You probably chose apartment life for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was so that you wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money or time on home maintenance, right? Let’s face it … who wants to spend all day scrubbing toilets when there’s probably a beautiful swimming pool, excellent fitness center or some fun resident activity just a few steps away?
Candlelit bubble bath
You’re about to be let in on a fantastic secret—everything you need to know to get your bathroom (or even more than one) sparkling and sanitized. We’re not talking clean “looking” … we’re talking mother-would-approve, genuine, healthfully clean in less than fifteen minutes. Ready? Set? Go!
The Supplies
- Paper towels – I like shop towels because they’re durable. You’ll find them in the automotive section of WalMart. If you want to go green, pick up some reusable microfiber cloths. But really, any old roll of garden-variety paper towels will do.
- A roll of newspaper. I know this sounds weird, but trust me. Newspaper.
- Personally, I hate them, but I have sensitive skin; plus, they cut down on your exposure to germs while you’re in the process of eradicating them.
- Glass and mirror cleaner—think Windex or the generic equivalent. Some people swear by white vinegar, and if you want to go the all-natural route, put some in a spray bottle and pat yourself on the back for being so smart and green.
- Disinfecting bathroom cleaner—preferably a non-toxic one since it’s better for you and the environment, too.
- Toilet cleaner.
- An empty container for dirty cloths or paper towels. I like to hang a plastic grocery bag on the door handle so I can grab it and trash it when I’m done.
- A caddy or container for storing and carrying all of the above. Assemble this awesome toolkit once and you’ll be good to go for many, many speed cleaning sessions to come.
- Note: There are lots of great ways to accomplish all that we’re about to detail with home-made, chemical-free cleaners; so if you’d prefer not to use commercial or potentially toxic disinfectants, just do a little searching online. You’ll find more recipes for healthy house cleaning preparations than you can ever possibly make.
The Strategy
- Pop on the gloves if you want to protect your hands. Even non-chemical cleaners can be harsh on your skin.
- Start with the mirrors. Spray them with the glass and mirror cleaner and then wipe them clean. Here’s where the newspaper comes in … crumple up a sheet to soften it up a bit and use it to wipe off the mirror for a beautiful streak-free and lint-free finish.
- Move on to the sink, toilet and tub/shower and spray them all down with disinfecting cleaner. Let it sit and do its thing while you…
- Swish the toilet clean. Use your preferred toilet cleaner and a good brush to scrub down the inside of the toilet bowl and rim.
- Spritz a little cleaner onto a paper towel and wipe down all the baseboards.
- Finally, wipe down the entire outside of the toilet (don’t forget the seat and tank) with a clean, damp cloth, then discard (you don’t want to use this cloth on anything else in the bathroom).
- Rinse the tub/shower then wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth; then do the same to the sink.
- Don’t toss paper towels that you used on the sink and tub yet … before you trash them, use them to wipe down the baseboards and walls, and even the floors.
- Now, look at yourself in your beautiful, streak-free mirror and congratulate yourself on being able to go out and play, knowing that your bathroom is clean!
There you have it … a clean bathroom in 15 fast minutes or less! Repeat once a week to keep things on the up and up, adding a couple of deeper cleaning steps like mopping the floor, dusting shelves, organizing toiletries (be sure to throw away expired medications and products, including makeup that’s past its prime), dusting light fixtures, and/or genuinely scrubbing the bathtub once every month or so.
