Cleaning day is a staple in most if not all households. For larger families, we assign tasks by room or by task to ensure that it is done in the most efficient way. But it always seems to take the better part of a good day to clean.
For smaller families with not many people to divi-up the tasks, it also takes a good amount of hours to get each room. Let’s be honest, sometimes we skip things that we think aren’t as important or things that won’t be noticed right away.
One of the more daunting areas to clean is the bathroom. I’ve taken the liberty of assembling 30 bathroom cleaning hacks to help you get the most out of your cleaning day.
It has become a norm for bathroom drains to become clogged with hair, soap scum and whatever else passes through your shower or sink. This may happen more often than not in shared bathrooms, whether we share with family, roommates or the occasional sleepover guest, there is a solution to easily power away scum.
Drop 2 Alka-seltzer tablets or any effervescent tablet into the drain, pour 1 cup of warm vinegar over it and let it soak through to loosen and unclog your drain.
If you run out of toilet cleaner or you’re just in a hurry, reach for lemon kool-aid to assist you in cleaning your toilet. The mixture in powdered form is acidic and will help to clear up the week’s toilet buildup.
Simply rip a packet open and pour it directly into the toilet. With a toilet brush, gently scrub and flush to experience freshness.
There may be some challenges to getting your bathroom walls clean, particularly the areas closer to the roof. To avoid the sore muscles, tired arms, and mounting frustration that comes with reaching all the way up the wall, reach for a Swiffer sweeper help.
Soak the Swiffer in the cleaning solution of your choice and get to wiping the same way you would clean the floor.
One of the more daunting areas in the bathroom is the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Clutter tends to get the better of that area and it becomes an Alcatraz of random bathroom items we wish to never display.
Make cleaning this area part of your bathroom routine and do it quickly by organizing everything using bins or baskets. This will help to add a cleaner, more inviting look to your cupboard.
You may notice that after cleaning your toilet, you just place your toilet brush in the holder in a pool of toilet water. Over time, the water develops an odor and makes the bathroom an uncomfortable place.
This is especially so if the water begins to condense and seeps into the paint on the walls. Avoid this by allowing your toilet brush to dry. Place it on the edge of the toilet bowl between the seat and the lower bowl.
It can be hard to get between your tiles and into the grout with just regular washing and wiping. Because of this, your grout can develop mildew or mold which can be a health hazard.
This is also generally unflattering. Get into the grout with a toothbrush. Dip the toothbrush into the cleaning solution and scrub away. If the grime won’t budge, it can help to leave it to soak for a few minutes.
For a quick way to both clean your tub and get a fresh citrus scent into your bathroom. Use grapefruit and salt as a tub cleaner. Cut half of a grapefruit and cover the surface area with salt.
In a circular motion rub the tub, focusing on the areas that are most stained or dirty. While maintaining the circular motion, squeeze the grapefruit to release the acidic juice and the scent. Once you’re satisfied, rinse away the salt and pulp.
Dawn dish soap is a versatile cleaning ingredient to have around the home. It is powerful enough to use as a cleaning agent for both the tub and the showerhead.
This hack will work on any material, from tile to porcelain. Squeeze dawn dish soap onto a cleaning sponge and scrub the surface you’re trying to clean. In no time it will lift away the dirt and leave your shower sparkling.
In a plastic bag, pour 2-4 cups of vinegar or enough to completely immerse your shower head. Attach the plastic bag to the shower neck with the showerhead completely immersed.
Leave this to soak overnight and the vinegar will work to loosen all soap scum and hard water build-up. In the morning, remove and discard. Use a cloth to wipe the showerhead completely clean in an effortless fashion.
Dryer sheets can do more than soften your laundry and prevent static build-up. It is also a versatile cleaning tool because of the nature of the material.
Dryer sheets can be used to dust, clean shower doors, clean tubs, clear faucets of hard water and polish the same faucet to make it shiny once more. Dryer sheets can also be used to freshen your toilet. Just drop one into the toilet tank for freshness with every flush.
