Seven incredible bathroom cleaning tips

For people who dread cleaning

A lot of people hate cleaning bathrooms. In fact, it’s the first job people tend to unload when they hire a professional cleaner like Brighter Choices.

Why?

 There are many potential reasons.

It might be the pesky streaks that you just can’t get rid of on the acres of glass in the bathroom – we’re talking mirrors and shower screens and even windows.

Perhaps it’s the endless war with mould.

Maybe it’s because, while we use our bathrooms to get clean, the bathrooms themselves tend to get pretty gross and sometimes plain unhygienic.

So here’s our bathroom cleaning tips for those of you who shudder at the thought of spending your time off cleaning your bathrooms.

Be careful with cleaning cloths

Some people use one cloth to clean the whole bathroom. Why not? You’re just getting dirt and grime off surfaces, right?

Well, not quite.

If you clean the toilet with a cloth and then use the same cloth to clean the space where your toothbrushes are stored, you could be spreading bacteria, germs, and viruses. These nasties can make you and your family members really sick.

So how do you avoid this?

We suggest using disposable cleaning cloths or tools where possible. This allows you to use them and throw them away without distributing revolting bugs.

If you prefer to reuse the same cloths each time you clean the bathroom, you need to decontaminate them after using them. Failing to do this means the cleaning cloths can become a hotbed of germs (creating an outcome that is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve).

You’ll also need at least two cloths, one for the toilet where people sit their bums and another one for all the other surfaces in the bathroom.

Who likes a good sponge in the bath or shower?

There is nothing wrong with using a sponge or loofah when you’re having a wash. In fact, from a beauty and relaxation perspective, they can be extremely useful.

But what you have to think about is what’s getting trapped in those sponges or loofahs as you’re merrily cleaning all your bodily nooks and crannies.

These items are so often overlooked when it comes to keeping a clean bathroom.

What you should do is rinse them thoroughly under running water after you have used them. And you want to get them dry as quickly as possible. Damp sponges provide a great environment for germs to grow.

Tidying up your toothbrush

We’re not just talking about putting your toothbrush away after use, although it makes sense to store it away from the sink. Leaving your toothbrush next to the sink means it can get splashed by the water people wash their hands with. Yep. It’s icky.

But, toothbrushes, just like sponges, should be cleaned thoroughly after use. You should wash them under running water until there are no signs of toothpaste residue, and then dry them promptly so that they don’t become a party venue for horrible germs and other things we’d rather not think about.

Time to face facts

If you’re washing your face washers or towels on a cold cycle in the washing machine, you’re not really sanitising them.

There’s a super simple fix to this.

You just need to turn the dial and wash your towels and washers on a 60°C cycle. This will help to rid your bath linens of harmful bacteria.

Get a handle on your cleaning routine

Door handles and light switches are probably the most touched surfaces in your home, including your bathroom.

You open the door to the bathroom, the vanity, the shower. And you do so multiple times a day.

You’re flicking on light switches, exhaust fans and heat lamps over and over again.

They all become smeared with grimy, dirty hands. And with all different hands touching these surfaces, the opportunity for cross contamination is high. This is the place to go if you want to pick up a germ or two.

And yet, they are often overlooked when it comes to cleaning your bathroom, powder room or ensuite.

You should regularly disinfect door handles and light switches to reduce the risk of your friends and family getting sick.

It’s been a long time between showers

We’re not here to judge. But if you haven’t used a particular shower in your house for a few weeks, germs can grow on the shower heads.

Does that mean you should never use that shower again? Is it dead in the water?

No. Not at all.

All you need to do is run the shower on full power and at the hottest temperature for a few minutes before you use it. This will help to flush away unwanted germs.

Rub-a-dub-dub

There’s nothing more relaxing than a long, bubble filled bath at the end of a gruelling day.

That is, unless your bath happens to be a bit on the grotty side.

Before you kick back and luxuriate in your bath, take a few minutes to give it a clean.

Use an appropriate detergent as well as hot water, then wipe down the whole bath with a cloth, sponge, or brush to maximise dirt and germ removal.

After cleaning, rinse the bathtub with hot, clean water. Don’t skip this last bit. It’s crucially important for hygienic cleaning. And you don’t want to jump into a bath with cleaning chemicals or residue. It’s safe to say that would ruin the moment!

And you’re all done

We wanted to start you off with small manageable tasks that you can tackle between your Brighter Choices cleans.

Obviously, there are other steps to keeping your bathroom clean, like washing the floors and cleaning taps until they gleam. But leave that to the professionals.

So if you are a part of the secret bathroom cleaning haters club, you’ve found yourself in the right place.

Contact Brighter Choices for a quote to clean your bathrooms today.