Tips To Make Cleaning Your Bathroom A Breeze

Unless you want to create toxic gas inside your bathroom, it's important to know your facts when it comes to mixing cleaning products. "The primary ingredient in chlorinated bleach is sodium hypochlorite," chemist Alexander Lu explains to Insider, suggesting that readers steer clear of mixing any additional cleaning products with bleach-based solutions. Specifically, ammonia and bleach (as well as vinegar and bleach) will combine to form chlorine gas. Also, avoid using bleach and rubbing alcohol together or risk creating chloroform. When in doubt, do your research — in this case, it's far better to be safe than sorry. Insider recommends opening windows while cleaning for improved airflow and wearing a sturdy pair of rubber gloves.

"To get started, I drop a Mama Suds Toilet Cleaning Tab in the toilet bowl," Koko owner Adria Hall tells USA Today. "These are so cool — like bath bombs for toilets because they have the same fizzy technology! I searched for years for a good plastic-free toilet cleaner and this one hits all the marks." As @home_reimagined highlights on TikTok, denture tablets work as an easy alternative, clearing any pesky stains from your porcelain. Simply let them sit in the bowl for 10 to 30 minutes before going in with your scrub brush. Once finished, leave the brush to dry between the bowl and toilet seat — this will help prevent mildew build-up.

Better Homes & Gardens recommends running through a weekly to-do list when it comes to cleaning your bathroom surfaces. That way, you'll prevent layers of grime from accumulating. Start by scrubbing marble or granite countertops with a soapy water solution — don't forget to thoroughly dry or else risk creating a mold-friendly environment. Next, it's time to disinfect your regularly-used areas like the sink faucet and toilet bowl. Finally, clear the drain of any hair build-up and give the floors a good scrub. For more guidance, look to Apartment Therapy's 10-minute, 30-minute, and hour-long bathroom cleaning checklists. Alternatively, personalize your own with the help of dry-erase boards like this Amazon set.

It's a fact: listening to music makes cleaning better. It also makes us more productive. As neuroscientist Robert Zatorre explains, "When you are perceiving very rhythmic sounds, particularly those that are used in music, these sounds engage the areas in networks of the brain that allow us to move and in particular to synchronize different muscle groups" (via The Simple Scrub). According to Healthline, certain types of music can also increase happiness. Next time you're scrubbing your bathroom, curate a playlist of upbeat tunes — "Uptown Funk" is a cleaning favorite, per The New York Post. If you're doing an hours-long deep clean, turn on a favorite podcast to pass the time.

Though some brands are guilty of greenwashing, exaggerating their products' eco-friendly credentials with labels that read "all-natural" or "sustainable" in earthy fonts, it's not too hard to find authentic environmentally-conscious products after doing research. Select suggests looking for something called "ecolabels," which are, according to the EPA, "marks placed on product packaging that help consumers identify products that meet specific environmental performance criteria and are therefore deemed 'environmentally preferable.” Look out for compostable products like this Tushy toilet brush or these Method cleaning wipes. Over time, eco-friendly products cut down on waste, are generally safer for in-home use, and release fewer toxic chemicals into the environment (via Medical News Today).

"This is one micro improvement that I regret not doing sooner," says TikToker @sarahebaus. She goes on to recommend buying a dish brush with a built-in soap dispenser — something like this Amazon find — and filling it with liquid dish soap and white vinegar. Keep the brush in your shower and, while waiting for your conditioner to soak in, use it to scrub away any grime. According to the creator, this small addition quickly turns into a positive cycle: "I basically never clean the shower 'cause the shower's always clean 'cause I'm always cleaning it 'cause I'm always in the shower." It's also helpful to keep a small squeegee in the shower for wiping down glass doors.

An important step in keeping your bathroom clean is finding a proper place for all your products. "The way to achieve a clean countertop is to change the use of the medicine cabinet," says Julie Morgenstern, author of "Organizing from the Inside Out." As she goes on to explain to HGTV, "They are better used for everyday grooming supplies rather than medicines." Invest in stackable bins underneath the sink, and arrange items that won't fit on an aesthetic toilet-top tray. Buy adhesive shower caddies — see Amazon for details — or, given the square footage, Good Housekeeping recommends ladder shelves for things like bonus towels and spa-like decor.

Microfiber is a superior cleaning fabric. As noted by Today, these towels last longer than cotton cloths, have an almost magnetic ability to attract dust and germs, and are extra-effective with the simple addition of water. However, "With microfiber, you get what you pay for," explains Green Cleaning Coach Leslie Reichert. "Bargain microfiber has fewer fibers, around 50,000 per square inch. Since it's the fibers that do the work, bargain cloths do not clean as well as quality cloths, nor do they last as long — only about 50 washings." Microfiber towels are ideal for streak-free bathroom mirrors, sink faucets, and even drying hair. "Using microfiber rags eliminates up to 99 percent of bacteria — about three times the effectiveness of traditional cleaning cloths," Molly Maid president Vera Peterson explains to Family Handyman.

If your water pressure has been lacking as of late, it could be the result of mineral deposits like calcium stopping up your shower head, per Angi. Fortunately, the grime isn't too hard to remove with the help of — you guessed it — vinegar. You don't even need to unscrew any parts. First, as recommended by YouTuber Coral Hoyt, attach a vinegar-filled sandwich bag around the nozzle with a rubber band or hair elastic. You'll want to make sure the liquid fully covers all the holes. Leave the bag attached to the showerhead for (at the very least) an hour, or ideally overnight. Finally, remove and scrub away any leftover grime with the help of a toothbrush.

Beyond fixing your water pressure, unclogging drains, and ranking as one of the most controversial french fry condiments, vinegar can also help combat rust (via Allied Plumbing & Heating Supply Co.). Fill a reusable spray bottle with white vinegar, and squirt it onto the faucet in question. Let the solution sit for 10 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber towel. Family Handyman cites another unconventional method for getting rid of rust on chrome bathroom fixtures. First, make a ball of tinfoil. Get it wet, then use the ball to scrub off rust build-up.

Bathmats are a breeding ground for bacteria, per Insider. "After every shower we step out onto our bath mat, allowing it to soak in any excess water or soap that might be dripping," explains professional cleaner Bailey Carson. "While this prevents our floors from getting damp, the reoccurring build-up of water when left untreated can lead to mold growth." Translation: bathmats are easily the grimiest place in your bathroom. Fortunately, machine washable mats make cleaning a breeze — just remember to throw them in the machine at the very least twice a month, according to Martha Stewart. If there's an adhesive layer on the back, always air dry.

To make your cleaning process simpler, it's important to find the right-sized brushes. Apartment Therapy recommends boiling used toothbrushes for up to 10 minutes and using them to reach small spaces like sink faucet cracks and toilet seat screws. TikTok creator @ashlienicole35 shows how this method can work, boiling for just three to five minutes before running the brush under room temperature water. Food52 recommends using a combination of water and baking soda to attack grout, scrubbing at the residue with a repurposed toothbrush.

Not only can shaving cream be used to remove streaks of makeup from the sink and clean bathroom fixtures, but it also functions as a de-fogger (via Apartment Therapy). The YouTube channel Clean Freak & Germaphobe tests this hack, spraying a generous helping of shaving cream on a towel and applying it to the bathroom mirror, thoroughly rubbing it in. As the creator notes, the cream will also work to remove streaks and stains from the area. Though it's not a permanent fix to the problem of post-shower fog, it will create a shield for at least one shower — if not more.