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How to clean the bathrooms

Supplies for your Cleaning Caddy:

  • Clean cleanser
  • Toilet brush inside plastic cup
  • Glass cleaner
  • All purpose cleaner
  • White scrub pad (scratchless)
  • Shower brush
  • Feather duster
  • Whisk broom
  • Floor cleaner
  • Elements (for tough jobs only)
  • 10 cleaning clothes
  • Grocery bag for dirty rags

Supplies for your cleaning apron:

  • 1 plastic scraper
  • 1 small brush
  • 2 plastic bags (with clips) – liners for your pocket

Hand carry

  • Step stool – 2 step

The starting point

  • Walk into the bathroom
  • Place the cleaning tray to the right of the tub or shower. Look for areas that have built up grim.
  • Pretreat if needed. If there is not built up dirt or grim in the shower or tub, you may skip this step.
  • After pretreating the tub or shower, clean clockwise (left to right), never backtracking while carrying all the tools needed in the apron. You should be able to make it completely around.
  • Skip the toilet, you will do this last.

Getting dressed

  • Fasten your apron around your waist tightly.
  • Make sure your small brush and other tools are in the correct pockets.
  • Hang the glass cleaner and general purpose cleaner handles on the loops of your apron.
  • Always use the same loop for the glass cleaner and the same loop for general purpose.
  • Be sure to always tighten and retighten spray bottle tops.
  • All tools go in the same place every time, so you know exactly where to find without looking.
  • Stick your feather duster in your back pocket. Always where pants with back pockets!
  • Whisk broom goes in the other back pocket. Use it to brush dirt and debris away from vents, corners, and walls.
  • Take enough cleaning cloths to make it all the way around. At first grab more than what you might need, then you’ll get better at knowing as time goes on

Setting up

  • Place any throw rugs near the entryway or door. Be sure you take a mental picture of where they were as you will need to remember exactly where they go. If you are on a team, you make sure to be the one that puts them back in the right spot.
  • Make sure you lay them flat, so that when you (or your partner) come by doing the floors, they can be easily vacuumed.
  • Place the trash can just outside the the entry to the kitchen whether you are on a team or working alone. This will keep the trash can out of the way and also make it easier when its time to go around collecting the trash.

Dusting as you work around

  • Consider if it makes sense to go around the bathroom and compete all the dusting items, or complete as you go around.
  • Knock down any cobwebs, check especially around doors and above door frame
  • As you work around, be sure to look up on walls and down towards the floor
  • Wipe the baseboards – baseboard in bathrooms get extra dirty fast!
  • Wipe any window sills
  • Dust any shelves and knick-knacks
  • Dust and wipe any pictures and picture glass
  • Dust towel racks and straighten towels

Shower

If the shower or shower/tub combination is rarely used, it might need a quick spray and wipe with all purpose cleaner. For showers that are used at least once between cleanings, follow the steps bellow:

Shower walls

  • Set items inside the edge of tub or in shower on the floor outside the shower.
  • Remember where they go, set aside in the same order to help when putting them back.
  • Spray shower walls with general cleaner, then wipe dry. This usually works for up high in the shower or for showers not used often.
  • For normal soap scum build up, use the shower brush. You may need to add water and powdered cleanser for tough jobs.
  • If you need to stand inside the tub or shower, stand on 2 rags. Otherwise, dirt will track in and out and create more work!
  • For even tougher jobs, spray element and let soak. If you need to leave, start working on another area of the bathroom. If the shower doors need to pre-soak, be sure to spray them.
  • Scrub the areas with the white pad or shower brush, whichever is most effective. The white pad will likely be best for smoother surfaces.
  • When cleaning the shower or tub fixtures, use the shower brush, white pad, and small brush as needed.
  • Use the “see through” rule to know when to stop scrubbing. You should see the bare surface under all the mess. You should also feel the difference when you are scrubbing dirt and grime compared to a bare surface.
  • Use the small brush to clean the soap dish. Spray general cleaner only if necessary. Use the handle to scrape the soap. Then the bristle side to get the remaining soap.

How to clean shower doors and runners

  • After you have scrubbed the shower walls, move around to the glass shower walls and doors
  • Switch to the white pad for the shower doors
  • Do not wear rings that may scratch the glass! Nicking and scratching the glass with a diamond or hard metal could mean replacing the shower glass! Also never use a toilet screen or green pad on glass.
  • If there is a shower curtain, skip it. Don’t attempt to clean it.
  • Spray some general purpose cleaner on a white pad and wrap around your plastic scraper. Slide it between the gaps in the doors. You can also use for runner. Use a cloth instead if the white pad is too thick.

Shower floor

  • Wet the sides and bottom.
  • Sprinkle just enough powdered cleanser to get the job done. You will learn the right amount over time. Be sure not to use too much. This causes waste and creates more work.
  • For lighter jobs, use the white pad to scrub the cleanser in circular motions.
  • For heavier jobs, use the shower brush to scrub the cleanser in circular motions.
  • Use the “see through” method to check progress as you go along.
  • Use your small brush as needed for tight spaces.

