Maintaining a sanitary facility is much easier than it might seem at first. The main thing is that it is properly decorated, and then you will not have problems with how to clean the bathroom until it shines. We suggest you familiarize yourself with useful life hacks and several recommendations that will help your bathroom always look well-groomed and beautiful.
Since the bathroom is characterized by high levels of humidity, as well as constant temperature changes, bacteria in it begin to multiply at the speed of light. This can only be prevented by regular cleaning. But due to the frantic pace of life, not every housewife is able to devote a lot of time to cleaning and keeping things clean.
Preparation of equipment and funds
You should follow a certain algorithm when cleaning the bathroom. Then it will always have a beautiful and well-groomed appearance, and most importantly, be safe for use.
Step-by-step cleaning algorithm:
- Cleaning your sink, toilet and drains daily will save time in the future. Since you won’t need to remove stubborn stains and spend hours on it. And it’s quite possible to devote 5-10 minutes a day to cleaning. This will be enough to maintain cleanliness;
- It is necessary to disinfect the toilet rim daily using special cleaning products. This will prevent the spread of bacteria and the appearance of new ones.
- Cleaning the drains and treating them with special products will also prevent the spread of bacteria. And in the future there will be more blockages. It won't take much time. However, it will avoid negative consequences.
- After taking a bath, you should always rinse this sanitary fixture with clean water. This will prevent the formation of soap streaks and stains. And it is imperative to remove hair from the drain. If you have pets, you need to remove their hair after bathing them.
- You need to be careful when choosing detergents. They should be different for the toilet and bath. So many toilet products can damage the surface of the bathtub.
- The main thing you should not forget about when cleaning the bathroom is cleaning the pipes. To do this, special means are used to get rid of blockages. Cleaning must be done at least once a month. If not handled properly, the pipe may become clogged. More serious and expensive measures will have to be taken to clean it up.
- If the bathroom has glass surfaces, you need to wipe them with special detergents once a week. Because over time, soap stains form on them. And the longer cleaning is not carried out, the more difficult it is to clean the glass.
It is necessary to treat the bathtub and especially the floor in the shower stall with disinfectants weekly. Since bacteria and fungus develop very quickly on such surfaces.
Before you start cleaning the bathroom and toilet, you need to carefully inspect the room. Look into the most inaccessible places where you haven’t looked for a long time. It is necessary to outline an action plan:
- To clean the bathtub and toilet, use soft sponges and cloths. Since hard sponges can damage the enamel and ruin the appearance of the surface.
- Bath accessories need to be changed every 2 months. This will prevent the growth of bacteria.
- It is necessary to monitor the condition of the seams between building materials and equipment and devices. They require special care.
- You need to pay attention to mixers and taps. In addition to soap deposits, they tend to become unusable, leak, and not close tightly. This leads to water leakage.
Only after the inspection has been completed and the inventory has been prepared is it time to deal with the cleaning supplies.
To clean the bathroom, you need to use several detergents that will help you cope with various stains. The main tools that are most often used are:
- disinfectants to fight bacteria;
- from limescale;
- for glass, mirrors and tile cleaning.
The ingredients listed above will help with cleaning. After all, very often in the bathroom you can encounter soap stains, mold and other stains. In the fight against them it is necessary to use “heavy artillery”.
Secrets of proper storage
1. Give preference to closed shelves and drawers. Get everything you can out of sight.
2. Make effective use of all niches and open surfaces. It is better to store large items (hair dryer or towels) on them, rather than clutter them with small things. Storage baskets will look good on open shelves in the bathroom.
3. Rectangular storage accessories occupy space more efficiently and create a sense of order. It is advisable that all drawers, boxes and baskets be the same color or in harmony with each other and with the accessories in the bathroom: this will add visual order.
4. Organize your storage. Everything for styling is in one place, everything for the bath is in another. Label drawers or baskets with special labels: this will make it easier to find the item you need and return it to its place, which means order has a better chance of staying in your bathroom.
5. Use dividers or small boxes in drawers and baskets: this will make it easier to sort useful little things and see what is stored where.
6. On the inside of the cabinet door you can place a hanging organizer for flat small things: combs, nail files, cosmetics...
7. The magnetic knife holder can be used to store nail scissors, tweezers, and metal hair clips.
8. Additional shelves, including those with legs, will help organize the cabinet under the sink. You won't have to pile things on top of each other, they will be better visible and easier to get out.
9. Everything that can be hung, hang it. A curling iron, hair dryer, washcloths and much more can be easily placed on hooks or rails. Depending on the type of items, they can be hung on the outside of furniture or inside cabinets, on walls or doors. The main thing is that they look neat and do not create a feeling of disorder.