To avoid odors in your bathroom that may result from the trash can, soak a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil and place it below the bin liner.
This will keep the bin fresh until trash day because it will stay there and release every time the bin liner is shifted in the slightest. It will also retain its scent as it won’t come into contact with the trash that might absorb the oil.
Over time, stainless steel faucets get dull and seem to want to stay that way no matter what the effort. You may also face dullness from hard water, toothpaste splashes, and soap scum.
Clear all this up with a bit of flour. Use a handful of flour to polish the surface of your stainless steel faucet after cleaning, you’ll be surprised at the shine and sparkle once you rinse it clean.
Hear me out here. Oil helps to break down limescale deposits which form as a result of hard water on the shower door, curtain and all over the faucets. Make your job a whole lot easier by giving a light spritz with cooking spray of your choice.
After which it’s safe to wash or wipe clean. The cooking spray will also help to get the surfaces to look shiny and new.
Another efficient product to keep around is shaving foam. This will help to de-mist your mirrors as well as clean them and remove spots that form over the week’s use.
This can also be used on glass shower doors. Spray the shaving foam all over the glass, with a window cleaner, microfiber cloth or newspaper, wipe in one direction to remove the foam as well as the build-up and soap scum.
Over time, shower curtains get gummed up with mildew and soap scum. This can cost a pretty penny to replace over time and is also a tedious task to remove and replace. This can be avoided by washing the shower curtain in a solution of baking soda and vinegar.
In a bucket pour 1 part water, 1 part baking soda and 2 parts vinegar. Place the curtain in the bucket, while it’s still hanging and let soak for 30 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, rub the fabric or plastic against itself to get it clean. Rinse with fresh water and leave to dry.
If your toilet bowl has been taken over by stubborn stains and hard water, there is a powerful combination that is guaranteed to help.
Simply pour 1 liter of vinegar and 2 cups of baking soda into the toilet bowl, being careful not to pour the vinegar at speed and full force or it will flush. Let this sit for a few minutes to an hour then give a light scrub with a toilet brush and flush.
You might be surprised at the number of items that can come in handy around the home and sometimes be more effective than traditional cleaning products and detergents. One such item is toothpaste.
Whitening toothpaste can work to clean that grout between your tiles. Simply apply with a quick swipe, and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour or while you do other things around the home. Once the time has elapsed or you’re ready to go back to it, give a light scrub and rinse clean.
Sometimes an outright cleaning is not needed but we panic and do it anyway because we might think that’s what is best for the situation.
If hard water spots are one of the things that have you beat because of the look of it on the faucet, simply use some distilled vinegar to give your faucet a shine and clear up the hard water spots.
Put your mind to rest by soaking a cotton ball or cleaning rag with a small amount of vinegar and swiftly wiping down the faucet. In a few seconds, it will be all clean.
It can be frustrating to get rid of stubborn stains. There is a super-effective process that’s easy to learn and repeat. So easy in fact, you can teach it to your teenagers to get them involved in the cleaning process.
Cut half of a lemon and sprinkle salt on the surface you’re trying to clean, rub the lemon against the salted surface to lift all the grime away. Simply wash away the salt and pulp once you’re through. This is a simple way to clean and deodorize in one step.
If you’re completely out of cleaning products or in a pickle and need a one-step cleaner for your toilet bowl, you can look to your handy pumice stone. Just attach it to your toilet brush if it doesn’t come with the extended rod.
Use it to give the toilet bowl a clean swipe. Scrubbing with a pumice stone will help to lift away build-up as the mineral compound of the stone is efficient at cleaning away hard water and other build-ups.
Cleaning hacks can be proactive as well as reactive. One proactive cleaning hack that will save you time in the future is using vaseline to polish your faucet and metal handles in the bathroom.
