Cleaning the Loo

Let’s face it: the bathroom is probably the one place in the entire house that we hate cleaning, but needs it the most. It is not the best job to have to do, but the results - and the peace of mind that it is sparkling clean - are so, so worth it.

While I was in college, I worked summers on the housecleaning staff, and daily had to clean multiple public bathrooms. Let me tell you, what is worth than cleaning a bathroom? Cleaning a public one. {she says types as she shudders} Over the years, I’ve developed a pretty good system that allows me to quickly and efficiently clean a bathroom - and I want to make sure yours is clean, too. :)

To clean a full bath, you’ll need two rags and a good disinfectant cleaner. We use and love Shaklee’s Basic G, a disinfectant concentrate that is perfect for spaces like this. It is nice to know that you can clean your home without harsh, toxic chemicals...and still come out with a clean space!

You can also choose to use a separate toilet bowl cleaner, if you desire, and Windex to wash your mirror as needed.

First things first - and yes, you must go in order. The order of this process is everything. Spray one rag with disinfectant, and wipe down both sides of the doorknob, the lightswitch, and anything else that gets touched daily other than the various faucets and knobs. We’ll get to those in a minute. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to wipe down cabinet door handles or drawer pulls or the sides of your vanity that get touched to open the doors. Anything that little grubby hands might touch. :)

Next, spray down the entire commode with disinfectant spray. This is one reason I love using an all-natural cleaner...you can use lots of it and it won’t hurt you. :) Spray the handle, both sides of the lid, and both sides of the seat. Spray the edges and sides of the bowl. If you are using a separate toilet bowl cleaner, squirt that on the inside sides of the bowl (did you follow?)

Using the same rag that you first used to disinfect, begin wiping down the toilet. WIPE THE HANDLE FIRST. I can’t emphasize that strongly enough. I don’t have to explain why...it should be obvious. :) After the handle, work your way down. Wipe both sides of the lid, then the seat, and lastly the bowl. Don’t forget to wipe the outside of the bowl and even dust off the base. For that matter, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to wipe the floor around the toilet. You never know where germs can land. :) When you are done, use a bowl brush to clean the inside of the bowl, being sure to get under the edge good.

Your toilet should shine. :)

You are {clearly} done with this rag. Throw it in your hamper.

With your second rag, clean your mirror if it needs it. If not, go straight to your sink. Spray it down well with disinfectant. Begin by wiping the faucet and knobs. If these are a shiny finish, they will appear cleaner if you wipe them with a pretty dry rag. A damp rag will leave streaks. So do these first. Then just wipe down the rest of the sink.

Next use this rag to finish up in the tub and shower. Spray down the knobs and faucet with disinfectant, and also spray some on the bottom of the tub. Turn on the faucet, and use lots of water to wipe everything down - the knobs, walls, and any ledges. Finish up with the floor of the tub. I like to use lots of water in the tub to make sure all the disinfectant gets washed away - otherwise it might make the tub floor slippery, and we know what a bad day that could be!

Aaaand...you’re done! Three cheers for a sparkling clean bathroom!

It is up to you to determine how often this needs to be done. Some days, wiping out the sink may be sufficient to get you by. In a family of 8 like ours, we need this full cleaning every day. Not that we are exceptionally dirty or anything...just that many people means that many more germs. Gross. :)

Do you have a method for a germ-free bathroom? How often do you give yours a full cleaning? Can you believe I spent a whole post talking about bathrooms? Weird…

Additional note: check out these fun bathroom printables - what a great reminder for your littles! I would love to use these in a bathroom some day!

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