Samantha Buck

Bathroom Cleaning Tips - Deep Cleaning for Your Bathroom



Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2009

by Samantha Buck
Life Organize It

If your bathroom gets a lot of daily use, then your efforts to keep things clean may just need a boost with a deep clean once in a while.  That's why I've put together some bathroom cleaning tips to give your bathroom a deep clean.

How often you do a deep clean on your bathroom depends on a couple of things - how much use your bathroom gets and how big your family is.  So, following the natural rule of things, the more something is used, the more you'll have to clean it and, we're going to cover deep cleaning three of the most used items in the bathroom as follows:

Deep Cleaning Toilets Whether doing a daily toilet cleaning or a deep clean, you'll be wasting your money on cleaning products if you don't clean the toilet properly.  To do this, you need to empty the toilet bowl of water before applying the cleaner.  Otherwise, the product will be diluted in the toilet bowl water and won't be nearly as effective.  To force water from the toilet, use your plunger and toilet bowl brush until you've forced all the water out.  

Next, add your cleanser, and let it sit for a few minutes.  Again, don't flush or rinse right away.  Otherwise the product won't have time to do its work, and you will have wasted your money.  Take these few minutes to quickly clean something else (wipe down fixtures, spray the shower, and so on) so that you maximize every minute spent cleaning.  Then come back and scrub the toilet bowl and under the rim - and don't forget the seat!

If you have an ugly toilet bowl ring, you have a couple of options.  You can use a pumice stone to scrub it out.  You'll need to put your hand in the bowl, so gloves are essential.  Or, simply clean as you normally would but use an acid toilet bowl cleaner, which you can find at a local janitorial supply store.

Deep Cleaning Sinks, Showers, and Tubs

Since you'll be wiping down your fixtures at least daily with disinfecting wipes, a deep clean should be a piece of cake.  I like to use 20 Mule Team Borax for deep cleaning of sinks, showers, and tubs.  I just spread it on a damp sponge, work it into the surface and let it sit for five minutes or so.  Then I come back and work it in some more, wait another minute or two, then do a final scrub and rinse.  My tub/shower, sink, and fixtures come out sparkly clean!

20 Mule Team Borax is a product that I've found works wonders for rust and hard water stains, and is gentle enough that it won't scratch your fixtures.  It's safe for your family and the environment because it doesn't contain phosphates or chlorine.  It's also safe on porcelain/enamel and fiberglass surfaces and it's really a great way to keep your bathroom fixtures sparkling.  You can use it to clean the toilet too, just use the above mentioned toilet cleaning method for excellent results!  

Getting Rid of Mold and Mildew

Nearly every bathroom has issues with mold and mildew at least some of the time.  But the best way to treat mold and mildew is prevention  - head them off at the pass before they occur.  Even if your bathroom has no exhaust fan or window, you can fight mold and mildew by:

When it's necessary to apply bleach, I spray it on and leave it for a few minutes, then I scrub and rinse.  Make sure to keep the area well ventilated.  For stubborn mold and mildew stains, soak a cotton ball or two in bleach and apply it directly to the stain.  Then scrub and rinse as usual. By using these bathroom cleaning tips, you'll save both time and money by minimizing the amount of wasted cleaning product.  First, by using proper bathroom cleaning techniques, you avoid diluting or rinsing away product before it's done its job.  And, second, you avoid the need to use lots of product to scrub caked-on grime, since you're cleaning daily or as the need arises.

Samantha Buck is a Professional Organizer and Editor of http://www.LifeOrganizeIt.com, where you can find solutions to life's organizing dilemmas. Subscribe to the free organizing magazine "Organize It Mom!" at http://www.lifeorganizeit.com/free-e-zine.html for super easy tips and techniques to get yourself organized. Not just for moms, this free organizing magazine will help anyone get organized!

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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by David Pekrul
 3 years 70 days ago.
70 fans.
I think that bathrooms and the kitchen are the most important rooms to keep clean. Thanks for your tips, especially the idea of using Borax. The only thing I have ever used Borax for is killing ants. I add an equal portion of Borax with confectioner's sugar and sprinkle it on ant hills. It works like a charm. But now I'm going to try it on the sink and bathtub. Thanks for a great article.
» left by Samantha Buck 3 years 67 days ago.
5 fans.
Hello, thanks for the nice comments.
 
Wow, you learn something new everyday. I didn't know you could use Borax for killing ants! Thanks for the tip.
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