It is often suggested that bathrooms should be kept as one of the cleanest rooms in a household. But it can be one of the most tedious rooms to maintain specially if we do not keep at it. The bathroom is usually the last job that anyone in the household wants but someone has to do it. If it happens that you are that someone then it is best that you know how to do it properly to ensure maximum results. Take note that it will make your job easier when you have your cleaning supplies all available in your hand. To do this, I find it extremely easy and convenient to put those supplies in either a basket or a carry-all bin for better efficiency.
Before you start cleaning it is best to have all of the needed cleaning materials available. Purchase a Carry-All Bin to store all of the cleaning supplies that you will use. Just this step alone saves you a great deal of time because if not, you will be spending a lot of time in treading your house looking for the right cleaning supplies. What supplies you will put in your bin is all up to you, but the most common cleaning items to have are:
• Rubber gloves
• Abrasive Sponges
• Cleaning Cloths / Dust Rags
• Scrubbers
• Paper Towels
• Floor Cleaner
• Wet Mop with fabric Strings / Wet Sponge microfiber Mop
• Commercial Window Cleaner
• All-Purpose Cleaner
• Powdered / Liquid Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Abrasive / non-abrasive cleaner
• Toilet bowl brush
• Microfiber towels
The basic idea when cleaning a bathroom is to first prepare the area for cleaning. You do not just want to just jump in the place and hope for the best – you will not see good results that way. A good way to start is to remove any particles of clothing and dirty microfiber towels that might be laying the floor. Toss these in a basket or bin and set these aside. Remove any items that might be placed on the counter-tops and take away any rugs or floor mats that are lying on the bathroom floor. We do these because we want the bathroom to be clear of all items that would either obstruct or prevent us from cleaning all areas in the bathroom.
Now that the bathroom is already prepared and ready to be cleaned, it is best to start at the area that you do not like it most. I often find that it is the most likely to build up soap scum and mildew in the shower / bathtub especially if it is not cleaned on a semi-regular basis so I normally start in this area. Depending on the build-up of soap scum and mildew, I often powder down the tub with a non-abrasive cleaner. Then I will let the cleaner soak a bit in the tub before scrubbing it thoroughly. If you have either an acrylic or fibreglass bathtub, you may use a non-abrasive cleaner and if your bathtub is enamel, you are going to need a mildly-abrasive cleaner. Rinse out the bathtub with warm water after scrubbing because heat of the water helps to remove any leftover dirt. Depending on your standard, you may repeat this process until the bathtub is clean.
The next place I prefer to finish right away is the toilet – for obvious reasons. I begin with the interior of the toilet bowl. I sprinkle powdered cleaner, such as Ajax, inside and let it soaked there for a period of time while I clean the rest of the toilet. Then you spray the all-purpose cleaner into the outer surface of the toilet and by using use either the microfiber towel or a cleaning cloth, wash them down thoroughly. I often prefer microfiber towels because they are easy to use and disposable as well. We need disposables because area like the toilet accumulates a lot of germs. After cleaning outer toilet, scrub the inside with a toilet bowl brush and make sure to get at all areas, especially under the rim.
The next item in my list are the mirrors after the toilet and bathtub have been thoroughly cleaned. But before cleaning your mirrors, always pre-clean them first. You do this by wiping off any dust that might be on your mirror using a soft microfiber cloth. This is because if you try to clean your mirror without pre-cleaning it, you are just moving the dirt from one area to another without actually cleaning them. To effectively clean your mirrors, take your window cleaner, apply first directly to a microfiber cloth, and begin rubbing it in slow circles all the way across your mirror. For an alternative window cleaner, you can use one part vinegar and one part water solution. After your mirrors have been cleaned, the next area to focus on would be the sink, faucets and the counter-tops. The faucets and counter-tops can be cleaned by using an all-purpose cleaner and microfiber towels. For the sink, you first remove the sink plug and remove all hair and gunk from the drain. Then, take an all-purpose cleaner and
apply it to your sink and scrub it down using scrubbing pads instead of microfiber towels for best results.
The last and final step of cleaning the bathroom is to mop the floor and also throw away any trash. It is often suggested to use sponges or rags when cleaning the bathroom, but personally I prefer to use microfiber towels because with all the germs floating around in the bathroom, it is easier to have something that can be immediately thrown away after the cleaning job is done. After cleaning all areas in the bathroom, return the mats or rugs to their proper places unless they need to be cleaned also. Do not forget to return any counter items like tooth brush holders and soap dispensers in their designated places.
Tags: Bathrooms, clean, Effectively, house, how