Monday Motivation: How To Keep Your Bathroom Clean

You've worked hard all month to get your bathroom organized.

First, you took inventory of how your bathroom functions.

Then, you organized the medicine cabinet.

Then, you cleaned out the cabinets and drawers.

Now that everything is purged and organized, how do you clean it and keep it that way? 

                                                                

I think the secret to a clean bathroom is to do it frequently.  Of course, no one wants to hear that, but the truth of the matter is that a little bit of mess is easier to clean than a whole lotta mess.  Follow me?

Here are some tips to help you make the task more manageable:

     1.  Keep cleaning supplies handy.  Nothing slows momentum quicker than having to retrieve cleaning supplies from another room.  I keep a roll of paper towels, a bottle of Sparkle cleaner, a canister of Borax, and a sponge under each bathroom sink in my home.  I also have a toilet brush in a covered container, tucked behind each toilet.

     2.  Every two days (or every day if a lot of people use the bathroom) follow these steps:
             A.  Spray sinks and mirror with Sparkle cleaner and wipe with a paper towel.
             B.  Sprinkle Borax into toilet bowl and swish with brush.
             C.  Spray toilet seat and toilet surround with Sparkle cleaner and wipe with another paper towel. 
             D.  Squeegee water off of the shower surround with a small squeegee after each shower.

There!  You just completed a quick, 2-3 minute clean-up that will keep most of the germ police away and makes your bathroom presentable most of the time.

     3.  For your weekly cleaning:
             A.  Sprinkle Borax onto your wet sponge and scrub your sinks, counters, and tub and shower.  Rinse with water and polish with Sparkle cleaner.
             B.  Vacuum the floor, shake rugs, and mop floor with sparkle cleaner and a mop.  If your bathroom floor is small enough, you can simple wipe it down with cleaner and a paper towel.
             C.  After putting Borax into the toilet, let it sit for several hours before brushing and flushing.
             D.  Set out fresh towels.
             E.  Refill soap dispenser if necessary.


     4.  Every month:
             A.  Vacuum the exhaust fan
             B.  Wipe baseboards
             C.  Clean fingerprints from walls, door, and trim
             D.  Take a few minutes to straighten out the cabinets and drawers, tossing anything that is expired
             E.  Take inventory of any items you will run out of soon and add them to your shopping list
             F.  Wash bath mats if necessary.

Here are a few tips I've found to make cleaning surfaces easier:
     1.  Polish your shower stall with car wax or Gel Gloss every 6 months or so.  It will cause the water to bead up and dry quicker, leaving less water spots.  It also keeps soap residue from clinging to the surface, making it easier to clean.  *Caution*- Do not polish the bottom of the tub/shower.  It will make it slippery when wet. *Another Caution* - This is a chemical product.  Be careful.
     2.  Polish your sink top with Gel Gloss to keep toothpaste  from adhering to the surface.
     3.  There are products that say they will keep your mirror from fogging up, but I've never found them to be rather short lived and eventually left streaks when I tried to clean the mirror.  If you have a solution, please share your thoughts.
     4.  Shower curtains should be made out of a quick-drying fabric.  Avoid liners made with PVC as it releases harmful chemicals.

Just a note. . . I prefer to use homemade cleaners that don't have strong chemicals to clean my home.  Please feel free to replace the items I suggested with whatever cleaning solutions you desire. 
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