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Here are some tips for cleaning your bathroom quickly.  You will want to do a deep cleaning more often, like once a week, but these tips will keep your bathroom looking great in the meantime!  This whole process will take you about five-ten minutes (more if you live in my house and try to do this when all of the kids are home. haha! ♥) 

A bathroom counter with text above it.


Bathrooms need to be cleaned often because of mold (it can grow in as little as 48 hours) and, well… mess!  Bathrooms tend to be another gathering place for clothes, hair ties, brushes, makeup, and even toys.

clean bathroom quickly

Step 1: Get prepared: Gather up your cleaning items.

First things first, let’s get our cleaning supplies together. Grab an all-purpose cleaner or some handy disinfecting wipes, a glass cleaner for that mirror shine, a soft cloth or some trusty paper towels, a toilet bowl cleaner and brush, and a handy trash bag. Having everything ready will save you time and make the cleaning process a breeze.

Step 2: Clean up the mess- Clear the Clutter 

This should only take you about a minute or two.  If it takes you longer today, tomorrow will take you under a minute because you are doing the bulk of the work today… from now on, it will just be maintaining it.

Take a quick look around your bathroom and remove any clutter. Put away any items that don’t belong, like stray toiletries or kids’ toys. Start by clearing the countertops. Work from the left to the right. Don’t skip over anything. Clearing the clutter will give you a clean slate to work with and it’ll only take you a few minutes.

Step 3: Wipe Down Surfaces

Grab your cleaner and swiftly wipe down all the surfaces in your bathroom. Start with the countertops, sinks, and faucets, making sure to remove any toothpaste splatters or water spots. Don’t forget the edges of the sink and faucet handles! Move on to the mirror, giving it a spritz of glass cleaner and wiping away any smudges. The surfaces will be gleaming in no time!

Step 4: Tackle the Toilet

Now let’s focus on the toilet. Apply a toilet bowl cleaner to the inside of the bowl and let it work its magic while you tackle the exterior. Grab those disinfecting wipes or a damp cloth and wipe down the toilet seat, lid, and tank. Give the bowl a quick scrub with a toilet brush, making sure to reach under the rim and around the edges. Finally, give it a flush to complete the task. This is the worst job, in my opinion (it could be because we have three sons!) Luckily, it is quick.  It takes about 45 seconds to clean if you are doing it daily.  

Step 5: Sweep or Vacuum the Floor

If you have a couple extra minutes, grab a broom or a vacuum cleaner and give the bathroom floor a quick sweep or vacuum. Pay attention to areas near the toilet and sink where hair and dust tend to accumulate. If time is tight, don’t worry, you can always come back to this step later. (I wash the bathroom floors when I wash our hardwood floors. It makes it simple because I’m already using the mop.)
TIP: Pick up any clothes or towels that are on the floor. Toss them into your laundry basket. This will immediately make the room look more tidy.

Step 6: Empty the Trash.

Before you finish up, don’t forget to empty the trash can. Take out the bag, tie it up, and replace it with a fresh one. A tidy bathroom includes a fresh and empty trash can.

Step 7: Finishing Touches

Take a moment to assess the overall appearance of your bathroom. Fluff up the towels, straighten any misplaced items, and make sure everything looks visually pleasing. These little finishing touches go a long way in creating a welcoming atmosphere.

How Often Should I Clean the Bathroom?

Check out which rooms & areas need to be cleaned daily, weekly, or monthly with my detailed ‘Cleaning Schedule.’

Get the Cleaning List

I’d love to send you my daily cleaning list, along with my Daily/Weekly/Montlhy cleaning list. What is your e-mail address? I’ll send it right over (along with my free e-mail series on decluttering!)

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That’s It! (unless you have MORE time)

There you have it —a clean and fresh family bathroom in under ten minutes! By following these simple steps, you can maintain a tidy space without feeling overwhelmed. Remember, cleaning doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a positive mindset and a bit of organization, you can create a welcoming bathroom that will make everyone feel right at home. Happy cleaning, and enjoy your sparkling bathroom!

Do you have a few more minutes to clean? Let’s tackle the shower & tub!

