14 Of The Worst Bathroom Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid

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Is there really a wrong way to clean the bathroom? Surely, something is better than nothing. You'll hear lots of tips on how to deep clean your bathroom and keep it clean, and there are many effective cleaning solutions, tools, and methods you can use to disinfect one of the busiest rooms in the house. But there are still plenty of bathroom cleaning mistakes you can make that will slow you down, decrease your cleaning efficiency, or give you less-than-stellar results. Some mistakes, like combining bleach with other cleaners and forgetting to ventilate while you clean, can be downright dangerous. 

Surprisingly, the bathroom isn't the dirtiest spot in your house, despite all the germs that can grow there. It's actually the kitchen that holds the dirtiest items in the average house. But there are still plenty of germy spots in the bathroom, including faucet handles and toothbrush holders. That's why it's important to be aware of the worst cleaning mistakes, like not having a plan, forgetting to dust, and skipping hidden areas. The hygiene and sanitation of the space can suffer if you don't use the right cleaners and tools, don't use those cleaners correctly, clean around your clutter, or don't let tools dry.

Sure, scrubbing toilets and grout lines is tedious work. And, yes, you want to get it over with as quickly as possible, but that's not excuse for jumping right into bathroom cleaning without a plan in mind. Starting without a plan is an easy way to forget important cleaning tasks, and it could make you less efficient if you have to keep circling back to missed tasks. Without a plan, it's also easy to clean out of order, which could cause you to dirty surfaces you've already cleaned. You might also forget the different cleaning supplies you need to get the job done. In the end, you could end up with a still-unsanitary bathroom, despite taking longer than you should to clean.

Instead of winging it, create a deep cleaning checklist for every room in the house, including your bathroom. You can find pre-made lists online or create your own based on your cleaning routine. Some people appreciate a paper list so they can physically cross items off. For a digital solution, use a cleaning checklist app or create a checklist in your Notes app that lets you mark off tasks without generating more paper waste.

Your duster might not be the first cleaning tool you think of when you head to the bathroom, but it's an important early step in the cleaning process. You might be surprised to find out that it could be the dustiest room in the home. It makes sense when you think about all of the skin cells and hair you shed — not to mention toilet paper lint and fuzzies from clothes and towels. The humidity in the bathroom also causes particles to fall quickly and stay on the surfaces in the bathroom, rather than potentially floating to other areas. If you don't dust first, you could end up with a messy sludge when you spray those surfaces with cleaner. Waiting until later in the cleaning process means you'll drop dust bunnies on the surfaces below that you've already cleaned. 

Grab the right dusting tool (something like this Dtzert Microfiber Duster Kit could be a good solution if you want a single tool with multiple attachments) to remove built-up dust and debris from shower curtain rods, blinds, windowsills, exhaust vents, shelves, and other dusty surfaces. Work from the highest point down to the floor to move all of the debris downward. A vacuum is the ultimate hack for cleaning bathroom floors after you dust. It easily sucks up the loose dirt once you brush it off of the higher surfaces.

Combining multiple cleaners to create an even stronger solution might seem logical, but it's actually a very dangerous option. Combining chemicals often creates highly toxic results. Bleach is one particularly dangerous chemical to mix with almost anything, including any type of acid. Bleach and vinegar, two common cleaning ingredients, create chlorine gas when combined. The result can be major irritation, including burning eyes and difficulty breathing. Bleach and ammonia produce chloramine, and bleach and rubbing alcohol create chloroform. It's not just bleach that's a problem, though. Combining vinegar with hydrogen peroxide creates highly corrosive peracetic/peroxyacetic acid.

For the safest results, never mix different cleaners together. Even if you're not using straight bleach for cleaning, it's common for bathroom cleaners to have bleach in them. Other cleaners may contain ammonia. If you're using multiple cleaners on the same areas, read the labels and follow all warnings carefully. If two products contain ingredients that create a bad reaction, avoid using them together.

Good ventilation is always important in humid bathrooms — it helps cut down on mold and mildew, makes the space more comfortable, and improves indoor air quality. But it can be even more essential during cleaning when you're using powerful cleaners that emit harsh fumes. If you don't keep the air moving through the bathroom, you could be exposed to a higher concentration of the cleaning fumes. Many cleaners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause everything from headaches and discomfort to allergic reactions and respiratory issues. There's also the potential to generate extra humidity if you use steam or hot water to help with cleaning, which could cause water damage or increase the risk of mold.

