The bathroom is one of those rooms where a small amount of daily tidying and light cleaning—we’re talking only minutes here!—can substantially lighten your weekly cleaning workload.
One key is to keep the right supplies near to hand: a toilet-bowl cleaner and swisher, cleaning solution suitable for your specific counter types, glass cleaner, a spray-on shower-wall cleaner, a squeegee, and absorbent rags for drying. Then follow these quick tips:
Tip 1 Use the fan (or open a window) when bathing. Preventing humidity from getting trapped and accumulating is the number-one defense against mold and mildew in your bathroom. After you bathe, leave the fan running while you dress, make beds, and so forth.
Tip 2 Spray, rinse, and squeegee shower and tub walls. At the end of a shower, spritz walls quickly with a mild cleaning solution, rinse, then squeegee away as much water as you can. This takes only a minute or two and stops soap scum in its tracks. Ultimately, it means less heavy-duty chemicals and scrubbing on big cleaning days. Finish by removing hair collected in the drain grate, then drawing shower doors or curtain fully closed for maximum exposure to air for drying.
Tip 3 Give the toilet bowl a quick swish. Squirt in some bowl cleaner, swish it around, then let it sit while you complete other morning routines. Be sure to flush before heading out the door.
Tip 4 Stow all daily-use products—tooth brushes, pastes, razors, cosmetics, and so forth—out of sight. This might mean freeing up space in cabinets and drawers. If you don’t have sufficient closed spaces, get creative with decorative containers, wooden boxes, baskets, and think outside the bathroom, repurposing kitchen, office, old china, and other solutions for organizing miscellany. For corded appliances—hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners, razors, trimmers, and the like—take a page out of the hotel playbook and stow in a drawstring bag on a hook (of course, only when completely cooled).
Tip 5 Spritz, wipe, and dry surfaces and mirrors daily. Cleaning toothpaste, shaving cream, other blobs and splatters is much easier when they’re fresh. Hand dry to protect moisture-sensitive surfaces, avoid smears, and prevent mold and mildew from getting into crevices.
Tip 6 Empty trash. Chances are, your bathroom waste basket is small and prone to unsightly overflow. It can also be a big source of unpleasant odors (especially if you have kids or teenagers who sneak food into the bin). Try to empty at least every other day.
Tip 7 Let in the sun. Sunshine is mildew’s worst enemy, so finish your daily bathroom tidying routine by throwing open the curtains or blinds to allow in as much daylight as possible.