10. It is better to replace bulky cleaning equipment with compact ones. Folding buckets and telescopic mops are much easier to hide in a closet and take up little space.
11. Use the space under the bathroom wisely: you can organize open shelves, folding or drawers there. If there is space between the bathtub and the washing machine, you can place a narrow pull-out shelf on legs: this will give the household chemicals warehouse a neat storage system.
What to clean?
Cleaning a bathroom involves cleaning almost all surfaces. Some surfaces need to be given more careful attention, as harmful bacteria can accumulate on them. What to clean in the bathroom, how and with what, is worth understanding in more detail.
Modern cleaning products wash and disinfect any surface well. But many of them are strong allergens. And if it is not possible to ventilate the bathtub while cleaning, you can use folk remedies for washing. Such compositions and solutions will also save money.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is cleaning the toilet. It deserves close attention, since the equipment accumulates the most harmful bacteria. Among the folk remedies, vinegar is the best solution for this matter. The component acts as a good disinfectant for cleaning. Baking soda works very well for cleaning the bathtub.
Taking a bath is pleasant and beneficial. But few people think about how many bacteria accumulate in a watering can. And every time you take a shower, they scatter along with the drops everywhere. It is better to change the shower head every 3 months. Or clean it thoroughly and disinfect it. Vinegar can help with this too. Necessary:
- pour vinegar into the bag;
- tie on shower;
- leave for 20 minutes;
- then rinse thoroughly.
If you are planning a general cleaning of the bathroom, you can use a special product. It will allow you to clean the seams in the bathroom and give them their previous appearance. This is bleach mixed with baking soda to form a thick paste. The seams are treated with it and left overnight. And in the morning they start cleaning. You can scrub the seams in the morning with a toothbrush.
Chrome fittings in the bathroom add headaches. Using conventional cleaning products, you then have to rinse and wipe the surface for a long time. A slice of lemon will solve this issue. And the processed parts will shine.
The curtain in the bathroom must also be washed. This is how most of the soap stain accumulates on it. When washing curtains, you need to add half a glass of vinegar to the powder. This will not only clean, but also disinfect the surface. The same method works for washing towels.
When cleaning the bathroom, you often have to wash mirror surfaces on which soap scum settles, leaving unsightly stains. Tea leaves with a spoonful of salt will help clean this kind of surface in the bathroom. It is necessary to wash the glass with a decoction. Wipe thoroughly with a cloth. The effect is amazing. And it won’t take much time to wash the glass.
Where to begin?
In typical apartments, bathrooms cannot boast of huge sizes, and even a small family stores a lot of accessories there. Cosmetics, household chemicals, nail scissors, towels, hair dryers and curling irons, an endless amount of small things such as cotton swabs - all this is dispersed in an even (or not very) layer over surfaces, from the sides of the bathtub to the washing machine. This is why simply wiping off dust becomes a difficult task.
So the first thing we do is declutter the bathroom: remove everything unnecessary, and remove everything you need from open surfaces. After all, if after general cleaning the jars and boxes return to their places, the feeling of disorder will return with them.
How can you turn your bathroom into a more spacious room? Consider a storage system. If possible, it is better to do this during the construction or renovation stage. However, it's never too late to reorganize your bathroom.
How to clean a wooden bathroom
Wooden surfaces intended for the bathroom are treated with waterproof compounds. To avoid damaging the coating, you can use potato juice, a solution of dishwashing detergent (30 ml per 1 liter of water), lemon juice or white vinegar (2-3 tbsp per 50 ml of water) for cleaning.
Among the industrial products for cleaning wood, Amway LOC, Oak-Y Dokey Wood Cleaner, and Natural Shine Furniture Cleaner are suitable. Presto Clean wipes are used to remove stains.
First vacuum cleaner, then wet cleaning
You've probably encountered more than once that hair and dust stick to a rag or sponge. To avoid this, vacuum the bathroom first. For the most effective process, start at the top, removing dust from lighting fixtures, and gradually work your way down. And then vacuum the floor thoroughly. This way you will not have any hair or dust clods that will interfere with wet cleaning. An upholstery brush with soft bristles is best for this.
But a robot vacuum cleaner could do this job for you!