The petrolatum in the vaseline will not only clear up hard water and cloudy residue from toothpaste but it will provide a shield that will protect from the same build-up.
An added perk is that it adds a breath of freshness to your bathroom. Just use a cleaning cloth to polish the vaseline onto the surface and enjoy the resulting shine.
Another efficient hack that will save some time and energy is using a bleach pen to clean the grout in the shower. Simply swipe the bleach pen onto the areas that need your attention and let sit for the amount of time specified by the label on the pen.
This will vary based on the brand and make, once the time has elapsed, rinse your shower clean. This process will also allow you to do other things in between, adding efficiency to the process of cleaning.
Vinegar is an excellent way to freshen the home. This works in the same way alcohol does in perfume. If you find that your air freshener triggers sinuses or allergies or you just run out, vinegar can be used to create the perfect and most cost-effective air freshener.
In a spray bottle, simply mix 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, and your favorite essential oil or even perfume. Shake this to combine and give the air a spritz. Enjoy the fresh aroma, if you have excess ingredients you can store for later or just make more.
The warmer the temperature the faster the cleaning ingredients will work. This is true for traditional cleaning ingredients as well as vinegar, baking soda, and other hacks you might employ. Experts even recommend warming vinegar before use in most cases.
This is because heat and acidity work hand in hand to break up most of the gunk in your bathroom. To increase the temperature just run the shower on hot for a few minutes or turn your heater on while you clean.
Most of the time, a mop bucket creates dirt as much as it helps to clean it up. The base of the bucket often transfers dirt from one part of the floor to the next while you clean.
This is a result of pushing it around or lifting and putting it down. To avoid having to clean up after your mop bucket, just skip it.
Sometimes cleaning the bathroom can be daunting. When trying to attack all the areas in a flurry, it’s easy to get frustrated and feel this immense amount of stress.
To alleviate this feeling, create a plan to clean either from left to right, top to bottom, or item by item. This will help you to feel more organized and grounded when cleaning. And surprisingly, you’ll end up doing the same amount of things in a shorter space of time.
One way to cut the amount of cleaning you have to do is to have items disinfected or self-cleaning by an automated process. The toilet brush for one is something that would require some cleaning or it would develop an odor over time.
Simply fill the toilet brush holder with a solution of baking soda and vinegar using 1 part vinegar and 1 part water with a tablespoon of baking soda or fill it with Detol and leave the toilet brush fully immersed during the week. After each use, rinse with plain water, hang to dry, create a fresh solution, and repeat.
If you’ve ever cleaned your bathroom and there’s still an existing odor you can’t seem to locate, try washing your towels. Overtime condensation causes both display towels and the ones we use and reuse to develop an unpleasant odor and sweat which can cause mildew.
To prevent this from happening, change them at least twice per week and wash them with your favorite detergent and fabric softener.
There can be some hard-to-reach places in your bathroom that will leave you tearing your hair out. One such area is the crevice between your toilet bowl and your toilet tank.
To get this area clean and smelling as fresh as the rest of your bathroom, dip a cleaning rag into your cleaner of choice, wrap the rag around a screwdriver, take the screwdriver by the handle, and wipe down the crevice. Push the screwdriver as far as it will go and wipe until the rag comes out clean.
Previously, I mentioned implementing proactive hacks that will save you time in the long run. One of the ways to proactively ensure that you wash your bathtub a lot less is to prevent dirt and soap scum from forming a ring around the tub.
This can set in and it can be a pain to clean. It also can be time-consuming to clean your tub after every use. To prevent this, just add a splash of baby oil to your bath water, this will prevent the soap scum from settling in the sides of the tub.
While cleaning the bathroom can be a lot to do, and a pain we can come to dread at the end of the week. It can also go by very quickly and there are different ways to ensure that some of these daunting tasks are handled in the most efficient fashion. I’ve implemented some of these hacks personally and they come highly recommended.