Bathroom in detail

Good things come to those who wait! Two weeks is a long time but I've been procrastinating I admit. The bathroom breakdown is huge! I have taken up to four hours in a bathroom before breaking down every surface. When I break it down, I really break it down.

As always gather your supplies, but this time there might be a few different ones. For example, typically bathroom chemicals are stronger smelling so you might want a dust mask or scarf to cover your nose and mouth. Gloves are a must in the bathroom, especially if it's been awhile since you thoroughly cleaned it. Don't forget a bucket, trash bags, squeegee, mop, broom, duster, rags and paper towels. I also use a pumice stone for the toilet as it tends to get hard water rings.
Specialty chemicals for me are a must in the bathroom. Depending on the shape of things, you will need various chemicals. Remember not to mix them! Windex, bleach, Dow scrubbing bubbles(brand name only), comet, and I like a specialty product like Tilex or Lysol brand for mildew (it will say that on the bottle).

Beginning as you go in the door and working clockwise around the room, start cleaning all surfaces, ceiling, walls, light fixtures, switch plates, ledges over doors, door frames and windows. All rugs, mini blinds, special towels you hang for company etc. all need to be either vacuumed or washed. As always if it's in the room wash it!

The bathroom breakdown is different though. There are several water fixtures in this room each with obviously special clean needs. We will take each one separately in this breakdown. We will distinguish them by units. Let's get started!

First we will clean the sink unit. I always spray the faucets with scrubbing bubbles and let sit while I start the wipe down of everything. Usually there is a light and medicine cabinet over this unit we call the sink. BEFORE you start with the water, wipe down the light fixture. Water plus electricity equals electrocution so don't clean light with water while lights are on! After you are finished with this the mirror is next, then faucets, followed by the sink, finishing up with the counter wipe down. Everything will be wiped down. Using your Windex. Changing rags often.

Let's assume as you work your way around the room the tub is next. Taking into account the different surfaces your tub and shower are will determine the cleaning chemicals you use. Tile surrounding the tub might need grout mildew removed first, so we will spray that down using Tilex Mildew on tile walls. An old toothbrush or scrub brush is great to use on the tile grout after you have sprayed the Tilex and let it sit. Open the windows for ventilation. We don't want to pass out doing this job! I spray the tub/glass doors with scrubbing bubbles and let sit at the same time. Do you have shower doors? A new product called Mr Clean Magic Eraser is great on these also. If you have shower curtains I would change those out at least twice a year. Mold and mildew grow on these very quickly. After about fifteen minutes or so of letting the scrubbing bubbles sit, rinse all surfaces. After rinsing, wipe all surfaces dry with your rags and finish off with the inside shower doors windexed and squeeged. Go outside the tub and Windex, wipe, and squeegee down outside of shower doors too.

Fiberglass tub and walls are a little different to clean. I still use the scrubbing bubbles, but I add dish washing liquid to a sponge to clean the tub. It really cleans the ring around the tub fiberglass nicely. Mold still happens here also, so a mildew cleaner might be needed with the fiberglass too. Sometimes you have to pour bleach in the tub and let it sit in the tub filled with warm water.

Your next unit is the toilet itself. I spray the whole outside and inside of the toilet with Dow scrubbing bubbles. It oozes the grossness down and off if you know what I mean! Before you wipe it all down let it sit and do it's work! Then I use comet in the toilet so it sparkles! I have found sometimes the pumice will not clean the hard water ring. Then I've tried a denture cleaner you pop in the toilet and let sit for 30 minutes. It does work sometimes. But then there are toilets that just won't come clean because it's been too long since they've been cleaned thoroughly. Wipe the toilet down starting at the top, tank and all sides not forgetting to switch rags, wipe toilet lid, seat top, inside toilet lid, switch rags. Finish wiping outside of the bowl and down to the bottom, including the bottom of toilet where those bolts are and the seam where toilet meets the floor.

