How do you clean a bathroom? Who does it naturally? - Page 3

[NikonMama]

I also use the disposable toilet brush thingies, b/c I just can't stand the idea of a nasty dirty toilet brush sitting around breeding bacteria.  GAG!!  Otherwise, the only cleaner that I use is a mixture of vinegar/water/dishsoap.  I use it on the sink, outside of toilet, bathtub, and shower.  If I need to scrub anything, I use baking soda.  (I'm not really concerned with soap scum, though.)  I mop the floor with water mixed with laundry detergent. 

[triana1326]

I own a Scooba and I love it! If i didn't own it, my floors would never get cleaned. Added bonus: both my kids love to watch it and the Roomba cleaning. DS loves to crawl chase the Roomba. It buys me about 45 minutes of time to get dinner prepped, take a shower or just sit and laugh at the kids...

[squidink]

It might not be totally green, it's but definitely greener than using chlorine bleach: 3% hydrogen peroxide.  It's anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold and anti-mildew.  It doesn't create horrible chemical fumes when you use it.    Spray it on shower walls and let it sit for 3-5 minutes; the grimy moldy stuff will wipe away.  If it's really bad you might need to spray it twice and let it sit longer.  

It works for tons and tons of stuff and it's good for people who are too grossed out by germs to just go with white vinegar (which is what I use for most cleaning in my house.)

[lucifugous]

Ooh, good one, squidink! Also I believe that if you spray peroxide, then spray vinegar (in either order, as long as they're coming from separate spray bottles!!!) and THEN wipe, that was actually found more effective than bleach, lysol, etc., so the REAL germ nuts will want to get all over that! I mean no one wants twice as many bottles but even if you have those two, plus one with diluted castile soap, that's still less than 1/4 of what I usually see in the homes of people who buy into the commercial stuff.

[Shantimama]

I use ENJO to clean my bathroom. I bought a the bathroom cleaning glove and a drying cloth three years ago and they still work perfectly and I imagine they will last at least a couple more years. There is nothing embedded in the fibre, just the way the fibre is designed it cleans pore deep and gets rid of all the dirt, mildew, soap scum, etc. 

I get the glove wet and wipe everything down - mirrors, sink, faucets, counters, tub, outside of toilet and seat, door handles, walls (not very often, I confess!) and even the floor. I go behind with the drying cloth and everything gets shiny clean. Because no residue is left behind as with vinegar, baking soda or harsh cleansers, and because I have dried behind and removed the moisture, the bathroom stays clean a little longer because there is nothing for bacteria or mildew to feed on and start growing again. I use a toilet brush with the same fibre on it to clean the toilet bowl and all of the fibres just go through the washing machine.

It doesn't get much better than this environmentally. I only use water to clean and these fibres can be recycled when they wear out. My bathroom is cleaner than it ever has been and there is no exposure to chemical products or harsh smells. There are no containers to recycle every few months. There is nothing but dirt going down the drain. And I especially love it that it is fast!

[Fuamami]

I haven't read all the responses, but I have a green cleaning business and clean several bathrooms a day with no chemicals! Here's the rundown:

Tubs and showers: I use a Magic Eraser on glass, and on really bad soap scum. I know, these aren't completely green because they are disposable, but if you clean your glass often you shouldn't need to use them much. When we're first doing a shower that hasn't been cleaned in months, it usually takes quite a bit of scrubbing with the Magic Eraser, and sometimes some scraping with a flat razor. Squire some watered-down Dr. Bronner's castile soap on there and that helps dissolve little globs of shampoo and stuff. I water down my Dr. Bronner's 1-3. For tile, I sprinkle some Borax right on the grout or in the tub, and then scrub it with a sponge or brush with Dr. Bronner's on it. This makes a great foamy lather, and really helps with the grout scum. If you have major mold issues on your grout, you can also spray hydrogen peroxide on there and let it sit a bit.

Sinks: I pretty much use the same combination, unless they're already pretty clean. In that case I spray some of my glass cleaner on there. I make my glass cleaner with 2/3 cup of white vinegar and 1 tsp of liquid dish soap in a 28 oz bottle. I use Mrs. Meyer's or 7th Gen dish soap. You can spray it on and then wipe it off.

Toilets: I don't have a toilet brush, even in my own house. I use long handled dish brushes, or bottle brushes. I sprinkle Borax in the toilet and let it sit for a minute, then scrub with the brush, then let it sit some more. I see no reason to sanitize a toilet bowl. I don't plan on drinking out of them:) I also use my glass cleaner on the seat, lid, handle, and fronts and back of the bowl, then wipe them down. If you have yellow staining from pee that didn't get cleaned soon enough, you can try to clean that off with a Magic Eraser. If your floor is tile, you can use the glass cleaner on that, too. That's it!

