11 Weekly Cleaning Habits For A Cleaner Bathroom

A clean bathroom is something that everyone desires, but achieving this goal can sometimes seem elusive if you aren't well acquainted with the necessary steps. If you are tired of endlessly cleaning your bathroom, but never actually having a clean space, chances are that you aren't tackling it in a strategic manner. Truth be told, with just a handful of action items executed on a weekly basis, you can get a cleaner bathroom without significant effort. 

Getting a cleaner bathroom doesn't mean going over every surface with a fine-toothed comb, but it does mean knowing what surfaces to target and how. Every week, you'll want to be wiping down surfaces, as well as disinfecting high-touch areas in the bathroom. Of course, cleaning towels, bath mats, and washcloths is a must for a clean bathroom, as is cleaning your sinks and toilets. For a sparkling clean appearance, you'll also want to hit your mirrors with a good spray and wipe down, in addition to a few finishing touches here and there.

Cleaning surfaces might not be rocket science, but it can be surprisingly tricky if you have the wrong approach. Anyone who has ever tried to dust around items understands that the best method is to first clear the surface  — the same goes for bathroom surfaces. If you want to make your bathroom sparkle, remove any obstructions before trying to clean the vanity, bathroom shelving, or any other surfaces. Toothbrushes, decorations, hand towels, and the like, should be removed from surfaces so you can properly wipe and clean under them. 

After you clear surfaces and wipe them down, take your cleaning a step further and actually disinfect the surface. Bathrooms often harbor tons of bacteria across a variety of surfaces (not just the toilet area). By disinfecting countertops, floors, light switches, and other high-touch surfaces, you'll achieve a much more sanitary bathroom. Be sure, however, to make use of cleaners that are safe for the materials in your bathroom, since harsh chemicals can be too rough on surfaces like granite or marble.

Dirty towels can really grunge up a space. Not only do they look bad, but they can also smell musty due to infrequent laundering. One of the best ways to freshen up your bathroom is to simply switch out your old towels with fresh ones on a weekly basis. Some bath towels can last a week before they need to be washed, while others might not dry between uses and need to be washed sooner. Hand towels might need to be laundered more frequently since they see more use. 

Bathroom mirrors are bombarded by splashed water, splattered toothpaste, and even hair products that can get sprayed all over their once-shiny surface. A weekly bathroom cleaning routine would be entirely remiss without cleaning the mirror. While you can purchase a spray that is specially formulated for cleaning mirrors, you can also keep your mirror clean and fog-free with something you already have in the kitchen: a couple drops of dish soap and a damp microfiber cloth. This simple hack will eliminate current smudges, and keep them at bay.

After toilets, sinks are one of the grimiest surfaces in the bathroom. To get your bathroom sink shiny on a weekly basis, you'll want to start by removing any debris that is in the way — hair, toothpaste globs, etc — then going in with a cleaner that can tackle any residue, remove hard water deposits, and get things sparkling clean. Keep things easy and use a store-bought soft-scrub disinfectant along with a sponge (remember to use gloves) to wipe it all down.

While cleaning the bathroom as a whole isn't the best experience, cleaning the toilet is the least desirable part of the entire ordeal. However unpleasant it may be, following these five essential steps to cleaning your toilet will keep it from getting too gross. Start by wiping the surfaces off with a piece of toilet paper (which will remove dust and hair), then spray the entire toilet with a cleaning spray. You'll also want to use a toilet bowl cleaner and toilet brush to scrub out any stains or rings from the inside of the bowl. 

Taking out the bathroom trash doesn't have to be a big ordeal — in fact, if you do it on a set day every week, you can systematize this task, making it a sustainable part of your routine. If you aren't currently in the habit of using a trash can liner, here is your sign to do that. It will make taking the trash out a faster and less gross process, in addition to helping you keep your distance from unsanitary items. It'll also minimize the need to clean the can itself. 

Keeping yourself clean and fresh requires a lot of work — it generates a lot of debris as well. From nail clippings to shed hair, bathroom floors can get pretty grimy in a short period of time. A good weekly habit is to sweep your bathroom and then to mop after the fact. Aways sweep first or you'll simply be moving wet hair and dust around your space. If you want to make things super easy, you can utilize disposable dry sweeping sheets. 

Showers are where you get clean, but the irony is that they tend to get pretty gross themselves. Because of this, you'll want to clean shower surfaces on a regular basis. Spraying down your shower walls and doors with a shower cleaner at least weekly (some people recommend daily) will help prevent water stains from building up. It's also smart to scrub your tub or shower once a week to give the surfaces a deeper clean. Using a sponge and some baking soda paste is a cheap but effective method to keep shower grime at bay.

Toothbrushes help you keep your oral health in check, but too often those toothbrush holders and cups don't get checked themselves. Water and toothpaste drips down the handles and accumulates in the bottom of the container, leaving a disgusting mess. Once a week, simply rinse out the holder, then dry it before replacing on the counter. If the container is looking a little worse than usual, you can likely run it through the dishwasher (so long as the materials are dishwasher friendly). 

Nothing can make your mostly clean bathroom look worse than dust build up on your lights. Once a week, just wipe off your light fixtures with a microfiber cloth (turn off the light well before you begin dusting to avoid getting burnt on a hot bulb). You may need to use a slightly damp cloth to remove the residue. Then, stand back and enjoy a brighter and cleaner bathroom.