Cleaning
Now that you have decluttered and organized the bathroom, it is time to get down to the “delightful” part—–the cleaning. Bathrooms can be a relaxing peaceful place or they can be a smelly, disturbing place. The best way to get rid of odors in the bathroom is to remove the source of the smell. It doesn’t work to just cover it up, by spraying chemically laden cleaners, and fresheners. Pinpoint the source and get it gone.
We will start with the sink. Take your all purpose cleaner, and spray it on the surface of the sink. Use your sponge and wipe down all areas of the sink. Pay careful attention to the knobs and the back of the sink, which can accumulate mold. Wipe the ledges and any walls near the sink. Toothpaste and soap can get splattered and hardened in this area. If your sink is dirtier and needs a deeper scrubbing, you can use something with a little grit. The all natural scrubbing powder is what we use weekly to remove grim from the sink. Sprinkle it on the bottom of a damp sink and scrub with your sponge. Rinse all areas down by wiping them with your sponge that has been rinsed in warm water.
Once a week you will need to take notice of the fronts of your sink cabinets. Spray some cleaner onto your sponge and do a thorough wiping of all of the fronts and knobs of your sink base. Continue around the entire thing, removing dirt and grime. Rinse your sponge as needed in the sink.
Wipe the mirrors and check them daily to remove any toothpaste or mess that is on them. If you have light fixtures, every 6 months clean them thoroughly.
Next, let’s do the toilet. I can hear the cheers now–smile. I clean a toilet the old fashioned way, with a sponge. I find that the brushes that some use in the bathroom, do nothing but collect bacteria. It is also one more thing that is sitting in your bathroom. It is really no different than changing a diaper and by washing your hands when you are finished, you will rid your hands of bacteria. I promise, you will be all right–smile. Give the toilet a flush. Next sprinkle the toilet with the scrubbing powder and let set. Spray the toilet liberally with your all natural cleaner. It is okay to get it on the rims and sides of the toilet, you will be wiping them off. Then you are to dive in. Start by taking your sponge and wipe the insides of the toilet in a circular motion. Do the visible areas, and then do under the lip of the toilet. Usually where the water level sits, bacteria forms at and below that. Wipe down inside of the tunnel, all around. Then give the toilet a flush. As it is flushing, swish your sponge to remove yuck off of it.
Spray the rim of the toilet and the bottom of the seat. Wipe the rim all the way around it. Continue down the sides of the toilet. If your toilet is extra dirty, squish out the sponge in the toilet water and re-spray the outsides of it. The water inside the toilet is clean now that you have cleaned it, so you can use it as a bucket. Wipe around all of the bends and crevices of the toilet. Wipe the seat and especially around the hinges. Rinse the sponge in between areas. Reapply more cleaner. Do the seat and then the tank of the toilet. Wipe the handle-as it is probably the dirtiest and oftentimes overlooked for cleaning. Rinse out your sponge again and spray the base of the toilet. Do all around the bottom where it attaches to the floor. Urine accumulates often down here. Do all around the back and the floor around the toilet. You are working downwards and outwards from your toilet. The dirtiest to the cleanest.
An area that doesn’t usually get wiped is the walls around the toilet. Unfortunately this area gets dirty and can be a cause of smell. Especially if you have boys. I know, gross?!?!? Spray and wipe it. Rinse the sponge afterwards so you can continue cleaning. Work away from the toilet and do the entire floor. Notice the baseboards and if they need wiping, do so. Wipe any lower walls that look dirty. Keep rinsing your sponge in the toilet to remove debris and grime. Continue spraying and wiping until the entire floor is cleaned.
Your bathroom is probably smelling and looking pretty great now. We unfortunately have one more area to clean—the bathtub. I like to take my powder cleaner and sprinkle liberally into the bottom of the tub. I add a little bit of water to make it damp and start scrubbing. I have a green pouf scrubbie that grabs grime better than a regular sponge. I do the entire bottom of the tub, and work up the sides. Move up around the ledges and remove any soap bottles and wipe underneath them. Work your way up the tub walls, paying careful attention to the corners and crevices. You can sprinkle the powder cleaner directly on your wet pouf. Do around the knobs and faucets as well. Take the shower head and rinse down the tub from top to bottom. When you think you are done, run your hand around the rim of the bottom of the tub. Do you feel any grime? Go back over that area.
Take note of your shower curtain. About once per month you should wash this. Put it in the washing machine with some heavy towels and that will help scrub the curtain. Hang it up wet to dry.
To finish, wipe the outside of the tub and any areas around it.
Look around at any walls that you did not wipe and wipe as needed. If you notice cobwebs on the ceiling, wipe them with a broom.
If you have a trash can in here, empty it regularly. If the inside is dirty, pick out the stuck on trash. Line it with a plastic grocery bag. It will make emptying it easier.
All right, you have done it. You completed probably the most dirtiest room in your home! I pray you did it with a cheerful “delightful” heart.
Remember to remove odors don’t just cover them up, get directly to the source and get rid of them.