Remove stubborn dirt with a light hand movement
Whether it's soap stains on the walls of the shower stall, stubborn dirt on ceramic tiles, or toothpaste stains on the dressing table - a melamine sponge will help you get rid of them! Just moisten it slightly and wipe the dirty surface. Most often, this is enough to remove contaminants. Such sponges are especially effective at removing stubborn dirt on ceramic tiles and those irritating rough plaque streaks on the bottom of the bathtub. But compared to regular sponges, they wear out much faster, so keep this in mind and purchase in advance. To make any cleaning you do more successful.
Since the subject of our article is cleaning, we invite you to look at our recommendations for putting things in order after winter.
Cleaning the toilet, bidet, washbasin
With sanitary ware, in terms of systematic cleaning, problems rarely arise, except for complex lime deposits and rust. They are eliminated in the following ways:
- The surface must be moistened by draining the water and rinsed well with a brush, as for the toilet and bidet;
- After this, apply Komet, Chistin, Pemolux or any other powder with a fine hard fraction, and rub with effort with a brush. After this, leave for 15 minutes to allow the product to eat away the dirt;
- The next action after the specified time has passed is repeated mechanical cleaning of the surface of the plumbing fixtures with a brush and flushing several times;
- Next, apply a liquid limescale remover – Cillit, Kret, Domestos, Toilet duck, Ag+, Bio Formula, Garden or any other, and wash the toilet with a brush or washcloth;
- After 15 minutes, you can flush with several flushes and get a clean toilet or bidet;
- If stains and limescale stains remain, it is worth using harsher chemicals, namely acidic, alkaline, chlorine, including Sarma, Santri, Whiteness and others;
- Limescale deposits, urinary stones and rust are easily removed using folk remedies - citric acid solution, vinegar, Coca-Cola. But working with them is somewhat dangerous, since many instructions indicate the need to apply and leave the product for several hours, sometimes up to 10-12. During this time, acid or components of a carbonated drink can not only cope with plaque, but also ruin the very surface of the plumbing!
Cleaning the bathroom means putting everything in its place:
- Soap, shampoo, gel, washcloth, toothpaste and brush - within easy reach, near the faucet or on a shelf in the corner of the bath.
- Brushes and foot scrapers, additional supplies of cosmetics that are not used are under the bathtub, behind the same screen.
- Dry towels, rolls of toilet paper, napkins, bathrobes - on a special shelf or rack, which, to save space, is raised higher from the floor and installed in the corners of the room!
This way you have open surfaces for daily cleaning that can only take 10 minutes!
Use a buffing machine to remove stubborn dirt when cleaning
If you have a shower cabinet with glass doors and you don’t wash them often, soap stains may remain on them, which are almost impossible to get rid of. Well, it's time for the heavy artillery!
Get some polish (available at hardware or auto parts stores). And use a polishing machine to get rid of plaque. It is best to remove the doors and do the polishing in the garage so that dust and dirt during the polishing process do not settle in the bathroom.
How to avoid plaque on shower doors?
When water droplets dry on shower doors, they leave a residue. Which, at best, just doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing. And at worst, it becomes hard, like a nail plate. And it can grow if you don’t do anything about it (see previous life hack). This can be avoided by coating the glass with a special hydrophobic agent, such as Aquapel or Rain X.
Sink
Likewise, avoid using wire brushes or harsh abrasives. It is best to apply a special product to the surface of the sink, wait the time required according to the instructions, and rinse it off.
The above-mentioned soda solution can be used here if there is no store-bought solution. For extra shine, rub the sink with a cloth soaked in bleach.
Cleaning the sink area involves removing limescale and dirt from the taps. A vinegar solution or lemon juice mixed with water will help in this task (acid will do instead of juice). All of the above perfectly removes plaque. However, a special tool can handle this just as well. Direct treatment should be carried out with a soft sponge or cloth.
An integrated approach is considered to be of the highest quality when several means are used at once!
While cleaning and washing the plumbing, you can also perform preventive cleaning of the sewer, for example, pour out the contents of a sachet of Mole or any other similar product for its intended purpose, pour in a glass of water and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes, then drain with warm water for at least 2-3 minutes . The drain will be cleaned, all accumulated contents will dissolve and go into the sewer.
The question remains with cleaning the sink. Here, in principle, you can use similar methods - a hard rag or brush with powder, and then cleaning using gels or pastes for washing plumbing fixtures. But it is better to rub glass and ceramic washbasins and their bowls with additional polish. This way, heavy water contaminants and soap residues will stick less to the surface in the first few days, making subsequent cleaning easier. It is also advisable to rub the washbasin dry.
When cleaning contaminants from the surfaces of decorative washbasins, be sure to take into account the characteristics of the materials used in their production. Not all methods are equally suitable for artificial stone, granite, marble, natural stone, metal surfaces, wood!
