How to Clean a Bathroom Quickly and Thoroughly

A thorough bathroom cleaning does not need to take an hour. With the right sequence and the right products always on hand, a complete bathroom clean from top to bottom can be accomplished in 15 to 20 minutes. The key is working in the right order and letting cleaners do the work while you handle other tasks.

Spray Everything First, Then Wipe

The most time-efficient bathroom cleaning sequence is to spray all surfaces with cleaner first — the toilet, the sink, the countertop, the shower walls — and then go back and wipe everything. While the cleaner sits and dissolves soap scum and mineral deposits, you can handle the non-spray tasks: emptying the trash, shaking out the bath mat, replacing towels. By the time you get back to the surfaces, the cleaner has done most of the work.

The Toilet Brush Lives in Cleaner

Keeping the toilet brush in a container with a small amount of disinfectant eliminates the bacteria and odor problem that makes most toilet brushes unpleasant to use. Replace the liquid weekly. A good toilet brush used weekly makes toilet deep-cleaning unnecessary — the surface buildup never has a chance to accumulate.

Squeegee the Shower After Every Use

A 30-second squeegee of the shower walls after each use eliminates 75 to 80 percent of the soap scum and mineral deposit buildup that makes shower cleaning so labor-intensive. It is the single maintenance habit with the highest return on time invested for bathroom cleanliness.