How to clean your bathroom: The checklist

Our bathrooms are like sanctuaries, whether it’s freshening yourself up for the week ahead, or your retreat at the end of a long day at work — it’s a clean space for replenishing ourselves.

Nothing spoils this more than a dirty bathroom.

Our recent survey revealed that many of you agree, with two thirds (65%) of people stating a messy room makes them feel stressed, and eight in ten (81%) cleaning their homes once a week or more. However, not everyone has the time or energy to deep-clean their homes on a regular basis.

To make life easier, we’ve collated a checklist of cleaning solutions, to help make your bathroom shine like new. Time to grab your marigolds!

Everyday habits

To prevent stubborn stains, rinse the bath or basin out after use as this helps to deter the build-up of limescale and soap scum, while removing any dirt, hair or oils left from use.

Alternative methods

Want to avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach? Why not try a homemade recipe? Find an empty plastic spray bottle, then dilute and fill with equal parts of white vinegar and water. Vinegar is a great tool for cutting through soap scum and dirt, so simply spray your solution onto the bath, basin or taps, and wipe clean. Add some lemon juice to the mixture for extra freshness, or bicarbonate of soda for tough stains.

Another secret weapon for baths is a grapefruit cut in half with salt pressed into the flat side. Just rinse the bath with warm water, then gently scrub with the salted-side of the grapefruit. Alternatively, if you’ve run out of your usual cleaning products, use shampoo or washing up liquid — simply squirt, gently scrub with a scouring pad and rinse!

Unclogging drains is simple: pour half a cup of bicarbonate of soda followed by a cup of white vinegar down both your tub and basin plugs. Once the drains have foamed up, indicating the breakdown of grime in the pipes, just rinse away with hot water.

Everyday habits

Make sure you have the air extractor on, or a window open, as it allows air to flow while in the shower. Once you’re out, leave the door or curtain open to prevent a humid atmosphere from building up. This will help to prevent mould forming.

Alternative methods

Showerheads are prone to limescale to build up. For a deep clean, fill a sandwich bag with as much white vinegar or lemon juice as it takes to submerge the showerhead in. Keep the bag in place with an elastic band and leave on overnight, then rinse the next day. Doing this once a month will prevent the build-up of limescale and keep your showerhead sparkling.

Another habit to get into is cleaning your shower curtains. You can pop them in the washing machine (if machine-wash friendly), but remember to take them out before the spin cycle and hang them immediately. Other shower curtains can be hand washed in the bath using warm water and biological detergent. These cleaning habits will prevent any mould growth. For shower screens, use the white vinegar and water solution made earlier for the tub and basin.

Everyday habits

Tackling the toilet is the task we dread the most when cleaning the bathroom. Everyday hacks can be a big help: having a block bleach attached to the inside of your bowl for example, will help clean your toilet with every flush. This will help avoid stain build up and bacteria growing in your bowl over time that can make it difficult to clean later on.

Alternative methods

A mixture of bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar is a winner for cleaning toilets. Simply pour equal parts of white vinegar and water into your toilet, leave for 30 minutes then scrub with bicarbonate of soda along the inside before flushing. Finish off by wiping around the edges and outside with your solution of white vinegar and water.

Alternatively, you can buy a cheap bottle of cola, pour into your toilet before bed, leave it overnight, and flush away the next day. The acidity breaks down any stains and will leave it shining!

Toilet brushes are breeding grounds for bacteria, and often forgotten. It’s recommended they’re cleaned at least once a week, so use the toilet-soaking session as an opportunity to clean your brush by leaving it to stand in the soda solution for a few minutes. Meanwhile, clean the brush container with hot, soapy water and rinse, before rinsing off the brush and returning it to its home.

Alternative methods

Tiles need regular TLC as they’re exposed to soap scum and moisture on a daily basis, so consider cleaning them a couple of times a week. The best time is after you’ve showered when the tiles are warm and steamy, but running the hot water for a few minutes will also give them exposure to the steam and loosen up any stains. To remove those unwanted marks, scrub with a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar, diluted with warm water. Some tiles will require specific care, so check the materials before cleaning.

Mould is a bathroom’s worst nightmare, but luckily bicarbonate of soda can solve this issue without any fuss. Make a paste with water, apply to mouldy areas and leave for 15 minutes, then scrub away with a damp cloth. The same paste recipe can be used on grout around your tiles. Scrub the mixture in with a toothbrush, leave for ten minutes then rise with damp sponge for spotless results.

And there you have it, your cleaning checklist to help your bathroom sparkle!

For more useful cleaning tips, our flooring care guides will help you with your vinyl, vinyl tiles or laminate flooring.

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