There is no universal answer when it comes to cleaning bathrooms. Every component of your bathroom serves a different purpose and builds dirt, moisture and bacteria in different ways.

A toilet, for example, must be disinfected based on frequency of use; whereas the grout between your tiles requires a targeted deep clean once a week, twice a month or once a month. In this article, we’ll guide you exactly how exactly and how often you should clean each part of your bathroom. 

Setting Up a Bathroom Cleaning Schedule

Establishing a cleaning schedule helps ensure every area of the bathroom gets the proper attention. Details below:

Daily

• First of all, clean the main surfaces (sinks, counters, and faucets).
• Disinfect high touch areas. Handles, light switches, and toilet flushers should be disinfected every day.
• Ventilation is important. Run exhaust fans or open a window to limit moisture.

Weekly

• Thoroughly clean inside the toilet.  
• Clean the bowl, and disinfect the outside.
• Clean the shower and tub. Remove soap scum and mildew.
• Mop the floors. Take extra care to mop the edges of the room.
• Wash towels and bath mats. Wash in extremely hot water to kill bacteria.

Monthly

• Clean vents and fans. Dust and Vacuum to ensure proper air flow.
• Wash all shower curtains. Wash or throw out shower curtain liners to help with mold.
• Organize your cabinets. Purge unnecessary items and wipe down.
• Look for signs of mold. Check hidden spots and immediately treat any mold signs.

Detailed Cleaning Guidelines for Each Bathroom Area

Before you get started on your cleaning routine, it might be useful to follow the course of each area in the bathroom to understand how it may differ in what exactly needs to be cleaned. Here’s s detailed cleaning guide for each bathroom area: 

1. Toilet: Weekly

Toilets should be cleaned once a week for sure, and more frequently if they get heavy use. I suggest using a toilet-specific cleaner (that contains the disinfectants needed to kill germs!). This not only helps sanitize, but it helps clean and freshen too. When cleaning your toilet it is too easy to forget about the inside under the rim of the toilet. Apply cleaner under the rim of your toilet and let sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with your toilet brush (or sponge) on the bowl and under the rim. Don’t forget to get the outside surfaces including the handle with your disinfectant wipe or spray.

2. Shower and Bathtub: Weekly

Showers and bathtubs should be cleaned once a week to prevent soap scum and mildew build up. Non-abrasive cleaners and scrub brushes work wonders on tiles and grout. If you have tile and glass doors, water spots, soap scum, and mildew eat that pane of glass! A mixture of vinegar and water works at getting them pretty clean and keeping daily when you are done. Rinse the tiles and glass well then dry to help prevent water stains and mildew growth.

3. Sink and Faucets: Weekly Wipe-Down

It is very important to disinfect your bathroom sink and fixtures along with disinfectant wipes. Bathroom sinks and fixtures usually have remnants of toothpaste splatters and watermarks. Once a week, you will be using your bathroom cleaner to scrub out your sink basin. You can disinfect and keep your fixtures shiny with disinfectant wipes, and apply disinfectant wipes, wait a bit, and then buff with a microfiber cloth. 

4. Mirrors: Streak-Free Tidy-Up

The best way to remove streak marks on mirrors, is to use either a glass cleaner or a vinegar and water solution. You want to apply the cleaner to a cloth so it sticks to the cloth, not spray it on the mirror. When wiping clean, wipe back and forth in small circles, and when the mirror has been cleaned, wipe up and down to remove the remaining cleaner left behind.

5. Floors: Weekly Mopping

Bathroom floors should be mopped weekly with a disinfectant cleaner following the manufacturer’s directions. Pay attention to getting into corners and around the base of the toilet. Those areas trap a lot of dirt! Additionally, if your floor is tiled, you way want to invest in a steam mop. Not only will it help get dirt up, but it will also clean bacteria from the surface without any harsh chemicals.

6. Tiles and Grout: Weekly Scrubbing

Mold and mildew often lurk in the tiles and grout, so you’ll want to be cleaning those surfaces every week. Grout cleaners and grout brushes are the perfect tools for scrubbing away the grime and stains off the tile and grout, and a baking soda and water paste will clean dirt and grime off the tiles without scratching them.

7. Towels and Mats: Weekly Laundering

If you use a laundry service, or you wash them yourself just make sure you are getting them cleaned and sanitized weekly in hot water or hot water and bleach. This will keep everything disinfected, and smelling great! Make sure every towel and bathmat is dry to the last drop of water. Towels and bath mats that still have moisture on them do hold moisture, and it will eventually cause mold to grow in them.

8. Cabinet and Drawer Monthly Declutter and Clean

Once a month, declutter and clean the cabinets and drawers in your bathroom. Do this by clearing out all the items; bust out the disinfectant and disinfect what needs cleaning, and throw away any expired products. Sort your items together so they are easy to find. 

9. Light Fixtures and Switch: Monthly Dust 

Light fixtures and switches are something we don’t think about, and they need to be cleaned and checked as needed. This is best done once a month. You can wipe down the fixture itself with a microfiber cloth and mild cleaner solution, and you can use a disinfecting wipe for the switches to get rid of fingerprints and germs.

10. Vents and Fans: Quarterly Cleaning

Bathroom vents and fans should be cleaned every few months. You should turn the power off to the fan, take off the cover, and use the vacuum cleaner to get the dust off the fan blades and motor. Once you get the dust off, wash the cover with soap and water to put back on.

11. Trash Cans: Daily Cleaning and Weekly Disinfection

Bathroom trash cans should be emptied daily and cleaned at least once per week with a disinfecting spray. To minimize odor, line the can with a plastic bag & place a little baking soda at the bottom of the can before replacing the liner.

12. Bathroom Accessories: Weekly Cleaning

All bathroom accessories such as soap dishes, body scrub and toothbrush holders, shower caddies etc. should be cleaned on a weekly basis. Soak the accessories in warm soapy (compatible) water, scrub them with an appropriate brush, wash everything well to remove soap scum and bacteria.

Common Bathroom Cleaning Mistakes

Below are mistakes you might be making when cleaning your bathroom that you will want to avoid: 

• Using One Rag for All Surfaces: Wiping every surface from top to bottom with one rag is simply moving germs from one area to another. You will want to have a separate rag for the toilet, and then rag for the sink, tub, and any other surfaces. 

• Cleaning the Bathroom in the Wrong Order: If you wash the floor first and after that wash the toilet top surface or sink, you have just wiped bacteria you removed from the toilet or sink back onto the floor. Always clean from top-down and you want to improve air flow. 

• Failing to Provide Proper Ventilation: If you’re cleaning the bathroom and not providing enough ventilation and allowing the surfaces to dry you are making a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The objective should be air circulation and surfaces dry.

Conclusion

In summary and overall, a clean bathroom is important, a clean bathroom to begin with will benefit the health of a person. If you are capable of planning, and executing some of the cleaning methods (and other good practice) listed above, you can be confident that every area of your bathroom will be clean and safe. Cleaning bathrooms leads to less exposure to germs, and more comfort, and opportunity for relaxation, for the members of the home.

Remember the most important factor of all of this is consistency. As mentioned above, consistency is key and you should regularly perform the cleanings of your bathroom. You will experience less health issues and you will have a cleaner, germ-free environment inside your house. Feel free to share this with your friends and family as well.