Instead of trapping yourself in with all the fumes, crack open a window if your bathroom has one and it's not too cold outside. Leave the bathroom door open as well. It's also helpful to turn on the bathroom exhaust fan while you're cleaning, and you may need to take breaks if the ventilation is poor. 

It might be faster to grab one bottle of cleaner and a single cleaning tool, but you won't get the job done nearly as well. Certain surfaces need specific types of cleaners, or could be damaged by the wrong type. For example, if your bathroom includes natural stone tiles, countertops, or shower surrounds, all-purpose acidic cleaners may cause damage to the surface. Abrasive cleaners are bad on many surfaces, including tiles and metal, and could leave tiny scratches on the surface. The same goes for harsh cleaning tools, like wire brushes or abrasive scrubbers. Even if you find a gentle cleaner that works on most surfaces, using the same cleaning cloth on every surface could spread germs — imagine going from cleaning the rim of the toilet to the countertop where you put your toothbrush and toothpaste with the same cloth.

Learn about the materials you have in your bathroom, especially if you have any stone, which typically requires a pH-neutral cleaner. Mild dishwashing detergent or soap is often safe enough for most surfaces, but you may need specialty cleaners for certain surfaces or tough stains, such as soap scum in the bathtub or grime on your grout lines. Use clean rags for different areas of the bathroom to avoid contaminating different areas.

Think about the surfaces you touch multiple times a day in the bathroom: light switches, faucet handles, toilet flushers, door knobs, shower handles, grab bars, soap dispensers. There are many little spots that you touch, but may not think about cleaning. Instead, it's easy to focus on the countertops, showers, and toilets. Missing the smaller high-touch areas in the bathroom could allow germs to spread easily. 

To determine where those busy spots are in your bathroom are, look around the space and notice surfaces people regularly touch. Pay attention as you go through your daily routine in the bathroom to make a note of the spots to clean. Wiping those high-touch areas with a disinfectant wipe daily helps keep them clean and can reduce germs on the surface. You may need to disinfect the surfaces more often when someone in the household is sick. It's also a good idea to wash your hands using soap and water after you disinfect those high-touch areas to remove any germs from your skin.

If you can't see the dust bunnies, are they really there? That sounds like a good excuse to take shortcuts while you clean the bathroom, but it's worth the extra effort to clean everywhere, even the out-of-the-way spots that you don't really notice. One spot that often gets ignored is the area behind the toilet, which is an ideal spot for bacteria to grow and dust to accumulate. You might notice grime collecting around the bottom edges of the toilet. Other commonly forgotten places include inside cabinets, around the tub, on top of cabinets, inside the trash can, and behind hampers. 

Be intentional when you clean your bathroom. Move items like hampers and small storage shelves around to see what's lurking behind them. To clean behind the toilet, start with your duster to clear the loose debris from the area. Then, use an all-purpose cleaner to freshen up the area. 

Hopefully, you don't have to worry about carpet in your bathroom — just thinking about what could be locked in those fibers is chilling. But you will have other textiles and fabrics in your bathroom that need proper care to stay dust and mold-free. Shower curtains, bath mats, and window curtains can become dusty easily, and the fabrics can also be perfect breeding grounds for mold and mildew, especially because of the humidity levels in bathrooms. 

If you have a machine-washable fabric shower curtain and window curtains, toss them in the washing machine, using the settings on the label as a guide. Adding baking soda into the wash could help tackle any odors or grime in the fabric. You don't have to wash your shower curtain every time you clean the bathroom — washing it about four times per year should be enough. Bath mats, on the other hand, need to be cleaned more regularly since you're stepping on them every day. Aim for weekly (or at least every other week), but you may need to toss them in the washer more often in busy bathrooms. Make sure all of the fabric accessories in your bathroom are completely dry before you return them to the space.

You want to get through your bathroom cleaning checklist as quickly as possible, but when you're sanitizing surfaces, you need to have a little patience. Spraying on a disinfecting cleaner and wiping it off immediately doesn't get the surface as fresh and contaminant-free as you think it does. When you're disinfecting surfaces, you typically need to let the spray sit on the surface undisturbed for a certain amount of time, referred to as contact time, so it can actually kill the germs. If you don't, you won't reach the full level of disinfecting that you want. That's because the cleaner has to go through a chemical reaction to kill the bacteria, and it needs time to do that.