If so, let’s move on to the shower & bathtub. You’ll need an all-purpose cleaner, vinegar, a scrub brush or sponge, an old toothbrush, a microfiber cloth or paper towel, and a squeegee.

bath tub

Step One: Clear the Clutter. Start by removing any unnecessary items from the tub and shower area. Gather shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and other products that are cluttering the space. Set them aside temporarily, and we’ll address organizing them later.

Step Two: Clean the Shower Head. Every 3-6 months, you’ll want to clean the shower head. To do this, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and secure it over the shower head, making sure it is completely submerged. Leave it for about 30 minutes to break down any mineral deposits. Remove the bag, scrub the shower head gently with an old toothbrush, and wipe away any residue with a damp cloth.

clean a shower head with vinegar

Step Three: Clean the Glass Doors (if applicable). If your shower has glass doors, I’ve found that The Pink Stuff works WONDERS! I use a wet cloth to apply it, rubbing it on in circles (I scrub it while applying it).

Then I just rinse it off with my shower head. (If you don’t have a shower head that reaches the doors, just splash water onto it using a cup).

Step 4: Clean the bathtub. Clear everything out of the bathtub and apply your cleaner. Begin scrubbing the bathtub surfaces, paying attention to areas with stains or residue. Use circular motions and apply gentle pressure to remove dirt and grime. Don’t forget the corners, edges, and the area around the drain.

TIP: CLEAN THE BATHTUB TOYS (here’s how I do it weekly.) When our kids were young, I kept a cute “bath” basket, and I kept it on the edge of the tub (see below). I washed it (in the washing machine) every week.

tub 2

Step 5: Tackle the Drains: Remove any visible debris or hair using a drain-cleaning stick (like the one below) to keep the drains flowing smoothly.

Next, pour a baking soda and vinegar mixture down the drain, followed by hot water. This will help remove buildup and keep the drains fresh.

Step 6: Organize Shampoos and Soaps. Now that we have a clean tub and shower, it’s time to organize the products. Discard any expired or unused items to minimize clutter and create a tidy space. Put them back into the shower and tub (once the area is dry.)

That’s it! You’ve successfully cleaned the tub and shower in your family bathroom. By following these detailed yet easy-to-follow steps, you’ve created a fresh, clean, welcoming bathroom.

How to Organize The Bathroom:

If you want a detailed guide to how we organized our bathroom when our children were young, this post about how we organize the bathroom is for you!

Look at our daily, weekly, or monthly with my detailed ‘Cleaning Schedule‘ to see when you’ll need to clean these things again.

Get the Cleaning List

I’d love to send you my daily cleaning list, along with my Daily/Weekly/Montlhy cleaning list. What is your e-mail address? I’ll send it right over (along with my free e-mail series on decluttering!)

Powered by ConvertKit

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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8 Comments

  1. This was such a good amount of advice now I’ve almost got to 4 mins in cleaning the bathroom my chlidren want to clean the bathroom now AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. These are very useful tips on cleaning out the bathroom. We can produce up to 30 litres of moisture every day in our households – steam from cooking cleaning, showers and washing and we have a recipe for mould growth and increased dustmite populations. Thus cleaning the bathroom helps in removing dampness and mold growth. An adequate ventilation is very necessary to keep home fresh and healthy.

  3. Great info here, and i love the translation chart 🙂 As for the Vinegar, “Essenz”, can I also buy that at Rossmann? I like all that about letting things soak and coming back after a long while!

    I really do need to be more vigilant about my cleaning so that it doesn’t get to this point. I just haven’t figured out yet how to make one of these intermediary cleans “feel” like a small enough job to really want to do. It seems to me like I have to wipe everything off anyway, so in my mind it seems like a monumental task… oh if my mother could hear that!

  4. Thanks for those useful tips. Great article and photos. Keep up with the good work.

    Kind regards, Sarah

  5. how about cleaning the hard water stains from toilet bowl? Will the vinegar work? Besides, I have been using poo pourri to fight against odor from the toilets. Works great for me!

  6. Great tips! I think this is great if you hate cleaning because If you just tell yourself, this will only take five minutes you have more of a chance to get it done and you get a clean bathroom out of it!