How Often Should You Clean Your Bathroom?
The only thing worse than having to clean the bathroom is a dirty bathroom. While it can be easy to put off by saying you’ll do it next week, it only gets harder the longer you wait. Not only that, but longer gaps between cleanings mean exposing your family to more germs, mold, and mildew.
When asked, “how often should you clean your bathroom?” a good rule of thumb is that most regular cleaning duties should be handled on a weekly basis. This includes things like sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and floors. However, some areas, like your shower walls, can benefit from more frequent attention.
Read on for more tips and find out what areas of your bathroom you’re on top of or if there are any surfaces propagating filth right under your nose.
The Importance of Regular Bathroom Cleaning
For a room focused on cleaning and hygiene, bathrooms sure can get icky. They also tend to be the most humid area of the home, which can lead to mold, mildew, and even bug problems.
Having daily and weekly routines can turn the dreaded task of cleaning your entire bathroom into a series of quick and easy chores. Some light maintenance throughout the week can save you from hard scrubbing down the road.
Bathrooms also tend to collect hygiene by-products like hair, nail clippings, and worse, so it is important to do a quick sweep to keep floors clear and wipe down counters and drains to avoid clogs. Lastly, disinfecting commonly used surfaces like toilet seats and faucet handles will reduce the spread of germs and other filth.
Bathroom cleaning guidelines
Not every home or bathroom is the same. Consider how often your bathroom is used when figuring out your cleaning schedule.
For example, someone who lives alone in an apartment or frequently travels won’t need to clean the bathroom as much as a family of five. It also depends on how many bathrooms you have. Essentially, if you would be embarrassed to have a guest use your bathroom right now, you should bump up your cleaning frequency.
Steps to Take Before Cleaning
Before cleaning your bathroom, especially if you are using strong chemicals like bleach, consider wearing rubber gloves and ensure the area is well-ventilated. Concentrated fumes can be harmful by themselves, and you should never mix chemicals without knowing how they will react.
For example, mixing bleach with vinegar or rubbing alcohol can create chlorine gas or chloroform, which can cause breathing problems or unconsciousness. Do not mix bleach with other chemicals, and read the labels of cleaning products for safety warnings and active ingredients.
You should also be careful of slippery floors and keep pets and people out of the way when cleaning floors or using chemical cleaning agents. Also, don’t use electric tools like a vacuum cleaner near running water or pooled water.
When Should You…
A weekly cleaning regimen is usually sufficient for most bathrooms and easy to maintain. However, some areas might need more or less attention. Here’s what cleaning experts have to say about how to keep your bathroom clean.
Clean the Toilet?
The toilet is one of the main focuses when cleaning the bathroom and should be part of the weekly routine. It should only take about 10 minutes to apply toilet bowl cleaner, dust the exterior, wipe the seat with disinfectant, and scrub the bowl with a toilet brush.
Clean Your Sink & Mirror?
Sinks and mirrors should also be part of your weekly routine and can easily be done at the same time. A quick wipe with a dry cloth removes hair trimmings and household dust from the sink and counter, followed by a wet disinfectant wipe to sanitize and clean away soap residue and other stains. Then grab a paper towel and glass cleaner to give the mirrors a streak-free shine.
Throughout the week, it is not a bad idea to grab an antibacterial cleaning wipe and go over handles on the sinks, shower, bath, and toilet. Don’t forget other frequently touched items like doorknobs and even light switches.
Wash Your Bathroom Towels?
While you can try to keep towel laundry on the same weekly schedule, you should swap out bath towels at least once throughout the week. After three to four days, especially if you are showering daily, the risk of mildew is high with constant rewetting. Start your week with a fresh towel and swap it out halfway through the week. The same goes for hand towels and washcloths.
Clean Your Bathroom Floor?
It is easy to overlook how often you should clean your bathroom floor. Floors should at least be swept every week.
Depending on the type of floor in your bathroom, a mop or vacuum may also be prudent. And if you have a bath mat getting dripped on every time exit the bath or shower, toss it in the laundry with your towels each week to prevent mold, mildew, and even foot fungus.
Scrub Your Tub and Shower
This is usually the biggest task in bathrooms. Bathtubs and showers have a lot of surface area to collect soap scum, dirt, moisture, and mold. With regular maintenance, like drying the walls and keeping hair and debris out of the basin, a weekly scrubbing should be enough to keep a sparkling clean shower.
Wash Your Shower Curtain?
It is a good idea to let your shower curtain dry out after each use, and it doesn’t hurt to give it a spray with your cleaning solution during your weekly bathtub routine. Still, it is recommended that you completely replace your shower curtain every three months, as it is often the first place to spawn mold and mildew in the bathroom.
Wash Your Bathmats?
As mentioned above, you should toss your bathmat in with your weekly towel laundry to keep it clean and dry. Rewetting it every day when people get out of the shower creates a welcoming environment for microorganisms to grow. In addition, replacing the mat completely every three months, along with your shower curtain, is a good idea.
FAQs
Should you wipe down your shower after every use?
While you don’t need to thoroughly clean your shower after every use, drying off the walls with a squeegee or dry cloth can help prevent stains and bacterial growth. Another option is to spray vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to help clean soap scum and sanitize the area. These tips will also keep the shower caulk nice and white.
What do professionals use to clean bathrooms?
While different jobs require different cleaning supplies, and even professionals will have their own preferences, some bathroom cleaning staples include:
- Bleach
- All-purpose cleaner
- Disinfecting wipes
- Toilet-bowl cleaner
- Foaming cleaner
These supplies will allow you to properly clean most bathroom surfaces, along with the right tools like microfibre cloths and brushes. Be careful using and combining chemicals; wear protective gloves and make sure the area is well-ventilated.
Do bathrooms need to be cleaned every week?
“Need” is a strong word, though it is generally recommended that you have a weekly cleaning regimen for your bathroom to prevent mold, mildew, and germs from building up and spreading. A light list of weekly tasks is usually easier than deep-cleaning a neglected bathroom!
How often do people clean their bathrooms?
Depending on the size of your household and frequency of use, bathrooms may be cleaned daily, weekly, or even every couple of weeks. All things considered, a weekly cleaning schedule works well for most situations and makes it easy to remember cleaning days.
How often should I clean the toilet bowl?
Cleaning the toilet bowl at least once a week is a good idea. This can prevent staining and ensure mold and bacteria don’t latch on.
What happens if you don’t clean your bathroom regularly?
While waiting longer than a week between cleanings may not seem like a big deal, you might be making things harder on yourself. Leaving soap scum, damp towels, and dirty surfaces unattended can create more work for you when you finally clean.
For example, you can quickly go over a regularly maintained shower in a matter of minutes. A neglected shower may take hours of scrubbing to remove stains and calcification.
Hire a Maid Service to Keep Your Bathroom Spotless!
Cleaning a bathroom is easier said than done. It’s not always easy to find the time and energy to do a thorough job.
Some people simply don’t have a knack for cleaning or the desire to handle it on their own. Housekeeping services can be a great way to ensure the job gets done professionally and on a set schedule and might cost less than you think.
There’s no shame in letting a specialist clean your bathroom any more than allowing a mechanic to fix your car. Instead of worrying about how often you should clean your bathroom, let an expert cleaning service handle it for you. A professionally cleaned bathroom you don’t have to worry about might even become your personal oasis.
