Problem: I have 3 bathrooms. My children are creators of filth.
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I guess I can’t totally blame it on my children. I mean, I have curly hair that sheds like a long haired dog. Regardless, the act of cleaning the counters and toilets isn’t my issue, it’s the rest of it. There’ just SO many SURFACES in the bathroom!
Bathroom cleaning must center are weekly clean areas and then areas that rotate:
Each week, we clean the counters, and the toilet mirrors, and the floor around the toilet. I clean my bathroom, and the kids split up the other 2 bathrooms. Even my 5 year old can do this part. Antibacterial wipes have made it really easy for small children to do this type of job. I worked with her for a month or so, so that she knew how I wanted it done. Now that she KNOWS how I want it done, I expect it to be done that way each time, and I do check each child’s work in this area. There are consequences (including a loss of electronics and allowance) if they say it’s done and it’s not (or, if it just doesn’t get done).
Then, there’s all the other places in the bathroom.
- Showers
- Tubs
- The rest of the bathroom floor
I rotate between these places, which has them cleaned about every month to every month and a half. I either use my steam cleaner, or a vinegar solution.
Anyway, that allows us to keep it all adequately clean without me feeling overwhelmed by cleaning the bathrooms each week.
Cleaning the bathroom, even the toilet, isn’t my least favorite job. I like how clean it all looks when I’m done. Yes, I’m like that.
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Do you have a bathroom plan? If you have a post about it, link below or share it in the comments! I’m always looking to refine my bathroom system!
Christine says
We have one bathroom for 3 adults (my husband, our 18yo son and me) and I have learned that I’m happiest when I clean it every day. I just like it better that way. And because I do it every day, it doesn’t take very long at all…maybe 5 minutes which I’m happy to spend just before I turn out the lights at bedtime. I’m usually the last one to bed and always the first one up in the morning.
I squirt cleaner in the toilet bowl then wipe down the toilet surfaces and floor around it, wipe down the counter, sink and faucet, clean the mirror, wipe down the door knobs, light switch and doors/walls where needed, squeegee the tub surround (my son showers at night) and finally swish out the toilet bowl. I do the toilet bowl last so the cleaner has time to do it’s thing.
It took me a while to figure out that this works best for me. I’m not a super-cleaner person but I love knowing that yesterday’s mess is gone and I start each day in a clean, fresh bathroom.
Each week I change the hand towels, dust the light fixture and door frames, wipe down the tub and tub surround and mop the floor which takes 10-15 minutes on Saturday morning (Saturday is a special day, it’s the day we get ready for Sunday).
Hilary says
Christine! What a funny email address! 🙂 I know a lot of people who clean theirs every day. I have thought of doing it during my 10 minute tidy but I’d rather have a cleared off couch than a water-spot free sink. It’s all about choices! 🙂
Havok says
I love when the bathroom is clean. I didn’t know I loved it until recently (as in once I started making an effort to get it cleaner) and it’s lovely. While I don’ thave children to muck it up, I do have to battle beard hair from the Mister every week. I’m debating switcthing to wiping the counters and sink out at least every other day, though, because it’s just a lotta hair, ha!
Hilary says
That is less fun… beard hair. Yuck. 🙂
Renee says
Christine, I don’t know if you are aware of this or not, but those wipes are not safe for your kids to use. Some children in our local elementary school (4th graders) became ill using them to wipe down surfaces. I just thought you might want to know. Lysol and /or Chlorox wipes.
Hilary says
I still use ’em. My kids really only use them for bathrooms. I should think about giving them vinegar spray bottles instead though….
Rebecca says
I found a really good idea last year that keeps me from cleaning the bathtub/shower with chemicals every time I clean it: put equal parts vinegar and dish soap into a dish wand and keep it in the shower. At the end of every shower, swipe it over one (or as many as you want) wall, rinse, and go about your day. I like it because it’s non-caustic, I’m already in the shower and wet (I hate getting wet when I’m trying to clean something), and you end up cleaning the entire shower/tub at least once a week! Every so often I’ll go in and give it a good clorox scrub, but it’s so much less work now!
Hilary says
Yes! I’ve heard of that idea. That seems genius! We are lucky that mold/mildew growth isnt’t a big thing here, but I think that idea is so smart!
southgatecarpetcleaners says
Any tips for deep cleaning a boy’s bathroom? My son’s bathroom is also the guest bathroom, and it wreaks of urine. I have scrubbed the toilet, the base, the bolts, behind it on the floor, the walls, the baseboard – everywhere and it still smells. At first I tried using a store bought cleaner, then I read that baking soda/vinegar would work. It’s clean, but the smell lingers. I’d love any tips for what to use to get rid of the smell. Thanks
Best regards!
Southgate Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Hilary says
Oh man…. set it on fire? Haha, I got some plugins that have febreeze and that really helps. Otherwise I’d get it all clean and then do spray of vinegar at the end. Boys are horrible. My son once told me that his urine could be used like a lightsaber. I almost died.