I used to absolutely loath cleaning my bathrooms. It was so much work (or so I thought) that I would procrastinate until my husband would threaten to call the health department. One day a friend of mine (a real friend who would actually venture into my formerly filthy house) helped get me into this routine that has helped me maintain my sanity by getting this dirty job done quickly.

She introduced me to the 15-Minute Bathroom Cleaning Routine and my life has never been the same. I was finally free from the drudgery of mildew and soap scum buildup. No more tooth paste petrified on my faucets. Gone was the black ring around the tub that looked like a well placed pinstripe. I was finally free to let the door stay open when company came over. Wow! My family didn’t even recognize the room. They were stunned.

I can honestly say that this room is now my pride and joy. My friends marvel at my cleaning prowess. My bathroom was so bad that it took a little extra effort the first time I used the routine, but after the initial deep cleaning, it was a breeze. You too can overcome the bathroom blues by following these simple and effective twelve steps.

1. Remove the knick knacks and place them in the hallway.
2. Remove the throw rugs and shake them out. Put them in the laundry to be cleaned if needed.
3. Sweep or vacuum the floor.
4. Spray the counter top and let your cleaner do the work*.
5. Spray the mirror and wipe it down.
6. Spray the toilet with cleaner inside and out. Let the cleaner sit.
7. Go back to the counter top. Scrub and wipe it down.
8. Spray the bath tub and shower down (you may not need to do this every week if your bath tub doesn’t get that dirty).
9. Scrub the inside of the toilet with a brush. Flush the toilet to rinse the bowl. Wipe down the outside. Don’t forget the place behind the seat and the outside of the toilet bowl and base.
10. Scrub the tub down and rinse.

Hint: if you want to clean the shower curtain you can wash it by itself in the washing machine in cold water on the delicate cycle. Remove it promptly and hang it back up to drip dry. Never put it in the dryer.

11. If you have linoleum or tile, mop the floor. If the room is small, you can spray your cleaner directly onto the floor and wipe it up with a sponge or cleaning cloth. Let dry for ten to fifteen minutes.
12. Put back the rugs and knick knacks. Check your toilet paper supply. Put out fresh towels.

The whole process should take fifteen minutes, not counting the time to let the floor dry. It will take even less time if you don’t have to clean the tub and shower. I only clean ours once a month because it doesn’t get that dirty.

There are two keys to all of this:

1. Let the cleaner sit long enough to loosen up the dirt and disinfect the surface.

2. Clean the bathroom every week. Pick a day that is your bathroom cleaning day and just do it. When you keep up on your cleaning, it doesn’t become such an insurmountable project.

Cleaning supplies

1. Utility caddy to carry your supplies. The dollar store usually has these.
2. Rubber cleaning gloves.
3. Scrubber and sponge combination designed for cleaning the bathroom.
4. Window cleaner*.
5. All-purpose cleaner*.
6. An old toothbrush to get at those hard to reach areas.
7. One roll of paper towels.
8. Pumice stone for hard water build up in the toilet bowl.
9. Toilet brush (unless you keep one in each bathroom like I do).

That’s it. Good luck little fledglings!

* = Homemade version is available on the Author’s Web site.