Best Bathroom Cleaning Hacks To Get — and Keep — Your Bathroom Fresh and Shiny
Do you wonder how some folks you visit have such shiningly spotless bathrooms that look brand new? Even when you give your best elbow grease, you can’t make your bathroom look like that.
The secret is not to work harder but to work more frequently and efficiently. At Tidy Up Portland! we’ve learned how to work smart so that we have real results to show for the amount of time we spend cleaning.
Unless you already have a flawless routine of cleaning your bathroom, you probably could use some clever tips for the various tasks that lead to an enviably clean bathroom. Read on to learn some hacks for cleaning your bathroom that will make the job easier and more rewarding.
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Our Top 13 Cleaning Hacks for the Bathroom
Most people don’t enjoy cleaning the bathroom, but it needs to be done. These 13 hacks to make it quicker and more efficient will help you pass the time more pleasantly.
#1: Keep a Caddy of Bathroom Cleaning Products Nearby
If you don't have all your cleaning supplies handy, it’s easy to feel disinclined to rummage throughout the house for what you need before you begin cleaning. Keep a caddy with all your necessary supplies in the bathroom, under the sink or in a cabinet, and you can just reach for it and begin cleaning without delay.
Some items in your caddy should include:
Microfiber cloths: Can be used for dusting, light scrubbing, and drying; and they are eco-friendly
Vinegar and baking soda: Good for cleaning clogged drains and for breaking down grime buildup
Magic Erasers: A versatile product that can be used to clean the shower, remove nail polish stains or buildup from hair tools, and scrub other areas of the bathroom
A good multi-purpose spray, such as this one recommended by Tidy Up Portland!, a green cleaning company with years of professional experience
#2: Soak Faucets and Shower Heads in Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar breaks down mold growth and also keeps it from growing back. If you can’t detach your shower head to soak it in a bowl of vinegar, fill a plastic bag with vinegar, and tie it around your shower head with rubber bands. Do the same thing for your faucets.
This is a quick way to get rid of hard water buildup and grime, which not only makes it look cleaner but also helps keep water flowing more efficiently!
#3: Maintain Your Shower After Each Use
Have a spray bottle with half water and half distilled white vinegar handy to spray all over your shower every 1-2 days to keep soap scum from building up. Add a few drops of essential oil to this mixture to give it a fresh, pleasant smell.
After you’ve sprayed, wipe down the shower with a squeegee to prevent the buildup of hard water deposits and the growth of mold, particularly if your shower has glass doors.
#4: Cooking Spray Isn’t Just for the Kitchen
Cooking spray is a quick way to clean soap scum off your bathtub or shower because oil breaks down lime deposits. But be sure to rinse the oil off with hot water to prevent slipping when you next bathe.
You can also spray cooking oil on your faucets to break down soap scum. Give it some time to do its work before wiping it off with a rag to make your sink look extra shiny.
#5: Use Chopsticks and Toothbrushes for Detail Cleaning
Wrap a cloth around a chopstick to deep-clean vents, grout, faucets, and other small, hard-to-reach crevices.
Another tool for reaching into small spaces and corners is an old toothbrush. If you boil the toothbrush for 10 minutes, you can reshape it using pliers. Bend half of the head of the toothbrush backward so that it will fit perfectly into tight corners.
Tidy Up Portland! uses the best tools for detailing jobs like this to ensure there is no grime left peeking out of tiny spaces. Contact us today to learn more about our cleaning services.
#6: Use the Towel You Dry Off With To Wipe Down Fixtures
Every time you wash and dry your hands or dry off after a shower, it only takes seconds more to use the same towel to dry off any water that collects on the faucet, sink, or shower head. This will help keep them free of water spots and will decrease the amount of time you will have to spend cleaning later. It can also help you maximize the time spent between more in-depth cleanings.
#7: Rotate Machine-Washable Shower Curtain Liners
Most people ignore their shower curtain liners until they’re absolutely disgusting. Having two washable ones makes it easy to put up a fresh one and pop the other in the wash, and your bathroom will look, feel, and smell that much cleaner!
#8: Use a Steam Cleaner to Easily Remove Dirt and Stains From Tile and Grout
Scrubbing grout is no fun. A handheld steam cleaner can make it easier and is a green option. The high temperature sanitizes and helps to remove dirt and grime from tile, grout, and other bathroom fixtures.
For extra power, you can also use an old electric toothbrush or scrubbing drill attachment. Wet the toothbrush head or scrubber and dip it in baking soda before scrubbing. Baking soda is a gentle abrasive that will help remove soap scum and dirt.
#9: Create a Paste To Help With Hard Water Stains
If you live in an area with hard water, things can get stained and look dirty even when they aren’t. Depending on the mineral content of the water, you might be dealing with rust-colored stains or a chalky white residue.
Applying a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to your sink and shower keeps stains and residue from forming. If you already see discoloration you can remove it with a paste made from Borax and water.
#10: Don’t Forget To Dust
With all the water in a bathroom, we often forget that many of its surfaces still get dusty. Run a duster or microfiber cloth over everything before you start cleaning so you’re not just pushing the dust around.
It might be surprising that dust can infiltrate into the tiniest spaces that don’t seem to be very exposed to the air and foot traffic, such as behind the toilet and around its base.
#11: Sprinkle Baking Soda Into Toilet Bowl Before Flushing
If you keep a shaker of baking soda in your bathroom, you can easily sprinkle it into the toilet bowl before flushing to absorb odors. Because baking soda is gently abrasive, doing this will also mean you won’t have to use your toilet brush as often.
#12: Disinfect and Dry Toilet Brush Before Putting Away
After you scrub the toilet bowl, spray hydrogen peroxide on the toilet brush and let it drip dry into the toilet before putting it in its holder. Any liquid, disinfected or otherwise, will cause mold and bacterial growth.
#13: Make Your Own Air Freshener
These are a couple of ways to make a customized air freshener for your bathroom:
Funnel distilled white vinegar and some drops of essential oil into a plant mister. This will allow you to spray fine droplets that will vaporize into the air.
Shake 1-2 cups of rice in a mason jar with 10-20 drops of your best-smelling essential oil. Secure a breathable fabric over the top of the jar with a rubber band. It will absorb bad odors and give out the nice fragrance of the essential oil(s) you used.
What’s the Best Hack for Cleaning a Bathroom? Call Tidy Up Portland!
Tidy Up Portland! has streamlined its cleaning strategies to make its services worth your while. Our methods are eco-friendly, healthy, and professional.
If you want to be sure your bathroom is getting a routine, thorough cleaning, contact Tidy Up Portland! today to get on a regular cleaning schedule. You’ll never have to worry about cleaning your bathroom again.
