t take loads of time.

If you have more than one bathroom in the house and there are other people using the other bathrooms daily, I encourage you to have them adopt these daily habits in their bathroom.

This will save you a large amount of time when it is time for you to do a deep clean on their bathroom.

Routine Step-By-Step Breakdown (it’s short!):

• Each morning after you finish the bathroom part of getting dressed (brushing teeth, hair, etc.) wipe down the countertop, fixtures, and inside the sink bowl with a wet rag. The purpose is to get the residue build-up from toothpaste, hairspray, makeup dust, etc.

• Hang up your wet towels as soon as you are done using them. This will keep them from cluttering the bedroom, closet, etc. – where ever you dropped it! 😊
• Pick up all dirty clothes and take them to the laundry baskets. (If you haven’t read my time-saving laundry hack check it out in the post 12 Time-Saving Cleaning Hacks You Will Wish You Had Started Sooner and see if it works for you too!) Dirty clothes on the bathroom floor build up fast so if you do this daily you will never have to worry about them creating clutter.

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Weekly Bathroom Cleaning Routine

The weekly bathroom cleaning routine will keep your bathroom tidy until it is time for the deep-clean.

You are doing more than a spot clean, but nothing close to a deep clean. There is no focus on crevices, worrying about getting into the corners, etc.

Routine Step-By-Step Breakdown:

1. Add cleaner to the toilet bowl, shower and bathtub (not the same one!) 😂 Doing this first gives it extra time to deeply penetrate the surface to remove more dirt and grime.
2. Wipe down the countertop, the outside of the shower and bathtub, and mirror.
3. Wipe down and rinse the shower and bathtub.
4. Clean the toilet bowl with a toilet brush, using a rag wipe down the top, tank, rim, lid, and lower part to the floor.
5. Sweep and mop the floor.

These are the two products I use to get my fog-free mirror. I use these microfiber cloths in many other parts of the house as well. They are AMAZING and require nothing but water for the perfect clean sparkle and shine!

Fogless By Design Bathroom Mirror Anti-Fog Spray

Streak Free Microfiber Cloth

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Monthly Bathroom Cleaning Routine

This is your deep-dive into cleaning the bathroom.

The goal with a deep-clean is to get into the ‘nooks & crannies’, crevices, corners, etc. Essentially you are going to clean all the places that collect hair and settled make-up residue, dust, etc.

If you have completed the daily and weekly cleaning routine, the deep-clean will be simple and quick! *happy dance*

Routine Step-By-Step Breakdown:

1. Throw the shower curtains, liner, window coverings, bath mat & rug in the washing machine (as needed.) 
   • NOTE: Adding 1 cup of vinegar removes musty odors.
   • NOTE: Be sure to wash on warm (not hot) if the shower curtain or liner is made of plastic.
2. Remove all items from the countertops, products from the shower, nick-knacks from the back of the toilet, etc. and sit outside the bathroom door.
   It may seem cumbersome and to take a lot of extra time when in reality this is a huge time-saver plus allows a more detailed clean so don’t skip this step!
3. Add cleaner to the toilet bowl, shower and bathtub. Also, pretreat grout. 
   • NOTE: I only clean my grout about once every six months. Every bathroom is different depending on the type of grout sealant used originally and the overall amount of shower use.
4. Dust from top to bottom using the extendable dusting wand and vacuum attachment hose where necessary.
   Include the ceiling, ceiling vents, ceiling corners, and where the ceiling meets the wall, light fixtures, top of the door frame, top of wall hangings, and anything else that collects dust.
5. Clean the blinds and window tracks.
   You can use a cleaner or the vinegar and water mixture for this task.
6. Clean the windows and mirror.
   You can use a glass cleaner, the vinegar and water mixture, or no cleaner (see NOTE below) for this task.
   • NOTE: I use streak-free microfiber cloths. Get 2 clean cloths and wet one. Keep the other one dry. Wipe down the window/mirror with the wet cloth (the same as if you sprayed it with cleaner and you were then using a rag to remove the cleaner,) then go back over it with the dry cloth. Buff out any smudges with the dry cloth for a perfectly clean shine.
7. Clean all other surfaces working top to bottom and left to right.
    Include:
   • Cabinets
   • Shelves
   • Doors + Door Frames
   • Light Switch Plates
   • Towel Racks
   • Toilet Paper Holder
   • Interior Shelves Inside Cabinets
   • Drawers
   • Baseboards
   • Plugin Plates
8. Clean the countertop and sink.
   Spray on an all-purpose cleaner and use the nonabrasive sponge to remove anything stuck on the surface. Use an old toothbrush to scrub around the base of the faucet if there is any grime build-up. Finish by using the microfiber cloth or vinegar and water mixture on the fixtures for a gleaming shine.
9. Clean the shower and bathtub.
   The cleaner you applied to pretreat should have been on long enough to do its job. Wipe down the sides, doors, and base with a rag. Use the nonabrasive sponge for any tough spots. My favorite cleaning tool for the shower floor is the Dish Wand. Rinse well.
10. Clean the toilet.
    Start with the bowl. Be sure to get the toilet brush clear under the lip of the toilet at the top by the seat. This is an area often missed. For the exterior, use the dust wand to remove the loose dust then spray with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe down using paper towels or a rag. Use an old toothbrush to remove any grime build-up around the edges as necessary.
    •  NOTE: I personally like the disposable toilet scrubbing kits. They seem more sanitary to me than using the same brush over and over; however, it is just personal preference.
11. Clean the floor.
    Vacuum or sweep paying close attention to get hair and dust settled into the baseboard edges, in the corners, and behind the toilet. Mop the floor using the method you prefer (mop and bucket, on your hands and knees with a rag, Swiffer Wet-Jet, etc.)
12. Re-hang the shower curtain, liner, and window coverings.
    Your laundry is likely not finished. As soon as it is done hang everything up immediately and enjoy it for another month!

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