How do you keep your bathroom(s) clean, especially during the messy, sweaty summer months?
My husband has a dirty, dusty, sweaty outdoor job. He comes home from work covered in grass and pollen and much of that gets deposited in the bottom of the bathtub.
My kids have a dog. They take him out for a run three times a day. They come inside sticky and sweaty and muddy...and most of that gets deposited in the sink and the bottom of the bathtub.
I have three sons. There are often "misses" around the toilet.
My five kids share one sink. After they go to bed, I find dried toothpaste in the sink...and the counter...and yes, the wall!
So how do I keep it all clean without losing my mind? First let me say that keeping the bathroom clean is a big priority for me. I can let the dusting go for weeks at a time if I have to, but I can't tolerate a dirty bathroom. I do a big deep clean on both of our bathrooms once a week. I try to keep the day consistent so I don't forget. On that day, I scrub the tubs and showers, clean the toilets, scrub the sinks, and wipe the counters. I also rinse out the toothbrush holders, clean the mirrors, sweep or wash the floors, and take inventory of the bathroom supplies (soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.). When I leave, I light a candle because the candle scent signals clean to me. Each bathroom takes about 15-20 minutes.
Every other day of the week, I do maintenance work to keep the bathroom tidy. If the sink is dirty, I'll wipe it out. If the tub is gritty, I rinse it. If the mirror has splatters, I'll clean it. I refresh the towels as needed. I generally spend less than 10 minutes a day refreshing the bathrooms.
About once a month, I do a super clean. On top of the regular deep clean, I wipe out the under-the-sink cabinets, wash the bathroom rug, wipe build-up off of the shower curtain, dust the baseboard, and disinfect the bathroom stool. This super clean takes less than an hour per bathroom.
About once a month, I do a super clean. On top of the regular deep clean, I wipe out the under-the-sink cabinets, wash the bathroom rug, wipe build-up off of the shower curtain, dust the baseboard, and disinfect the bathroom stool. This super clean takes less than an hour per bathroom.
How do you keep your bathroom clean? Is there another area of your house that you feel is top priority? Let us know in the comments.
If you have a question for a future "How Do You...?" post, share that in the comments, too, or send me an e-mail!
My system is a daily spray and wipe, with a weekly deep clean.
ReplyDeleteHowever, lately it's full of sand and sunscreen residue, someone keeps missing the toilet, and right after I deep cleaned the other day my poor daughter had a nosebleed that left the entrie bathroom looking like something out of Carrie!
The bathroom and kitchen are my frustration points where keeping things clean is concerned.Can you tell? lol
Before getting sick a couple weeks ago, I'd finally found a workable routine for our bathroom. Sadly, I'm not so "no tolerance" in the bathroom and for way to long, way too much time would go by between real cleanings. And I never felt good about it.
ReplyDeleteEspecially with a newborn I'm ECing, this really gets to me... so something had to be done.
So I found a way. Still, the deep clean can go a while, but daily, while the kids are spending 10 minutes making beds and cleaning their room, I spend the time in the bathroom. I clean the mirror (a clean mirror does wonders for me! I had no idea!), wipe the sink and counter, and wipe and swish the toilet. Then as I sit in front of that toilet multiple times each day staring at it, it's not grossing me out!
Oh, and I check around the base of the toilet for "misses" at that time too. :)
In the mean time, we're truly in survival mode, and some days that means we only eat because people bring us food. :) And the house is only clean because a wonderful lady from church came and cleaned it yesterday!
my schedule pretty much matches yours. but the girls do the kids' bathroom.
ReplyDeletei'm finding as the boys get older that once-a-week isn't enough for the deep clean though, it seems every 5 days is better.
*we also have been using homemade cleaners the last 6 months. makes things much nicer.