September 26, 2023

The Ultimate Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

What do you consider the dirtiest room in your home? If you immediately thought of your bathroom, you’re not alone. Most of us know our bathrooms are dirty, but we don’t like cleaning them. According to the American Cleaning Institute, more than half of Americans say that cleaning the tub and toilet tops the list of most dreaded cleaning tasks.

We may not like cleaning the bathroom, but it has to be done to ensure a safe and sanitary space for your family and guests. Even if your bathroom looks clean at first glance, dirt, germs, and bacteria could hang out right under your nose. But how can you clean your bathroom effectively without wasting the entire day? We’ve got a complete bathroom cleaning checklist to help you get started.

Cleaning Your Shower and Tub

The shower and tub is usually the most daunting part of the bathroom to clean, so you may want to get it out of the way first. Before you start cleaning, remove all of your products from the shower. You can quickly wipe them down to get rid of moisture and prevent the buildup of mold or dangerous bacteria.

Use an all-purpose cleaner for your shower or tub if you’re already cleaning your bathroom regularly. For more intense cleaning, you can use an acid-based cleaner. Spray the walls and floor, as well as the showerhead, handle, faucet, and drain. Let the cleaning solution sit for a few minutes before scrubbing away excess dirt and rinsing with warm water. If you have a shower door, use glass cleaner to make sure it’s sparkling.

If your showerhead needs some extra attention, you can descale it overnight. Simply remove it from the wall and place it into a plastic grocery bag filled with white vinegar. Tie it up and let it soak overnight. In the morning, remove the showerhead from the bag and rinse it with warm water before replacing it.

Luckily, once your shower and tub are clean, you don’t have to exert much effort to keep them that way. After you take a bath or shower, leave the door or curtain open to let air in. The door or curtain will dry on its own and won’t be subject to mildew buildup. You can even keep a daily shower cleaner in your bathroom and apply it after your daily shower. Since the walls will already be warm and wet, you won’t have to scrub or wipe your shower to get it sparkling clean.

Cleaning Your Toilet

Next up is the toilet. It may not be a glamorous job, but it’s not difficult to keep your toilet clean and sanitary once you get in the habit. You can clean your toilet bowl with an all-purpose cleaner, or if you have buildup, use a toilet-specific cleaner.

Spray your toilet bowl cleaner inside the bowl and scrub the sides with a toilet brush. Close the lid and let the cleaner sit for a few minutes while you clean the outside of the toilet. An all-purpose cleaner can help you tackle the top of the lid, handle, and base. Wipe away with a clean cloth.

Once the outside is clean, you can get back to the toilet bowl. After the solution has been scrubbed and soaked, all that’s left to do is flush. You may need to go over the toilet seat and lid with a cloth to dry up any cleaning solution that was sprayed there.

Cleaning Your Sink, Mirror, and Counters

Now that you’re done with arguably the least enjoyable parts of cleaning the bathroom, you can move on to the less demanding areas. Your sink and counter don’t require much effort to clean, and after your initial cleaning, you can often wipe down these surfaces with a cleaning wipe every couple of days to prevent the buildup of germs and dirt.

Remove all items from your counter before cleaning this area. Then, use a glass cleaner on your mirror before tackling the counter. Dry your mirror with a soft cloth to prevent streaks and give you a crystal-clear shine. A standard all-purpose cleaner should take care of dirt and grime in your sink and countertops. Simply wipe with a clean cloth when finished.

If your counters are particularly dirty, you can use the power of your shower to help lift dirt and grime. Spray your surfaces with your cleaner of choice, then run the shower with hot water for about five minutes to create steam. Turn off the water, let the cleaner sit and combine with the steam for about 20 minutes, then wipe clean with a cloth as usual.

During this stage, you may want to clean off any products that live on your counters, such as your toothbrush holder. A 2011 study by the National Sanitation Foundation found that over a quarter of toothbrush holders were contaminated with Coliform bacteria, which can include salmonella and E. coli! (Many of these germs come from the toilet and are dispersed in the air with every flush. To reduce bacteria on your counters, be sure to lower the toilet lid before you flush.)

Cleaning Your Bathroom Floor and Walls

Last but not least, you’ll want to clean the floor and walls of your bathroom. Especially when you live in a busy city like New York, you might be surprised to find how dirty your bathroom walls can be! While you don’t have to clean your walls every day, they should be wiped at least once a month. Floors may need extra attention, especially if you only have one bathroom in your home or apartment.

Pick up everything from the floor, including bath mats and trash cans, and move them to the hallway or another room. Use this time to wash your mats and hand towels and take out the trash.

Use a duster with a long handle to remove cobwebs and other dirt from the bathroom walls and fixtures. Don’t forget to dust those oft-forgotten areas like the baseboards and the space behind the toilet.

Sweep the floor to pick up loose hair or dirt, then use your preferred floor cleaner to give the floor a deep scrub. Wait to sweep, mop, or wet clean until the rest of the bathroom is clean gives you the added advantage of gathering all the dirt and hair that you dusted off of your surfaces earlier!

When you’re done mopping or wet cleaning, let the floor dry on its own. Then, you can finish cleaning the bathroom by replacing your floor mats, hand towels, trash can, and any products that haven’t yet been put back in their proper places.

Working with White Glove Cleaner

Cleaning the bathroom is an important part of maintaining your home or apartment, but often, it’s easier said than done. You may not have time to care for your bathroom as often as you’d like, or you simply may want to spend your time on more enjoyable tasks. Consider working with a leading cleaning service like White Glove Cleaner for professional home and bathroom cleaning in NYC.

White Glove Cleaner has long been one of Manhattan’s most trusted cleaning services, and for good reason! We offer affordable rates for one-time or regular cleaning jobs, and we can care for your space weekly, biweekly, or monthly at your request. Our team has been fully vetted and background-checked for your safety, and we only use the safest, highest-quality cleaning products for every job.

Our team is happy to maintain your space on a regular basis or help with more specific, one-time cleaning jobs. Some of our most popular services include move-in/move-out cleaning, “green” cleaning (using hypoallergenic and eco-friendly cleaning products), and deep cleaning (particularly good for spring cleaning or before a big event). We also provide additional services for an extra fee, including organizing, in-home laundry, cleaning inside appliances, and more. Regain your time and feel confident in your space when you enlist the help of White Glove Cleaner. Contact us today to learn more about our services and to book your first cleaning!