Cleaning your bathroom is not the most glamorous of jobs, but one that is essential to keep your home, or business, feeling and smelling fresh. With the right products, attitude and a little elbow grease, your bathroom will be sparkling in no time, trust us on this one.
Step 1: Strip it back to basics
Cleaning around vases, stepping over used wet towels and navigating your way through empty shampoo bottles in the shower only puts obstacles in the way, preventing you from a thorough deep clean. Remove dirty towels and any sodden rugs or clothes from the day before to create a blank canvas to get scrubbing and shining.
Rugs can be cleaned on a cool wash with your favourite detergent and should be washed separately from any towels or curtain rails to save contamination of bacteria, particularly if your mat has been around your toilet pedestal.
Bacteria and mould love moist and damp conditions, so don’t forget to give your shower curtain a soak to remove any mildew or soap buildup. A crisp, clean shower curtain can transform a bathroom and can be the difference between a fresh room and one that looks unclean and neglected.
Once you’ve removed the laundry, decluttering can help add the sparkle back into your bathroom. Recycle where possible, or toss what cannot be recycled or repurposed. If you have a bathroom bin make sure this is disposed of every couple of days to minimise the spread of unwanted bacteria from tissues, discarded make-up wipes or sanitary products.
Step 2: Dust, dust, dust
Mission: Remove dust. Grab a duster with a long handle to remove any lingering cobwebs in the corners of your room, light fixtures, extractor fans, tops of windows, shelves and vents. Starting from the highest point, work your way down from the ceiling to the cabinet tops finishing on the skirting boards and around the base of the toilet and sink. Once complete, sweep or vacuum the floors to pick up any hair or debris that has accumulated on the floors.
Step 3: Putting the sparkle back into your sink, toilet and bath
The sink, toilet and bath will need some care and attention. To tackle built-up lotions, soaps, gels and other products, spray these liberally with bathroom cleaner and leave them to settle. Let the product do the hard work while you focus your attention on another part of the room. Come back to wipe and rinse thoroughly.
For a more natural approach, your cleaning kit should definitely include two household staples; baking soda and vinegar. The dirt busting properties of these simple ingredients along with a microfibre cloth and some elbow grease are an excellent way to clean your sink, bath and toilet.
Vinegar is a natural mould killer, thanks to its acidic properties, which can break down bacteria in damp areas where mildew is formed. To remove more stubborn moulds, try making a paste from baking soda mixed with water to remove any unwanted dirt and grime collecting on your furniture. For grout, work neat baking soda onto the surface, leave it to soak and rinse it with water to leave your bathroom gleaming.
Step 4: Descale your shower head
Cleaning a shower head is often overlooked and they don’t get the attention they deserve. While shower heads deserve to look shiny and new, a dirty shower head is also a functional problem. Ever noticed your water spraying in all directions? Limescale and hard water minerals can build up causing a blockage in the shower head, so make sure to descale for an improved shower experience.
Step 5: Clean the grout
Cleaning the grout may not fall high on your list of priorities, but fortunately, you shouldn’t need to do this every time you clean. In the average household, cleaning your grout once every month is enough, but other factors like hair dye and fake tan can soon leave you needing to do this more frequently to avoid staining and discolouration on fresh white grout.
This isn’t a hard job. All you require is an old toothbrush to get in the nooks and crannies and some household items such as baking soda and vinegar. Other all-in-one products are available in high-street stores and provide the same results.
Start with the shower and move gradually down to the floor, concentrating on stubborn areas and working in sections. You may wish to leave the product on for 5 minutes before rinsing off for the best results.
So, ramp up your tile game for the best-looking bathroom.
Step 6: Mirror, mirror on the wall
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? If your reflection is obscured by splatters of toothpaste and water drip marks, reach for your favourite glass cleaner. Spray the glass and wipe it with a microfibre cloth. The microfibres help to leave your glass streak-free and your mirror selfie-worthy.
Step 7: Replace linens and perfect the decor
Now you are deep cleaned, smelling fresh and sparking, you can place your clean linen back into your bathroom. Laundered rugs are ready to be laid, shower curtains are to be hung and towels are to be neatly folded or placed on a hanger. Restock any toiletries, from shampoo and conditioner to toilet rolls and soaps. Ensure everything has a set place to avoid untidiness in the future. Deep clean your bathroom once a month, but keep on top of it weekly for a consistently fresh bathroom fit for yourself and your guests.