Even after cleaning, you can expect your bathroom to contain mold, bacteria, stains, and bad odors.
So, it’s important to keep it clean and with the right cleaning materials.
Bleach is one of many effective cleaning products. It kills germs, removes odors, and brightens the bathroom’s surface.
After taking some necessary safety precautions, you can continue to use bleach as a great cleaner.
Here’s a complete guide on how to clean a bathroom with bleach.
Steps on How to Clean a Bathroom with Bleach
You should know that it’s safe to clean your bathroom with bleach. All you must do is dilute it and not mix it with other cleaners.
You should especially not mix it with ammonia. Doing so will create a toxic gas.
With that said, bleach is an effective disinfectant. It is recommended that you use it at least once a week to keep your bathroom clean at all times.
If many people use that bathroom, then clean it more often.
Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1. Know That You Should Not Clean Bathroom Tiles with Bleach
Bathroom tiles come in various materials. Most of these materials may not react well to a harsh cleaner such as bleach.
If you do plan to clean your tiles at the same time, then make sure to use a vinegar solution instead.
It’s safe to clean your ceramic and porcelain bathroom tiles with vinegar. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are among the most commonly used tile materials.
However, you should try to avoid using vinegar or bleach on porcelain, marble, and natural stone tiles. It may ruin the finish on the tiles.
If you’re using vinegar, use it as a diluted disinfectant and not too often.
Moreover, you should not use abrasive cloths, brushes, or sponges on tiles because they may scratch them.
Step 2. Gather the Required Cleaning Materials for the Process
It’s best to gather all the cleaning materials you need before you start cleaning the bathroom.
As a result, you’ll limit interruptions in the bathroom cleaning process.
Here are the cleaning materials you will need to clean your bathroom.
- Two spray bottles
- A broom to remove loose dirt
- Any soft sponge (make sure to pick one that won’t scratch the surface of any part of your bathroom)
- Different toilet brushes for cleaning the inside of the bowl and outside
- Bleach
- Some vinegar for cleaning the tiles
- A small bucket for mixing the solutions
- A tablespoon and a measuring cup or another cup for dilution
- Any small mop to finish cleaning the bathroom floor tiles
Step 3. Perform a Quick Sweep of the Bathroom Floor
Remove all fabric materials from your bathroom when you’re about to clean it.
After that, it helps to perform a quick sweep of the bathroom floor to ensure that there’s no loose dirt or debris.
Make sure that the entire bathroom is completely dry before sweeping it. If you don’t have enough time to let it dry, consider mopping it instead.
You should consider this step if you’re cleaning the entire bathroom. It will save your time and effort if you clean everything at once.
Cleaning your bathroom frequently also means that you don’t have to put much effort into cleaning it.
Step 4. Prepare the Bathroom for Cleaning
Bleach can be harmful to you and those around you. Therefore, it is vital that you first prepare the bathroom by making sure it’s well-ventilated.
So, open up all windows in the bathroom and turn on the exhaust fan.
At the same time, you should make sure that no one is allowed to enter the bathroom while you work. Make sure that you close the room door.
This way, your children or pet cannot get into the bathroom.
Step 5. Wear the Appropriate Safety Attire
In addition to improving the ventilation in the bathroom, it’s best that you wear a mask. The mask will prevent you from breathing in the fumes of bleach.
Bleach can damage your skin if it comes into contact with it. So, you should wear a pair of rubber gloves when cleaning the bathroom.
Wear gloves that also cover a considerable part of your forearm too.
In addition to protecting your skin, the gloves will also prevent germs from getting directly onto your hands.
You especially want to avoid letting germs from getting under your fingernails.
Step 6. Create the Bleach Cleaning Solution
Put about a tablespoon of bleach into a bucket for every gallon of water.
You can make the solution stronger by adding half a cup or about three-quarters of a cup of bleach in a gallon of water.
You should only consider using a less diluted bleach solution if you haven’t deep-cleaned your bathroom in a while.
Mix the contents together in the bucket and fill the cleaning solution into a spray bottle.
You may need a greater amount of cleaning solution than one gallon if you have a large bathroom.
So, if you’re increasing the amount of solution in the bucket, make sure to follow one of the mixture ratios mentioned above.
You should also note that you should not prepare the diluted bleach solution beforehand.
Instead, create the solution and start using it to clean your bathroom right away.
Bleach does not have a long shelf life. Thus, it loses its potency and will not be an effective cleaning agent.
Step 7. Start Cleaning the Toilet First
The toilet is undeniably the dirtiest part of your bathroom.
So, you should clean that before anything else.
Begin with Cleaning the Bowl Outside and Then Clean the Inside
You should spray the outside bowl of your toilet first. Make sure to get enough bleach solution all over the toilet.
After that, you should spray the inside of the bowl generously. You should tilt and lower the spray bottle a bit so that you can spritz the underside of the rim of the bowl.
Once the entire toilet is drenched in the bleach solution, you should scrub it.
Use your toilet brush to scrub the inside of the bowl while also clean the floor of the toilet. Let the solution sit for about minutes.
Next, start scrubbing the outside bowl with another brush. Try to get the brush to reach some of the hard-to-reach areas.
A thorough cleaning will prevent odors and harmful bacteria growth.
Step 8. Clean the Bathroom Sink
After scrubbing the toilet, you should clean the bathroom sink.
While you let the bleach solution sit on the toilet, start spritzing the sink.
Like cleaning the toilet bowl, use a brush to quickly scrub the outside and inside of the sink. You can let the solution sit after that.
Step 9. Clean the Bathroom Tiles
The final step is to quickly clean your bathroom tiles. Make sure to use a dilute vinegar solution to clean bathroom tiles to prevent them from getting damaged.
All you need to do is create a solution of half a cup of white vinegar in about a quarter gallon of water.
Mix the two liquids well and put the solution in a spray bottle.
Spritz the Bathroom Tiles
Use the second spray bottle to spritz the bathroom floor tiles with the cleaning solution. After that, you simply have to mop the entire bathroom floor.
Mop your bathroom floor tiles, moving from one end of the bathroom to the other.
Move it in small circular motions on some stained tiles. Next, you have to rinse the entire bathroom.
Step 10. Rinse the Bathroom
You must rinse the entire bathroom by first starting with the toilet. Move onto rinsing the sink after that, and then rinse the floor.
You will need a bucket full of clean water for this process. Flush the toilet to clean the inside of the bowl. Use a sponge or rag for the outside.
Rinsing the floor can be tricky. You will need to clean your mop first. Next, soak it in a bucket of clean water and begin mopping the floor.
Keep soaking it in clean water as you mop the floor.
When you reach halfway through rinsing the floor, replace the water in the bucket.
Eventually, the water in the bucket won’t be clean enough to rinse the floor properly.
Step 11. Let the Bathroom Air-Dry
The final step of this process is to leave the bathroom to air-dry.
Make sure to leave the window open and the exhaust on during this time too.
It will help prevent any bleach smell from lingering in the bathroom.
Last Few Words
While you should clean your toilet and sink at least once a week, you can clean the tiles once a month.
If you have time on your hands, try to clean it more frequently.
Furthermore, you could put your shower curtains in the wash when cleaning your bathroom.
This way, your entire bathroom will be clean and smelling fresh when you’re done cleaning.
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