The Bathroom

If there was a chore to be loved- cleaning the bathroom would be one of mine. (But rest assured- I don't love it. If I never had to do it again my whole life- I could still die happy.) But using a freshly cleaned shower with fresh towels- Ah!


A couple years ago I read all about "green" cleaning. I read all about it- everywhere. I was trying to get rid of some major allergies in our house, and wanted to make sure I'd covered all my bases. (Not only in the things we ate and the meds we used, but in my cleaning as well)


What I learned in a nut-shell. "green" cleaning can be really cheap or really expensive. Both work about the same.


I'd consider myself a middle of the road "green" cleaner (mainly because I like paper towels:) though I don't use them to clean the bathroom...) My favorite all purpose cleaner (that I especially like to clean the floor with) is Mrs. Meyers. It smells so good! But it's a luxury.


I thought I'd give you a run-down on the bathroom cleaning routine at my house.

1. Put everything away and sweep the floor. (throw towels/bath mats in the wash)


2. Put toilet bowl stuff in the bowl. (I'm currently using Seventh Generation. I've used Target's Method brand. whatever is on sale. Or if I'm really out- distilled vinegar works too. And I know in my head that it works- I just like the heavy duty stuff in the toilet bowl- ya know?)

3. spray shower down with white vinegar (in a spray bottle)

4. Spray counter and toilet with all-purpose cleaner. 

5. Sprinkle baking soda around tub and sink faucets.(For extra scrub-factor)

6. Scrub counter- tub- toilet. I use a sponge and a toothbrush for those hard to reach nooks and crannies.(Hint- if you keep up on the bathroom cleaning- there's very little genuine scrubbing involved.)

7. Take a cup and with some water and rinse everything off. (On the counter- guide the water toward the sink. It will go down the drain in the tub. It will go in the toilet and on the floor around the toilet. This is okay because you should have scrubbed that area anyway, and it needs to be cleaned anyway)

8. Get a cleaning towel and wipe of excess water from off the counter, back of the toilet,  toilet seat, and floor.

9. Clean the mirror 

10. Take a bucket and small cleaning cloth and clean the floor (I use all-purpose cleaner)


11. Hang up new towels 

Done.


A very wise woman at my church said to time your chores to see how long they really take (because it's less time than you think). That way, when you are dreading doing them, you can reason with yourself- it will only take ___ to do this. This bathroom routine takes 15 min. tops.


I clean the bathroom once a week. Sometimes the counters and mirror get an extra spray and wipe down mid-week. 

I am a cleaning towel user. (It was ingrained in me from childhood- and I like them) We have bath size towels, hand towel size, and wash cloth size. They are all white and from Costco. The advantage to the towels is that you have a lot of surface area for cleaning and they are very absorbent. (Microfiber towels would work, too. But they were not the rage when I got my cleaning towels 6.5 years ago.) We use them for everything- so nice to have around.


All-purpose cleaners: It really depends on your preference. You can make your own or buy some. If I'm buying it- I like to get the concentrated kind and add water. I love the Mrs. Meyers, but it's kind of pricey. I've also used Method and 7th generation. They were fine too.


Kinds I've made: water with Spice of life essential oil; water with Grape Seed Extract and peppermint essential oil. I especially love to give these to my girls when they are helping clean. They smell so good! and even if they sucked on the spray bottle and drank the stuff, it wouldn't hurt them.


You can get a huge jug of distilled white vinegar and a huge bag of baking soda at Costco for really cheap. 


And that, ladies and gentleman, is bathroom cleaning 101.