The Simple Tip That Makes Cleaning Your Bathroom So Much Easier (And Faster)

The bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in your house. Consequently, it's also the most dreaded room to clean. Soap scum and residual grime are quick to take over even the most sparkling clean tiles, leaving you with a bunch of scrubbing to tackle each weekend. But cleaning your bathroom doesn't have to be a lengthy miserable chore. In fact, by picking up a simple 60-second habit right after you shower, you can keep your bathrooms cleaner, longer. The key? Taking advantage of shower steam.

When you step out of a hot shower, your bathroom is full of steam. And it's this humidity that's doing the heavy lifting for this clever habit: it has softened and combined the grossest culprits in the room like body oils, hairspray residue, toothpaste splatters, and the like. Instead of waiting for them to air dry and harden, fight soap scum and other gunk now while they're still soft and flexible. 

For this habit, you will need a squeegee and a clean microfiber cloth kept within arm's reach. Feel free to also use your bath towel if it's due to run through the washer. By squeegeeing or wiping any wet surfaces before they cool, you'll snag any pesky mineral deposits and oils. Adding this smart habit into your routine transforms a long and aggressive weekend cleaning session into lightning-fast prevention, keeping surfaces polished before buildup has a chance to begin.

Making this life-changing cleaning habit a part of your morning routine is easy — certainly easier than deep cleaning your bathroom, anyway. To get into the flow, think of it as the final step of your hygiene ritual, just like drying yourself off. But the window of opportunity is narrow here: you have to act while the steam is still thick and lingering. Here's what needs to be done.

After you exit the shower, spend 20 seconds running the squeegee over glass, tiles, and your shower walls. Next, take that microfiber cloth and spend 20 seconds wiping the vanity and faucet. Since the room is humid, it'll be a cinch to lift toothpaste and soap spots with a swipe. Finally, use the remaining 20 seconds to wipe steam off the mirror and tackle any hair or gunk on the floor, especially around the edges.

The beauty of this habit is how much less time you'll spend deep cleaning. In fact, by keeping up with daily buildup, you can scale back major scrubbing to a bi-weekly or monthly event. And when you do finally pull out your heavy-duty cleaners, they'll work instantly because your surfaces have stayed clean. Taking advantage of the steam you've already created is a genius shower cleaning hack, and by making this habit part of your daily ritual, you'll get to spend your spare time doing far more exciting things. There's nothing to not love about that!