The Quickest and Easiest Way to Clean a Bathroom
I first learned how to clean a bathroom like a pro from an OGT reader named Denise, who wrote in to share her secrets to cleaning bathrooms efficiently, quickly, and with very little waste. (Denise had cleaned 15-20 bathrooms a week for 20 years before she retired, and if that doesn’t make her an expert on the subject, I don’t know what would!)
I was extremely impressed by the streamlined nature of her method, and when I asked if I could share it here on my blog, she kindly agreed! Once I started using Denise’s method at home, I was able to clean my bathroom thoroughly in a fraction of the time it used to take.
In this post, you’ll learn how to clean a bathroom like a pro using Denise’s tried-and-true method. Not only is it the easiest way to clean a bathroom, but it’s quick enough to include in your daily chores as frequently as you’d like to!
How to Clean a Bathroom in Under 15 Minutes
You’ll need:
- Toilet brush
- Cleaning spray
- Microfiber cloth
- 3-4 paper towels
- An old bath towel (optional)
Directions:
Step 1 – Apply Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Start by applying a toilet bowl cleaner or all-purpose cleaner to your toilet bowl.
I like to use my homemade toilet bowl cleaner here, because the baking soda and borax do an excellent job at breaking down hard water stains while essential oils leave it smelling fresh and clean. (But that’s just my preference — feel free to use whatever you’ve got on hand!)
Related: Unclog a Clogged Toilet with These Simple Hacks
Step 2 – Scrub the Toilet
Scrub the toilet bowl with your toilet brush, making sure to get under the rim to eliminate any grime that may have built up under there. After scrubbing, flush the toilet to rinse, then prop the brush under the toilet seat to let it dry.
(In the market for a new toilet brush? I really like this silicone toilet brush because it’s easy to clean and the upper edge gets all the way under the rim. If you’re going to splurge on a bathroom cleaning tool, this is a great one to choose!)
Step 3 – Spray Surfaces
Spray the toilet, sink, faucet, and countertop with your preferred cleaner or disinfectant and let it sit for a minute or two. Use your favorite bathroom cleaner, or consider one of these homemade options:
- Lemon-scented vinegar cleaner is easy to make, super inexpensive, and makes a great natural bathroom cleaner.
- My go-to homemade shower cleaner works great on tough bathroom messes like hard water stains and soap scum.
Step 4 – Wipe with a Damp Cloth
While the bathroom cleaner is working its magic, dampen a clean microfiber cloth and use it to wipe down your bathroom mirror (no need for glass cleaner!) Next, use the damp cloth to wipe off the countertop, sink, and faucet.
Related: How to Clean a Microfiber Cloth
Step 5 – Dry with a Dry Cloth (or Paper Towel)
Use a few paper towels or a clean, dry microfiber cloth to dry off the mirror, countertop, faucet, sink, and toilet, in that order. (This order goes from cleanest to dirtiest, which saves you money on paper towels).
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Use a final clean towel to buff a shine on your mirror and faucet. Throw away the paper towels (or put the dirty rag in your hamper) and put the toilet brush away.
Finishing Touches
Rinse the microfiber cloth thoroughly and wring it out one more time. Use the cleaning rag to spot-clean the floor as necessary or wipe up any hair, dust, or dirt hanging around. Don’t worry about deep-scrubbing the grout with a specialized tile cleaner. This is just a quick clean that keeps your bathroom looking fresh and presentable.
Toss the dirty rags into your hamper or washer, and you’re done!
I’m telling you — Denise has got this whole thing down to a science! I’m grateful to her for sharing her wisdom and experience with all of us! :-)
What About The Tub And Shower?
- This quick and easy bathroom cleaning method doesn’t solve cleaning the bathtub or shower, so here are some quick tips to help you keep those clean too!
- Keep an old towel in your bathroom and use it to dry your shower walls after each use. It only takes a minute, and it will help keep water spots and soap scum at bay.
- Alternatively, you can spray this homemade daily shower cleaner on your glass shower doors after each use (no need to wipe it down!)
How long does it typically take you to clean your bathroom?
I clean with either old rags that I keep just for cleaning..bought some at Sam’s terry cloth and use those also,I clean 2 toilets once a week, (just me here ) if I have company they are cleaned before and after company…. I hang up in laundry room to dry and put in separate container for washing later, wash with hot water and clorox, dry and folded and ready to use until they all are dirty…Occasionally I have used paper towels to dry off the toilet, but I prefer to clean with a rag or cloth….don’t see how you can clean good with paper towels….I clean windows with microfiber cloths bought from QVC, they have no lint…. my bathroom sink is cleaned with one rag, another rag for the toilet, and one to dry it…..I don’t necessary clean the mirror too, as I clean them all week as I see they need it…and it with the microfiber cloths ….I don’t have filthy cleaning to do…..I just like to do it weekly…and I don’t have to clean up daily after boys or men…..been there done that…..:) and it did require more cleaning …….(That is the way I clean.)…..P.S. the microfiber cloths are great for dusting…..the dust sticks to the cloth and not spread around the room, and they are wonderful for tv screens, windows of any kind and dusting furniture…..I do keep 2 in shower to dry shower down every day, and Jillee is right it does cut down on having to scrub shower every week…..it probably take 2 mins to dry down the shower…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.instead of any paper towels go to Costco or similar and get a pack of terry shop towels and use those for cleaning they last for years.
