Are you exhausted from battling stubborn soap scum, dingy grout, and those mysterious bathroom odors? We get it.
Bathrooms can be a never-ending source of strange smells and even stranger stains. That’s why we consulted cleaning professionals and scoured expert-backed sources to bring you the best, most effective cleaning hacks. These proven strategies can cut your cleaning time in half — so say goodbye to grime and hello to a fresher, cleaner bathroom!
1. Don’t Forget the Sink Overflow
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According to Justin Cornforth, CEO at Ace Home Co., we homeowners tend to overlook one key smelly spot in our bathrooms: the sink overflow hole. According to him, “Since water doesn’t flush through this overflow hole with enough force, moisture, soap residue, and dirt just sit there, turning it into a breeding ground for bacteria and even mold.” That doesn’t paint a pretty picture, now does it?
To clean it, pour baking soda into the hole, follow with vinegar, and let the mixture fizz for 15 minutes. Finish by flushing with hot water using a funnel or turkey baster. Pushing clean water through with a bit more pressure should help keep things from pooling and thus keep the area clean and smelling fresher.
2. Help Your Shower Doors Shine
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Bryan Griffin, founder of Patriot Maids Cleaning Service, says that removing soap scum and water spots is one of the biggest tasks that his team faces in the bathroom. These pesky buildups result from hard water, making them less about your cleaning habits and more about a natural accumulation over time.
Thankfully, Griffin also shares that there is a fairly simple way to take care of the problem. “Mix equal parts white vinegar and dish soap, spray the mixture generously over the area, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes,” he advises. For the finishing touch, gently scrub with a sponge, and you’ll be rewarded with sparkling, streak-free shower doors. “You’ll be amazed at how it cuts through soap scum and leaves everything shining,” Bryan assures. With this simple method, shiny shower glass doesn’t mean hours of endless scrubbing.
3. Deep Clean Your Toilet Tank
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Now, most of us remember to clean our toilet bowls, but at the same time, we also tend to forget about the tank behind it. “You might not even suspect how much mineral buildup and bacteria collect inside due to standing water and sediment from your plumbing. Plus, moisture spikes in the bathroom can lead to mold growth inside the toilet tank” says Cornforth.
So, what should you do to clean it? Cornforth recommends turning off the water supply, flushing to empty the tank out completely, then adding half a cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar. Let that mix sit for 10-15 minutes, scrub down the sides and bottom of the tank, then turn the water back on and flush twice to rinse. But, whatever you do, “don’t use bleach or any other harsh chemicals, as they can damage rubber components and start a corrosion process in metal parts.”
4. Give Your Toilet Bowl a Whitening Boost
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Keeping with the theme of maintaining a clean and fresh-smelling bathroom, Forrest Webber, owner of Bear Brothers Cleaning, shares a simple yet highly effective method for keeping your toilet bowl pretty much spot-free. “For a sparkling clean result, pour one cup of baking soda directly into the toilet bowl, followed by two cups of vinegar,” he explains.
This dynamic duo of natural cleaners combines and immediately starts to tackle stains and buildup. Allow the mixture to sit for 10-15 minutes, then scrub thoroughly from the rim down to the base before flushing. This approach leaves the bowl gleaming and avoids the harshness of chemical cleaners, making it an eco-friendly solution that won’t burn your nose.
5. Brighten Up Your Grout Lines
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Dingy grout isn’t just unappealing to look at; it also has a way of instantly aging the space and making it feel so much dirtier than it might really be. Even the most polished tiles and sparkling mirrors can’t distract from grout lines that are discolored or grimy. Luckily, a quick fix might already be sitting in your pantry.
Griffin suggests a simple yet effective solution involving a mixture of equal parts baking soda and water to create a gentle paste. Armed with an old toothbrush, you can scrub the paste directly into the grout, letting the natural power of baking soda loosen mildew, stains, and grime. Not only is this method environmentally friendly and free from any strong odors, but it’s also incredibly satisfying to see those crispy, clean grout lines reappear.
6. Combat Limescale With White Vinegar
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Hard water can be quite the nuisance in our bathrooms, leaving behind those unsightly chalky mineral deposits that seem to cling to everything, from sinks to showerheads. And, according to Delah Gomasi, CEO of MaidForYou, “The irony in removing this limescale is that you can easily rinse it away, but once the water dries, the residue will reappear.”
The solution? White vinegar. Gomasi recommends dampening a clean cloth with vinegar and wiping down all affected areas to instantly start breaking down the buildup. Harder-to-reach places or more stubborn deposits, like those inside a showerhead, need a little extra attention. He suggests removing the piece, soaking it in vinegar overnight, and rinsing it in the morning for sparkling results. With just a little effort and a common household item, you can restore your bathroom fixtures to their former glory, ensuring they look as bright and clean as the day you installed them.
7. Prevent Foggy Mirrors With Shaving Cream
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Another problem so many of us deal with when it comes to cleaning our bathrooms is how to maintain a streak-free, fog-resistant bathroom. The answer, surprisingly, is shaving cream! Just apply a small dab of foam shaving cream — not gel — to a microfiber cloth and buff it into the mirror in circular motions. Make sure to cover the entire mirror so you won’t get pesky streaky spots up in the corners or along the sides. This will help remove smudges as well as create a barrier that lessens condensation buildup after all those steamy showers.
According to Gomasi, this method can even outperform traditional glass cleaners when tackling stubborn grime. “This might be debatable, but I find shaving cream even more effective than glass cleaner when it comes to removing dried toothpaste and soap scum!” he says. For best results, work with a small amount of shaving cream and focus on cleaning one section of the mirror at a time. Once the cream has been buffed in completely and is no longer visible, take a moment to inspect for missed spots and reapply as needed.
8. Keep Away Soap Scum With Car Windscreen Repellant
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Soap scum is the bane of many a bathroom cleaner’s existence, but how do you help keep it away from good? Well, professional cleaner Evie Graham of Waste Direct UK says that if you want to prevent soap scum on your bathroom tiles or glass surfaces, your best bet is something you might not expect: car windscreen repellant.
According to Graham, “the coating prevents soap scum buildup and reduces cleaning frequency significantly.” It is a quick and easy fix — just spray it on and let it dry, and that should be enough to keep your tiles and glass surfaces streak-free for longer.
9. Self-Cleaning Bathtub Hack
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Cleaning the bathtub is a chore in and of itself, but Gomasi shares a hassle-free solution that makes it a lot easier: let it clean itself! According to him, “What I love about this bathtub cleaning hack is that it’s natural and takes the elbow grease out of the task for me.” Sounds like a win-win in our book.
Start by filling your tub with hot water. Then add 1-2 cups of white vinegar and ½-1 cups of baking soda before letting it sit for 30 minutes. Swish the water around, give the walls and bottom a good scrub with a brush, then drain and rinse. Your bathtub should be bright and shining again.
10. Clean Those Overlooked Spots
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Graham’s last hack is more advice, but it is valuable nevertheless. She highlights just how often we miss areas that contribute greatly to bathroom odors, like light switches, extractor fan covers, and showerheads. In fact, “In a recent deep clean for a Manchester client, we found their persistent bathroom odor came from product buildup inside their fan cover, not their drains. ”
Moisture and product residue can accumulate in these places, spreading bacteria and creating nasty smells to build up. Cleaning them monthly can add to your overall chore chart, but it will also seriously help improve bathroom freshness.