Oh, and don't forget to dust. Bathroom dust is yucky:)

[Shantimama]

Magic Eraser is loaded with chemicals, including formaldehyde. I would not want that used in my home, especially if I was paying someone to clean with environmentally safe products.

 

[matte]

Yes, people use magic eraser for many things that don't jibe with what i know. for the record, i do use them, but only to remove otherwise impossible spots from painted walls. For the bathroom, vinegar and oxygen bleach (for different things).

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by Shantimama 

I use ENJO to clean my bathroom. I bought a the bathroom cleaning glove and a drying cloth three years ago and they still work perfectly and I imagine they will last at least a couple more years. There is nothing embedded in the fibre, just the way the fibre is designed it cleans pore deep and gets rid of all the dirt, mildew, soap scum, etc. 

I get the glove wet and wipe everything down - mirrors, sink, faucets, counters, tub, outside of toilet and seat, door handles, walls (not very often, I confess!) and even the floor. I go behind with the drying cloth and everything gets shiny clean. Because no residue is left behind as with vinegar, baking soda or harsh cleansers, and because I have dried behind and removed the moisture, the bathroom stays clean a little longer because there is nothing for bacteria or mildew to feed on and start growing again. I use a toilet brush with the same fibre on it to clean the toilet bowl and all of the fibres just go through the washing machine.

It doesn't get much better than this environmentally. I only use water to clean and these fibres can be recycled when they wear out. My bathroom is cleaner than it ever has been and there is no exposure to chemical products or harsh smells. There are no containers to recycle every few months. There is nothing but dirt going down the drain. And I especially love it that it is fast!

Yes, THIS!  I have had my enjo bathroom set for about... 5yrs now :D  and it is still going strong!  It's brilliantly easy & fast to use, and no cleaners, just water. 
 

[fiona2359]

How I clean the bathroom:

I spray the shower walls w/ cleaner, the mirror, the toilet, and sink. I toss the garbage bag (plastic shopping bag) into the bedroom and put a new one in (a couple are stashed under the sink). I swish the toilet w/ the brush. I take the hand towel and wipe down the shower, mirror, tiles on the wall, sink, and lastly toilet. I chuck the towel out the door and spray down the floor with cleaner. I use the bath towel and work back-to-front across the floor qucikly to clean it.

This takes approxiamtely 5 minutes. I then toss both towels w/ the rest of the laundry. I do this once a week, and wipe down the sink with the hand towel about daily (just hanging it back up). Can't stand a dirty bathroom. Any type of cleaner works IMHO. I don't use any Ajax or scrubby stuff. It seems if you keep up on the cleaning it isn't needed.

[prantastic4]

I've been using Borax for nearly everything. Toilet bowl, showers, tubs, sinks.

[dot1]

Best investment ever made:  handheld shower hose attachment (can still be hung up like regular shower).  After cleaning shower, makes it easy to rinse off suds.

2nd best investment:  squeegee for shower - always wipe down after shower and then dry the rest with an absorbant cloth which hangs on a hook.  This REALLY cuts down on mold growth and reduces the frequency we need to actually scrub.  We also leave the shower door open to get air circulation.  If mold growth is an issue, put a space heater in in the winter and run the fan as often as possible....and most importantly, wipe down excess moisture immediately.

The only cleaning product I ever use in the bathroom (toilet included) (or anywhere) is Dr. Bronner's vegetable based castile soap...or sometimes our vegetable based dish soap.  I don't even use it that often...usually just water and microfibre cloth.   A good scrub brush with hard plastic bristles plus this soap will pick up all our grime off shower floor.   Dont' sweat the toilet....there's more bacteria in your kitchen counter than the average toilet.  And it's all stuff your family has already been exposed to.  No big deal unless someone has the norwalk virus (etc) and you want to prevent sharing....

An extra wipe of parts of the toilet bowl with some toilet paper before you flush will keep it cleaner looking too.

It's healthy to be exposed to normal everyday bacteria otherwise.  Otherwise, immune system runs the risk of not getting enough challenges and will "overreact" to simple things resulting in allergies, etc.

For glass...a simple spray bottle of water, microfibre cloth and a Norwex window cloth to polish.

Everything else I just wipe down with water and microfibre cloth.

Check out norwex.com (no I don't sell it!  just like that it's a good chemical free way to clean).

Personally, I'm FAR more concerned about the exposure to toxic cleaning products which have been linked to cancers, asthma/allergies, etc.  And the number of accidental poisonings that occur as a result of having them in the house period....and the health impacts to the poor workers who work in the chemical factories manufacturing cleaning products....and the carbon footprint of shipping all these products around the world, etc. etc....