I use them all over the house. when they are dirty was a load in hot water. I never use paper towel for cleaning
just a thought :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So you are using the same cloth you cleaned the toilet with to clean the floor?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.She uses the cloth not the paper towel
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No, the cloth is never used on the toilet. I just use the cloth for the mirror, sink area, and the floor on my way out of the bathroom. I use paper towels for the toilet :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have 3 males in my home, 4 in the summer and our toilet is gross by the end of the day. I have to scrub clean it every day or it takes forever to clean it once a week. I got so irritated that I stuck a sign above the toilet at eye level that said “Step closer, you are not that much of a man”. It didn’t help. Maybe if I let them use froot loops for target practice like when they were little kid’s that would help.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Am I the only one wondering why the toilet brush doesn’t get rinsed in clean water?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you flush the toilet after scrubbing, and rinse the brush in the “new” water, it should be clean enough to put away (once it has dried.) Maybe that part wasn’t really clear.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Does the dishsoap have to be Dawn, or can I use a substitute?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was also going to ask about Dawn. We can’t get it here and I always use Fairy. Can it replace Dawn?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fairy is a great replacement for Dawn :-)
Any dish soap will do the trick, but Dawn works best!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Jillee! This is great advice — so simple and so logical. I felt like slapping my forehead and going ‘DUH.” Keep those tips coming! I am a new homemaker at 60, just now learning to cook and clean if you can believe it. I look forward to all your emails. I learn so much about housekeeping and cleaning.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was Supervisor to a cleaning company and I used to check out houses for the British Military when people were posted. It was my say so if a house was fit to live in! I answered to an Officer that had houses checked with mirrors on sticks; think selfie stick, (used to search out bombs), at the back and under: sinks, toilets, baths, and cookers! Not to mention white gloves. Nightmares!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip is to ‘pump’ the water out of the toilet bowl below the water line. Any cleaner can then be put on the ceramic without being diluted. Sadly we HAD to use heavy chemicals due to the way some people live. Personally, I’m a firm believer in no paper towels and I use coloured face flannels which last longer. Each colour can represent the day (Monday Tuesday etc) and can be left to dry before going in a collected laundry wash at the end of the week.
Hope this helps. Love from the UK!
Love the face flannel idea! I also like to use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers ( melamine sponge) for shining faucets and mirrors.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also like magic erasers, however they seem to break down pretty quickly. Any advice?? Thanks
I cut up magic erasers into 6-10 tiny sponges. They seem to go a lot further this way! :-)
We have a shower squeegee and use it every time we shower. It works well and you don’t have to find a place to stash the towel.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.love you site and helpful hints…most ive never heard of ….so thank you for all your work….I do not think you put up too many helpful hints either….so keep them coming….thanks so much
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Dear Jillee- I have a bathroom problem. I really need advice on what to do. This is my problem….. I have a water pik with a long cord to plug it in. I also have a electric / powered toothbrush. Again a very long power cord to plug in. This is my problem. I live in assisted living. I have a really nice sized bathroom ( obviously built if a wheelchair iis used ). The problem is the sink in the bathroom. I have one outlet on the wall ( THIS IS A PROBLEM ), I do not have any other outlets in my bathroom. I was thinking about finding a command hook that would hold a shelf ( probably 2 command hooks ). Or something else , like a basket a command hook would hold. Do you have any other ideas for holding the cords?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would definitely use command hooks! If you get ones that are a little bit bigger, then you can wrap the extra length of cord in a loop and hook that around the hook :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To save time and steps keep the needed supplies in the bathroom. No need to chase around gathering supplies.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jille
We rinse our shower very well with cold water, then we squeegee it dry with a California car blade which we leave in the shower. I dry myself in the shower and then use the towel to wipe the water off the faucets and rim of door so they remain spotless and always clean. We have been doing this for 25 years ans we never had mold as it wont grow if its not wet and warm. This keeps her shower at its best. I bought face cloth in big packs at Costco and we use them to wipe down or sink area every morning and then throw them in the wash so our bathroom counter is always clean. We do the mirror first then the counter than the sink. This only takes a moment and our bathroom always looking clean. My cleaning times are very fast in the bathroom.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We’ve been doing that shower tip for years at our house. When everyone was at home, the last person to use it was expected to do this. Now it’s just me using the shower in the main bathroom. We also use the squeegee on the shower doors. I stilll live at home- for financial reasons. Mom uses the tub.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would assume the bathroom cleaner has to be made up each time you are cleaning so that the vinegar is hot?
Thank you,
Once I’ve cleaned the shower with the ‘hot’ solution, I use the rest of the solution cold over the next several weeks to maintain the clean shower. I also only make half a batch at a time so that I’m using hot vinegar solution every two months. This cleaner also works great for any deep cleaning on greasy or very dirty areas, like the stove hood or to of the refrigerator. Just remember that a little goes a long way!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nope, you just have to heat it to mix it. It can be used again and again after that :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your microfiber cloths will clean and prevent water spots on the shower doors. They also clean and polis a mirror while dry. I use them to polish the faucets and sink as well. I get the huge pack at Costco. If you buy the toilet brush that has a snap on scour pad, you always have a germ free brush you never have to let dry. Just scrub the toilet and what else with the pads, then dispose of them. Done and sanitary
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tips on keeping the bathroom clean everyday. I always use a squeegee and then a hand towel to dry the shower and glass doors and never have soap scum build up.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Instead of using a towel on shower walls after showering, use a small squeegee. They work amazingly well. My mom always had one hanging in the bathtub/shower and we were expected to use it every time we showered. It kept the walls and glass doors free from water spots. My kids always thought it was fun to do!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My shower doors are supposed to be transparent, but they are “foggy,” I suppose with calcium buildup. I’ve tried your shower cleaner, cleaning vinegar (and put plastic over the doors so it could sit, Mean Green, microfiber cloths, Magic Erasers and plastic scrubbers — all to no avail. Do you know any way to get them clean and transparent again? They make the whole bathroom look dirty!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Diane, you could this a try. Hope it works!
https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/how-to-clean-your-glass-shower-door/