The floor is the last thing you clean as you are working your way out of the room. Use separate rags for cleaning floor around toilet than you use to clean the floor of the rest of the bathroom. I like to use a sponge mop to push the clean rags to clean a floor, not the actual sponge on the mop for cleaning. You can't get the dirt rinsed out. But you can always get clean rags! The warmer the water the better!

Tip:

I use gloves for total bathroom cleaning, and rags are switched constantly. Never use the same rag to wipe down a toilet then use it on the floor. Always use clean rags.

Well thanks for hanging on this long cleaning session! Until next time, happy cleaning and don't forget the music!

A break from cleaning

My back is feeling crumpled up due to wheeling on my kneely I guess.

I've decided I'm not in the mood to break anything down, let alone the bathroom! Real life procrastination.

It's a 3 day weekend so you should go outside and enjoy the sunshine! Take a drive, get something to snack on in the car, take a good book or some magazines and have some time to enjoy what God has made for us to see in his creation!
It's national bird count weekend. What kind of birds are there in your trees? No birds, no trees? Get a bird feeder, and put it in a bush. They will come if you feed them!

All work and no play makes us dull so if you get my drift.......
Have a good week. At least change the sheets on your bed and don't forget the music!

Bathroom intro

This has been a busier week than I first thought it would be! I think I'm going to take a break from writing a full blog and break down the bathroom next week.

While you are waiting you can start by washing the curtains and rugs in the bathroom. While your at it, take inventory of all the insides of the cabinets and drawers. Are they organized or all junk drawers? Do you need to rotate towels or retire some for car rags or cleaning rags?

Tip:

January and February is the best time to organize and get new towels, as they're on sale everywhere, along with organizational supplies.

Back to the bathroom: check the condition of the paint. Paint if it needs it! It will make it fresh and clean feeling. Bathrooms should be painted with high gloss to semi gloss for ease of cleaning! (That's what I hear anyway)

Have a great weekend, until next time when we will break down the bathroom.

Happy cleaning and don't forget the music!

Living room

Good morning fellow cleaners! We are going to break down the Living Room today before we tear into the bathrooms next!
As always, gather your supplies and don't forget the snacks!

Using a Swiffer floor mop put either the Swiffer dry cloths on your mop or use a microfiber rag to dust the ceiling, corners, ceiling fan, blades and bulbs. Get a clean cloth and dust the walls and over the doors. Work your way around the room clockwise dusting pictures frames and wiping knickknacks etc. I have a fireplace so I'm going to wipe the mantel, dust the stuff on top, wipe down fireplace front, sides and clean the glass. You will also want to dust inside fireplace, vacuum up old ashes and wipe inside glass of fireplace. If you have a free standing screen, now would be the time to take it outside and wash it off. Next be sure and clean all windows, starting at the top working your way down and don't forget the area the window actually sits in. ( I'm still trying to think of the name of it) Window sill, there ya go.
Don't forget all the air conditioning vents in all the rooms! vacuum or wipe down with degreaser.

Your going to be dusting all furniture, washing rugs, wiping baseboards, rims, trim and corners! If it's in the room we will clean, dust or mop it, vacuuming furniture, lampshades and all carpeting last as you leave the room!

Tip #1

For the furniture I always like to actually wash wood down when I'm doing the major cleaning. Try the Murphy's Oil Soap. My favorite that my mom used was Linsol pure linseed oil diluted in very warm water. This is an excellent product but I don't think you can buy it anymore. So Murphy's is an okay substitute. Don't forget to dilute it if you buy the concentrated formula.

Tip#2

You can buy micro fiber rags anywhere, but my husband gets mine at Harbor Freight and they come in neon colors. Fun! These are environmently friendly because they can be washed and reused forever! (or until your dog eats them)! Cost is about $3 for a package of 4.

Tip #3

Wash all cleaning rags separate, maybe with the dog bedding, adding a cup of bleach to your load of laundry. Disinfect washer after washing and don't use laundry sheets in dryer for the rags, as they tend to leave a residue on the microfiber rags that smear mirrors etc.

Until next time when we tackle the bathroom, happy cleaning and don't forget the music!