The Continuously Clean Bathroom: Bathroom Cleaning Ideas
by Brandie Valenzuela
While housework isn't my favorite activity no matter what, there is one
area that I can't stand. The bathroom. If at all possible, I will avoid
cleaning the bathroom until it is so pathetically dirty that even a
spider would rather find a new place to build his new home.
I do believe though that my first step to bathroom cleaning recovery was
recognizing that I had a problem. Okay, I have recognized it. I have
also decided that my family does deserve better, so for them, I will do
my best to whistle while I work and keep a bathroom that all will love
and adore -- if it is at all possible.
Now, before you think I have totally surrendered to the porcelain throne
-- I have not. What I have done is decided to make my bathrooms
virtually self cleaning, so that I can spend my time doing other fun
things. I know that I am not alone in my problem, so I am willing to
share my five rules for the continuously clean bathroom with you.
Rule # 1: Start with a clean bathroom. Don't even think
of trying to have a continuously clean bathroom, if you are going to
start with a dirty one. Believe me, I have tried. It doesn't work.
Rule # 2: Everyday take a piece of toilet paper and wipe off the
back of the toilet behind the hinges. You know the place. Wipe
it even if it doesn't appear to be dirty.
Rule # 3: Dry or squeegie your shower walls, doors, and tub
after bathing. Teach your children how to do this, too. This
will virtually eliminate needing to clean your shower. The only way to
avoid rule # 3 is if you want to use a "daily shower" cleaning product,
that allows you to mist it on your walls and doors and leave it.
Rule # 4: Everyday, quickly wipe your counters and sink with a
damp cloth. If you wish, you can use a premoistened bathroom
cleaning cloth product or even baby wipes. It even works to use a piece
of toilet paper if your sink doesn't have too much gunky stuff (like
toothpaste) in it. Put a hook or nail under your sink to hold your cloth
so that is can dry between uses. Be sure to to launder your cloth once a
week.
Rule # 5: Erase the evidence. After taking a bath or
shower, getting ready for the day, or even just using the potty, make
sure when you leave the bathroom there is no evidence that you have been
there. This means putting your dirty clothes in the hamper, putting away
styling products, flushing the toilet, and so on. Believe it or not,
this is easy for preschool age and up to do if you make it a game. Play
detective and tell them not to leave any evidence that they were there!
While the five rules for a continuously clean bathroom are wonderful and
will save you a lot of time in the long run, it is not the total answer.
Once a week you will still need to go in and do a detailed cleaning of
your bathroom. The good news is that if you have been following all five
of the rules, your weekly cleaning of the bathroom will take you very
little time. I can easily clean my bathroom from top to bottom in about
ten minutes now that I have been following my five rules.
©2004 Brandie Valenzuela
About the Author:
Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children, who also
works fulltime from her home designing products and writing articles for
the scrapbook industry. She is a proud design team member of Pages of
the Heart at
http://www.pagesoftheheart.net -- a free resource site for
scrappers. She also maintains her own website at:
http://scrapbookingwithbrandie.4t.com
