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!