Bathroom Spring Cleaning Checklist

• microfiber cleaning cloths {these will bring up dirt and grime much better than standard cloths}
• all-purpose spray {I usually just use a water bottle with 50/50 vinegar and water and some lemon or grapefruit essential oils}.  I also love the Watkins all purpose cleaners {especially the grapefruit and the coconut scents!}
• microfiber polishing cloth {I love my Norwex one}
• toilet bowl cleaner
• 2000 Flushes tablet {optional for a longer lasting clean}
• dusting mitt or other duster
• dish soap {I like Dawn}
• toothbrush
• baking soda {I keep mine in a shaker bottle}
• vacuum
• mop or steam cleaner {I use the HomeRight steam machine plus} or a bleach cleaner for disinfecting
• garbage bag{s}, donation bin/clutter bin

Quick Tidy-Up/Declutter
While the focus of these spring cleaning guides is on the actual cleaning process, you do need to have things relatively tidied to be able to get in and do a good cleaning.  This is NOT a major decluttering or organization of your bathroom {but you can just search bathroom organization ideas if you want to do that later!} – you just want to get things cleared off the countertops that don’t belong there and put obvious items away that do belong there. It should really just take a couple of minutes. I recommend having a bin to put things in that need to be put away elsewhere, as well as a garbage bag, and a donation basket {just for things that you come across}.

Remove all items from surfaces.
Place items out of the way just outside of the bathroom.  It may seem like a pain but it will save you time in the long run and give you a more thorough clean.  When you are cleaning surfaces always work from top to bottom and from one side of the room to the other so you are not knocking dust or dirt into sections that you have already cleaned.

Gather up all laundry.
Throw dirty towels, shower curtains, window curtains, and any bath mats into a pile for the wash. You will likely have a couple of loads to do {especially if you have multiple bathrooms} so you might want to start a load before you get started cleaning. I like to add about 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle to help get rid of any musty smells and help fluff up the towels .  Make sure you run your washer on warm instead of hot if you are washing a plastic shower curtain and remove it immediately to hang to dry.  It is also a good idea to throw a towel or two into the laundry with the shower curtain if you do not have anything else in there.

Clean Surfaces
Working from top to bottom and from one side of the room to the other so you do not mess up areas that you have already cleaned.

Walls/Backsplash – Wipe down walls with a microfiber cloth using warm water and a little dish soap or a 50:50 water/vinegar mixture.  Pay particular attention to the areas around the toilet and sink.  NOTE: If you have a marble backsplash or other natural stone DO NOT use vinegar as it can damage it.  For disinfecting, use a steam cleaner or bleach cleaner.

Cabinets – Wipe down cabinets/drawer fronts with your microfiber cloth and a water/vinegar spray.  To perk up your wood cabinets and add a protective coating, use some wood oils to finish things off.  Polish knobs and drawer pulls.

Countertops – Wipe down countertops with an all purpose spray and a microfiber cloth.  DO NOT use vinegar on granite countertops – a little dish soap and warm water should do the trick.  Pay extra attention to getting into all corners.  Dry and polish with a microfiber polishing cloth. Once the counter is clean, wipe down or dust items that you have removed from the counter and place back where they belong.

Clean Light Fixtures and Switches.
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe off any loose debris.  If there is still grime, spray with the 50:50 water/vinegar spray and wipe dry.  Polish any shining surfaces with the window cloth.  Spray a microfiber cloth with vinegar spray and wipe down the light switches and outlet covers.