Keeping the bathroom clean

Obviously you’re really good at keeping your bathroom clean and tidy and no doubt give it a good ‘once-over’ several times a week. But if you want to be sure it is clean for unexpected visitors as well as the ‘usual suspects’ who live with you on a daily basis, here’s a guide to a daily quick clean-up.

 

A canny Yorkshire woman we once knew made all her family clean the bath or shower every time they used it. She then followed this simple daily clean up routine. I bet you’ll want to introduce it to your home too!

 

A quick daily clean-up

Start by taking a bin liner or old carrier bag with you to collect up all rubbish and empty the bathroom bin.

 

Make sure all the towels are hung neatly on their rails. Change the hand towel as often as possible as this is the one that gets the most use. It’s also the one that passing visitors are likely to use.

 

Put away any items that users haven’t returned to their rightful homes such as the toothpaste or lotions and potions.

 

Now flush the loo and pour some bleach into the bowl making sure you squirt some up under the rim. Use the toilet brush to clean the sides of the bowl and leave the cleaner to work some magic while you tackle the next job.

 

Fill a spray bottle with equal parts of water and white vinegar and spray a paper towel or cloth with the solution to clean mirrors and counter tops, taps and toothpaste splatters around the sink. You can also use this solution to clean up soap scrum from the shower and if you have one, the shower curtain.

 

Use the back of your water/vinegar solution paper towel to dust off the toilet tank, around the seat and the outside of the toilet bowl. Now flush the toilet to get rid of the bleach.

 

Don’t forget the floor as this is where dust and hair collects particularly in corners. If you have time it won’t hurt to vacuum and mop your floor. But if time is precious and your floor was recently vacuumed just use a damp paper towel to wipe in the corners and along edges of the room.

 

Remember to throw all your dirty wipes into the bag you hung up to collect the rubbish – and to take it with you to dispose of when you leave the bathroom.

 

Long-term cleaning solutions

If your bathroom suffers from mildew – usually caused by poor ventilation – use a damp sponge with bicarbonate of soda to remove the evidence and make your bath, sink and tiles literally gleam!

 

Bicarbonate of soda works well to clear blocked drains too. Just use half a cup in the offending drain followed by half a cup of vinegar. Cover the plug hole with a tissue for a few minutes while these ingredients work then flush with hot water.