Clean light fixtures first while they are off and still cool. Feather dust first. If needed, use a only slightly damp rag, or a paper towel sprayed with glass cleaner. Bulbs will break or explode easily if you clean them when they are hot, not to mention the possibility of getting burned.
Feather dust around the ceiling and window treatments.
The tub or shower area is cleaned with a soap scum remover like Scrubbing Bubbles or Scrub Free. Rinse thoroughly. Polish with glass cleaner to give everything a nice shine.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check manufacturer’s instructions for special surfaces. You can very easily ruin granite, marble, or travertine if you use the wrong cleaners.
Shower doors are cleaned inside and out. Use soap scum remover and rinse thoroughly before cleaning with glass cleaner. If you have hard water stains, you may have to use what I call the wear away principle. You can use a soap scum remover and a scrubby sponge or Magic Eraser. If the cleaner still does not work, try Soft scrub, (the gel is best for this job).
What’s the wear away principle? You work at it a little each time you clean until it’s worn away. It didn’t get that way overnight, so don’t expect that it will go away by magic.
Another way to do shower doors is to use a scrubby sponge and straight vinegar. If you can handle the smell, everything will be clean and shiny in a jiffy. Just bear in mind that the hard water deposits may take a few times to get completely if you have a good build up. Don’t drive yourself crazy over it. Just keep at it.
I have to be honest here. We did have 2 lakefront homes where we never could get the water spots off the glass doors no matter what we tried. So frustrating.
Another thing you can try is wetting the door down and scraping with a plastic razor/scraper. If you use a regular razor blade, you risk scratching.
If needed, treat mold with a mildew remover, (my favorite is Clorox Clean-up). The best way to do this is to spray the mold and let the cleaner work for a while. Because these cleaners contain bleach, you have to be careful to not mix cleaners, and you don’t want to get it on the metal finishes. It will pit them. If you do get it on metal, rinse immediately!
If you have an extreme mold build up, spray with Clorox Clean-up. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Scrub with a scrubby sponge or a scrub brush. Spray again and walk away and let it work.
OK, you’re saying the mold problem is really bad? Like your grout is black? Spray it down with Clorox Clean-up, and leave the room. Do this every day until the problem is gone. I swear on a stack of bibles. I’ve had a few of these. Remember that you do not want to get bleach products on your chrome. Have a cup of water handy to throw over the drain to rinse it before you leave.
Shower curtains can also be treated with mildew remover. Spray it down and leave it work. Or they can be washed with bleach and an old towel in the washing machine. If it is in good condition to begin with, it will come out looking like new.
Have a rust problem?
The Works has a new product called Limeosol. It works great, but the fumes are terrible. Spray and leave! (Again, don’t leave it on the metal finishes.)
Save Yourself A Lot Of Time and Frustration –
You will find shower cleaning – especially glass doors- is a lot easier if you use a daily shower spray, or a shower squeegee, or wipe the walls and doors down with a towel when you get out of the shower. I use a squeegee from the dollar store, and I rarely have to buy bathroom cleaner.
Plain old Comet is still the best thing on porcelain tubs. Wet the tub. Sprinkle the comet and with a wet sponge, coat the tub. Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe down and rinse. If any stains remain, you can spritz some Clorox Clean-Up on it after you have made sure all of the other cleaners are completely rinsed away. You don’t want to be creating toxic gases!
The toilet seat and lid, tank and outside of bowl are cleaned with regular cleaner on all sides. Make sure to clean thoroughly around all connections. Make sure you rinse before cleaning the inside of the bowl so you don’t risk mixing cleaners.
Toilet bowl is cleaned with bowl cleaner. Make sure to get under the rim. If you get rust, my favorite cleaner for speed is The Works. Lysol works great for most people and smells a lot better though…
Mirrors are cleaned with glass cleaner.
Sink is cleaned either with the soap scum remover and glass cleaned – give a quick wipe with a paper towel to shine it up.
Wipe cabinet fronts down with a damp rag.
If there are tile walls, they should be wiped down on a regular basis and shined up with glass cleaner. Regular walls need to be wiped down once in a while too. Every week, use the floor and duster attachments on your vacuum to suck up that dust that collects in bathrooms before you wash the floor. Mine gets awful if I don’t keep on top of it.
Rugs and floor are vacuumed and floor washed once a week. Don’t forget the baseboards. Get all those corners, under the cabinets, and behind the toilet. Throw the rugs in the wash as needed.
Keep supplies for cleaning the bathroom in the bathroom. Including a bottle of glass cleaner and a roll of paper towels. If you are going to go the vinegar route, buy a new spray bottle and fill it with white vinegar.
Once you have control of the bathroom, you can clean the entire thing in 10 minutes. It will be so shiny that people will swear you have a housekeeper hidden somewhere.
Speed Version
Here’s a plan to keep your bathroom clean in 10 minutes – top to bottom –
But don’t putter, don’t stop and admire your work. That’s another reason people take so long to clean house. Focus! Do the steps and get out of there!
4 steps, about 2-3 minutes a day- and you’ll never have to deal with soap scum build up or scrubbing the bathroom ever again.
The tools you’ll need-
* a shower squeegee
* paper towels
* glass cleaner
* Soap Scum Remover (not mold remover!)
* Toilet Cleaner
It’s a good idea to have Clorox Clean-Up on hand too. Very handy stuff.
These supplies should be kept in the bathroom to make things go faster, and to remove procrastination. Splurge on the extra bottle of glass cleaner and an extra roll of paper towels to keep in the bathroom.
Here are the 4 steps-
- When you get out of the shower, after you have dried off and put on your lotions and such… do a once over on the shower walls with the squeegee, or spray down with daily shower spray. Method is awesome.
- Take 2 pieces of paper towel and clean in this order-mirror, counters, quick wipe over towel bars, chrome in shower, and toilet cover, seat, and lip. Throw paper towel away.
- Do one of these chores each day or two-
* Spray tub with cleaner and do a quick wipe down with wet rag or sponge, or
* Clean the toilet, or
* Do a quick wipe up of the floor, or
* Do a quick cleaning on your shower doors, if you have them, or if you have a shower curtain- spray any spots with Clorox Cleanup. Each of these only take seconds if you don’t let it get bad in the first place.
4. Watch for any mold, or discoloring of the grout. Spray with Clorox Cleanup and just let it work. (just don’t get any cleaners with bleach on any chrome, it will ruin it! Can I say that enough?)
Once a week, check light fixtures, check for cobwebs, and dust window treatments.
That’s it. Your bathroom will always look terrific, and it’ll be a lot healthier too. Don’t let build up happen in the first place. Keeping it clean in the first place is so much easier than trying to clean it later after it’s all caked and built up.
Try it, you’ll see 