Always read the directions on the cleaner bottle. We know, it seems tedious and unnecessary. But those instructions should give you the contact time for that specific product. Apply the spray and walk away until you've reached that minimum time, allowing the surface to stay wet for the duration. Then, you can go back and scrub or wipe the surface to finish the cleaning. If you don't see a recommended time, wait at least five to 10 minutes before wiping the surface.

Paper towels seem like the logical choice for bathrooms. The surfaces are filled with gunk and germs, and you can simply toss the dirty paper towels when you're done cleaning. But you'll create a large amount of waste every time you clean your bathroom. Along with that waste comes the expense of constantly replacing the paper towels. You might also find that paper towels aren't as effective as microfiber when it comes to cleaning surfaces. That could lead to more scrubbing time and even more wasted paper towels.

Instead, stock up on microfiber cloths that you only use in the bathroom. The fibers pick up all of the dirt and debris and keep them there, making it faster and easier to clean your bathroom. Microfiber also doesn't leave behind lint like paper towels can, which makes surfaces, like mirrors, look cleaner. You can toss the microfiber cloths in the washing machine when you're done cleaning the bathroom so they're ready for the next time.

You finally made it through your bathroom cleaning list! It's time to toss the supplies down and move on with your day, right? Since you're using those tools to clean your dirty bathroom, they'll end up with lots of gunk, grime, and germs on them. If you shove the tools into a container while they're still wet and dirty, the moisture can cause those germs to grow, and it could also encourage mold and mildew growth. And you definitely don't want to reach for that cleaning tool the next time you clean. Tools like toilet brushes have containers that trap the water and germs next to the brush. 

Instead, rinse your toilet brush and other cleaning tools after using them. Then, leave them out to dry completely before putting them back in their storage spot. For your toilet brush, try wedging it between the lid and seat so the bristles hang over the bowl.

Is your bathroom cleaning schedule hit or miss? If you wait until the room looks gunky, you're making more work for yourself. Waiting longer allows more soap scum, germs, dirt, and hair to accumulate, which will take more work to remove when you do finally clean. It can also become an unhygienic place where you wouldn't want to do anything, especially tasks like brushing your teeth or cleaning your body. 

Create an effective cleaning schedule for your bathroom by identifying the key tasks you need to do at specific intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, etc). Plan for at least a weekly cleaning of your bathroom, but you may need more frequent sessions for the busiest bathrooms in the house. Daily touch-ups, like sweeping the floor and wiping down countertops, keep messes from accumulating, so you can avoid the intensive scrubbing that comes with cleaning less often. 

Bathroom countertops, shelves, and other flat surfaces tend to collect clutter, whether it's bathroom decor or all of your must-have toiletries that you like to keep within reach. It's tempting to just clean around those objects when you're in a rush. If they stay in the same spot, will anyone see underneath them anyway? But cleaning around the clutter in your bathroom is a cleaning mistake you should avoid. It keeps you from getting the surfaces completely clean, and the items could slow you down by getting in the way.

Before you start cleaning, go through all of the items that are out, and toss anything that's empty or expired. It's a good idea to wipe down your bottles, toothbrush holders, and other items as well. Place the toiletries, decorations, and other items in a different spot while you're cleaning that surface to ensure you fully clean the area. There are several tips to help keep your bathroom clutter-free, which can make it easier to clean without moving a bunch of items.

Do you have to make a long trek to a supply closet or the kitchen to get to your cleaning supplies? That could be a major deterrent for those little cleaning sessions that can keep your bathroom sparkling. Bathrooms are notorious for little drops of urine on toilet seats or floors, errant toothpaste splatters on faucets, spots of shaving cream on the tub, and other little messes that grow over time to an overwhelming cleaning situation. Cleaning supplies in the bathroom make it easier to keep them under control and make you less likely to put off the cleanup until another time. It's also a lot easier for bigger cleaning sessions if you have all of the dedicated supplies you need in the room.

Clear out a spot for your bathroom cleaning supplies. You might have a main area under the sink where you keep bottles of cleaners and tools, like scrub brushes, grout brushes, and clean microfiber cloths. Hanging a squeegee in the shower makes it easy to wipe the moisture and gunk off of doors and walls after you shower. Then, get in the habit of cleaning up messes as soon as you spot them. Or do little touch-ups when you're waiting for a hair mask to sit or after you do your nighttime skin care routine. Check the supply levels each time you do a deep clean of the bathroom, and refill the supplies at that time so you don't run out when you go to clean up a quick mess.