Rinse the shower and tub once everything is scrubbed

  • Turn on the water and begin rinsing
  • If their is a removable showerhead, use that to rinse out the shower.
  • If their isn’t one, use the shower brush or white pad to swish the water and move it to the areas that need rinsing.
  • Or use a cup to fill with water, and pour on the areas that need rinsing.
  • Start up high and work down
  • Once the walls are finished, work on the tub or shower floor. Start away from the drain and work towards it.
  • It should look clean, but also feel with your fingers to make sure all the cleanser is rinsed.
  • Move all the items that were in the shower or tub to their original location.

Glass on showers

  • For glass showers, final touches on the glass will be last. Use you glass cleaner and spray the inside as needed. Wipe with a dry rag.
  • Be sure you are stepping on cloth rags if you are inside the shower. Otherwise their will be footprints and extra work to clean those up.
  • Move to the outside and use the glass cleaner to spray and wipe until clean and no streaks.

Sink area

First, clean tough dirt off the sinks and faucets

  • Check the level of dirt, does it need to be sprayed and wiped or does it need more?
  • If it needs more than just a spray and wipe, wet inside the sink by running a little water
  • Use a tiny amount of powered cleanser and the white pad to scrub areas around the drain and stuck on grime.
  • Rinse by running the water and using the white pad. Rinse powder residue from white pad.
  • NEVER use powdered cleaner above the bowl of the sink. This may leave scratches
  • Spray faucet with general purpose cleaner.
  • Use the small brush to get around the areas where the faucet meets the sink.
  • Use the white pad and general purpose cleaner around the other areas on the top part of the sink around the faucet.
  • Don’t wipe the sink and faucet area clean yet, this will happen after cleaning the mirror and counter top around the sink.

Next, mirrors above the sink area

  • Light fixtures: Just above the mirrors there might be bulbs that are dusty. Try using the feather duster to knock off the dirt. If that doesn’t work, use step stool to lightly wipe them. If a light wipe doesn’t work, leave them. Adding too much pressure will break them.
  • Move items straight forward on the counter so you have full ability to clean the mirror. Place them so they go back exactly where you found them and gives you just enough room to clean the counter behind them.
  • Use glass cleaner and a dry cloth
  • Spray lightly and evenly
  • Wipe with the dry cloth until its completely dry.
  • If you don’t wipe completely dry, it may leave streaks
  • Replace glass cleaner in the correct loop on your apron.
  • Be sure to wipe the top of any medicine cabinets. Never open the door or clean inside.
  • TIP: If you spray more glass cleaner than you need, it takes longer to clean. Spray lightly and don’t overspray.
  • TIP: Never wash cloths meant for glass with any other cloths. Residues, especially from furniture polish may stick and leave glass looking hazy and streaked.

Wipe down counter and finishing touches on sink areas.

  • First, wipe behind the items on the counter that were moved forward in the previous step.
  • Wipe down each item and move straight back to the original location.
  • Wipe down where they were and work to the front.
  • Move left to right repeating the same steps

The toilet

Always do this last. Never use a rag to clean a toilet, then use someone else. They go straight to the dirty rag bag when finished. Be sure to wear gloves while cleaning the toilet.

Inside the toilet bowl

  • Flush the toilet first.
  • Dip the toilet brush in the water, then sprinkle some powdered cleanser on bristles
  • Scrub inside the entire toilet bowl, including under the rim.
  • For tough stains, use the toilet screen to scrub them out.
  • Flush the toilet again.

Outside of the toilet

  • Start with the toilet lid and seat in the upright position
  • Spray under the seat, then lower it
  • Spray under the lid, then lower it
  • Spray the top of the lid and the hinges connecting it.
  • Spray and wipe the top of the toilet and start working down the sides and front of the tank.
  • Wipe the top of the lid including the hinges. Use the small brush to clean tough to reach areas around the hinges.
  • Raise the lid and clean under it. Wipe down hinges again and use the small brush where needed.
  • Wipe the top of the seat, then raise and clean under it. Use the small brush as needed. Brush and wipe hinges again.
  • Wipe the top of the toilet bowl and down the front, sides, and behind the toilet. Clean the entire surface from the top of the bowl, all the way to the floor.
  • Be sure to clean around the plastic caps with your small brush and wipe around.

Floor around the toilet

  • Spray the floor around the toilet including behind with all purpose cleaner
  • Wipe down on hands and knees. Some of these areas are difficult or impossible to clean any other way.

Spare bathrooms that are rarely used

This is a bathroom that may be rarely used. The cleaning technics for this bathroom are different. Some areas may need to be dusted or a quick wipe. Don’t scrub if there is no dirt to scrub!