It’s just a fact of life; bathrooms have a way of getting dirty. Besides the fact that they’re where we go to get the dirt off ourselves first thing in the morning or at the end of a long, hard day, they’re also the rooms in our homes that tend to be dampest, and nothing is better for growing molds and mildews than dampness. Finally, bathrooms are home to all sorts of chemicals and compounds—from medicines and mouthwash to toothpaste and soap, and all of that can leave a film on surfaces. That’s why cleaning the bathroom is one of the most dreaded jobs on any list of household chores, and why it’s a job that seems like it always needs done.
Luckily, with a few simple tips, you can help keep your bathroom clean without a lot of work or elbow grease. Most of these tips come from the cleaning crews at major hotel chains. After all, who’d know more about how to keep a bathroom spotless day in and day out than a big hotel, where they have to clean dozens if not hundreds of them every day?
Clean every day. Obviously, hotels clean their bathrooms every single day, and while you may not have the time to clean your bathroom from top to bottom every morning, cleaning up spots and stains as you notice them, rather than waiting around for a deep cleaning, can make clean up a snap and save you time and work in the long run.
Take advantage of heat. Heat is a form of energy, which excites the molecules of many types of stains and causes them to break up more easily. Running hot water into sinks and tubs to warm up tile and basins before cleaning them can make cleaning a lot easier, and the warm steam can even help lift stains from mirrors and other surfaces.
Let cleaners sit. When you’re in a hurry, it’s tempting to just spray on a cleaner and then wipe it right off, but most cleaners work better if you give them a chance to soak and break up particles. If you’re using antibacterial or other disinfectants, they need contact time in order to kill the germs that they’re after. Cleaning them up too quickly may prevent them from doing their job.
Rinse and dry. Another mistake that many people make when cleaning their bathrooms is to wipe the cleaners off and then leave the counter as it is. Since cleaners are designed to draw out soil and stains, leaving them on surfaces can often lead to more dirt building up over time. Rinsing and then drying your surfaces after cleaning can prevent buildup of dust and other stains.
Regardless of how fastidious you are, though, sometimes bathrooms are just going to get dirty, especially around tile and grout where mold and mildew loves to grow. Thankfully, there’s tile and grout cleaner from Rock Doctor to make cleaning even the worst grease, dirt, oil, and soap scum off your tile and grout a breeze!
