Quick and easy ways to clean the bathroom

There are some quick and easy methods of keeping your bathroom areas clean, that can easily be incorporated into your routine. They allow you to enjoy a clean house without having to spend all day to make the house feel clean and fresh.

Most of the ideas listed here are effective because they rely on prevention. They help prevent you having to deal with a larger cleaning problem in the first place.

A clean vanity unit

Keep a cleaning cloth in the bathroom. It can be stored in a bathroom cupboard or hung in a discreet place in the bathroom. Just give the basin a quick wipe down with the cloth after you clean your teeth. You will find that a quick wipe down will prevent the build up of issues that are harder to deal with such as soap scum and mould.

If you do notice dirt building up on the basin, simply squirt some cheap shampoo into the basin, add water and give it a good swirl. Finish off by draining the basin and wipe clean.

Keep the toilet fresh and clean

Also, keep some toilet cleaner near the toilet. When you use the toilet before you go to bed in the evening just squirt in a little toilet cleaner. The cleaner will soak in the bowl overnight. If you have time in the morning you can give the toilet bowl a quick scrub with the toilet brush. However, simply keeping the detergent in the toilet bowl, together with the flushing action of the toilet during the day will do a lot to keep the toilet bowl clean. Some people use soaps that are attached to the toilet bowl. This is a matter of personal preference. Some people dislike having to attach these items. Also, be awaren that dirt can build up around these attachments.

Stop soap scum in the bath

Stop the build up of soap scum in baths by ading detergent to the bath water before you pull the plug on the bath. The detergent should dissolve the dirt. If you don't like to use commercial cleaning detergents you could squirt in some cheap shampoo instead.

Keep showers clean

A regular routine can also help to stop the build up of grime and soap scum in the shower. Keep a cleaning brush and squidgee in the bathroom. By squidgee I mean the flat cleaning tools that are used to wipe windows clean with. Depending on how often the shower is used in the family, you may have to do this operation once or twice a week.

As you are having your shower squirt the walls of the shower with some detergent and rub it down with the cleaning cloth or sponge you keep in the shower. This should only take a short amount of time to do. Remember, the 30 seconds or so it takes to do this, will mean time and effort you don't have to devote to a full shower scrub down at a later date. Make sure you also squirt and wipe the shower base as well. Also, pay attention to corners, particularly at the base of the shower, as this is where soap scum tends to build up. The best detergent to use is cheap shampoo. Afterall you don't want to expose your skin to strong commercial cleaning products. And if you are employing this method of cleaning you should not need anything stronger than the shampoo, which will act as an adequate de-greaser. The water from the shower spray should rinse off any detergent on the walls of the screen.

To finish off, and keep the shower extra sparkling clean, use a squidgee at the end of the shower. Some people like to do this at the end of every shower, it depends if they have the time. Turn of the shower, and wipe the walls and the base of the shower with the squidgee, so the majority of water droplets are cleared off the shower screen and base. This will help keep your shower sparkling clean. It is also good maintenance, as these simple preventative methods will stop the build up of mould, dirt and shower scum.

Prevent mirrors steaming up

Steam which mists up mirrors in bathrooms can be largely prevented. Pour a very small amount of washing up liquid onto a cloth. Rub onto the mirror and then polish clean with a fresh cloth.

Ventilation: keeping rooms smelling fresh

Good ventilation will also help prevent bathrooms steaming up. Proper ventilation will also help to prevent other more serious problems, such as mould and condensation. It also introduces fresh air into the house and helps keep it smelling fresh. If the weather allows, open windows and doors to allow fresh air into the house.

Airing the beds

Although beds are clearly not in the barthroom, I've included this tip in this page beause it can be incorporated into your shower routine.

If you don't have time to wash and change your bed sheets regularly, you can try airing the beds to keep them fresh. The easiest way to do this is to take the bed covers down when you get up in the morning. Let the beds air while you engage in your regular morning routine such as having breakfast or a shower. Following this, then make the beds.