Most of the work in cleaning a bathroom is waiting: letting cleaner sit long enough to loosen soap scum and grime so you aren't scrubbing at it. If you spray everything first and clean in the right order, a full bathroom takes about 30 to 40 minutes, and a weekly touch-up takes 15.
Open the window or run the exhaust fan before you start. Bathroom cleaners are strong in a small room.
Take everything off the counter, the tub ledge and the back of the toilet. Shake out the bath mat and put it, along with the hand towels, in the laundry. Dust the light fixture, the top of the mirror and the exhaust fan cover with a dry cloth. Doing this first means dust falls onto surfaces you haven't cleaned yet.
Spray the tub and shower walls, the inside of the toilet bowl, and the sink. Then leave for 10 minutes. This is the step most people skip, and it's the reason they end up scrubbing hard. Soap scum and body oil need time to soften.
Scrub the walls from the top down with the non-scratch sponge, then the tub. Use the toothbrush on the corners, the faucet base and around the drain. Rinse everything with hot water. If you see white crust on the glass or fixtures, that's mineral buildup, and our hard water stain guide covers it. Dark spots in caulk or grout are usually mildew; see removing mold and mildew.
Wipe the counter, scrub the sink basin and the faucet, and clear the overflow hole with the toothbrush. Clean the mirror last, with glass cleaner and a dry microfiber cloth, using an S-shaped pattern from top to bottom so you don't just push streaks around.
Clean the outside of the toilet before the bowl: tank lid, handle, tank, seat (both sides), hinges, and the base, in that order. The base and the floor around it collect the most germs, so they come last. Then scrub the bowl, getting up under the rim. A wet pumice stone takes off a stubborn ring on a porcelain bowl without scratching it, but keep it wet and press lightly.
Sweep or vacuum first, then wipe the floor, working from the far corner back toward the door. Get behind the toilet and along the baseboards; hair collects there. If the grout lines look dark, our grout cleaning guide explains how to bring it back.
Run the exhaust fan during your shower and for 20 to 30 minutes after. Squeegee the shower glass and walls after each use; it takes 30 seconds and stops both water spots and mildew. Keep a microfiber cloth under the sink for a quick wipe of the counter every couple of days.
Safety: never mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar, or toilet bowl cleaners that contain acid. The combinations release toxic gases. Use one product, rinse, then use the next.
Give it a quick clean once a week, wiping the sink, counter, mirror and toilet and rinsing the shower, and a full top-to-bottom clean every two to four weeks. Bathrooms used by several people may need the toilet and sink done twice a week.
Dust first, spray cleaner on the tub, toilet and sink and let it sit, then clean the shower and tub, the sink and counter, the mirror, the outside of the toilet and then the bowl, and finish with the floor.
On a porcelain bowl, rub the ring gently with a wet pumice stone, keeping the stone and the bowl wet. Most rings are mineral deposits, so an acidic toilet bowl cleaner left to sit for 10 to 15 minutes also works.
No. Bleach mixed with ammonia, vinegar or acidic toilet cleaners releases toxic gases. Use one product at a time and rinse before switching to another.
