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....

[fadridrocky]

Originally Posted by youngspiritmom 

This sounds like a funny question, but I feel like there's got to be secrets I don't know about.

WHEN I clean my bathroom (a big when indeed ) here's what I usually do -

Take out the trash, replace the bag.

Sweep the floor.

Clean the toilet inside with a wand and those disposable blue scrubbers that clip to the wand.

Spray and wipe down outside of toilet (including handle) with disinfectant.

Spray walls of shower with cleaner, wipe and rinse.

Pour AJAX or powdered clorox all over tub, let sit, scrub with sponge, rinse.

"Mop" floor - usually just spray and wipe with a rag.

I really hate that this process involves so many chemicals (especially the AJAX part) and it really smells bad. But this is the only way I have found that really gets mold/grime off of a tub or shower walls, and cleans the toilet to my satisfaction. This is how my mom taught me so it's the only way I know. What do you do? Does anyone clean their bathroom naturally/with more natural products?

P.S. I just realized this post is probably another way for me to procrastinate actually cleaning my bathroom and doing all those things!

You have raised very important question rather than raising funny one. I often struggle with bathroom cleaning. Actually I make use of magic cleaner to treat with this problem but still there are many areas where my efforts are not enough

[worthy]

Here is what I do.  (Haven't read the thread though.)

Trash gets taken out rarely.  We have little bathroom trash and it just adds up for awhile and then when I have enough time on a random trash day I'll bring the bag upstairs and empty the bedroom/bathroom trash into the big bag. Basically I only do it when it bugs me.

I keep a toilet swisher (the kind in a vase-like container) behind my toilet, with Bac-Out and water in the container.  When I use the toilet if I see anything that needs swishing I just do it on the spot with Bac-Out.  Not on a schedule, just as needed.

I keep washcloths in the bathroom with a washable bag hanging on the doorknob.  When I'm using the sink and it needs wiping down, I'll take two minutes and a clean washcloth and just wipe it down and put the cloth in the washable bag (which gets put with the laundry when it's full or stinky).

When I take a bath, usually about once a week, I keep a loofah on the bathtub edge and as the water is draining I soap up my hands and soap up the tub ring and scrub it with the loofah.  I use Dr. Bronners and find it works very well on tub ring with a scrubber like loofah.  Or you could use shampoo -- it's great for dissolving soap scum.  If the tub is bad, I hop out before scrubbing.  If it's not, I do it while I'm in the tub.  The trick is to do it before all the water drains out so you have water for rinsing. 

I also use a clean washcloth on the tiles as needed and straighten up the shampoo, etc.  Usually when I'm running water for my bath.  I also take a washcloth (damp) and swipe the edges of the floor (small bathroom) to get the dust/hair/etc out.  Or if I'm vacuuming or sweeping the upstairs, I do it then, but it's easiest with a washcloth IMO.

What else?  Oh, right, the mirror.  If there are toothpaste spots on the mirror, it's the same as everything else -- grab a clean washcloth and rub them off (damp then dry) when I have an extra couple of minutes while waiting for a bath to fill or keeping the kids company while they brush teeth, etc.

Same for the faucet fixtures.  I just polish them up when I have a spare minute and am using the bathroom.

I don't ever "Clean The Bathroom."  I just do these things when they look like they need it, when I'm in the bathroom anyway.  I know someone who keeps a squeegee hanging in her shower and does the shower walls at the end of her shower. 

HTH.

[EarthyMamaofDaisy]

I use diluted Dr Bronner's tea tree oil combined with a generic magic eraser.  We have horrible turquoise water stains that accumulate and the magic eraser takes it off so easily.  I use a microfiber cleaning cloth for wiping down the mirror.  I use a nasty, disposable chemical toilet brush cleaning thing but it's because I'm so OCD about having dirty toilet brushes in the bathroom so that's why I use disposable.  No trash can for us either.  For mopping I have a microfiber mophead that I wash and I use that with either vinegar, Dr Bronner's or just hot water.

[Lisoula]

Originally Posted by JacqNS 

The bathroom is one area where I just can't seem to let go of my chemical-laden products. They're marketed as "green" cleaners, but I've checked into the ingredient list and they're anything but. Anyway, here is my weekly bathroom cleaning list. I've also indicated how I clean it in case that is of any interest to you :)

My all purpose cleaner is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner 

My shower tile cleaner is Mrs. Meyers Shower 

My antibacterial cleaner is Method Antibac 

My glass cleaner is Green Works Glass Cleaner (there is nothing green about this. It's made by Clorox )

My wood cleaner is Method Good For Wood 

Weekly Bathroom Cleaning

• clean shower tiles (tile cleaner + rinse with hot water)

• clean glass shower door (glass cleaner + lint free cleaning rag)

• wipe down shower fixtures (stainless steel cleaner + lint free cleaning rag)

• dust and wipe down molding, baseboards & light fixtures (lint free cleaning rag + hot water)

• wipe down windowsills (microfiber dusting cloth)

• dust and wipe down baseboards (lint free cleaning rag + hot water)

• dust and polish furniture (ie. vanity fronts) (rag + wood cleaner)

• disinfect toilet (interior, exterior, base & back) (antibacterial cleaner + rag)

• clean glass mirror and window (lint free cleaning rag + glass cleaner)

• clean and disinfect vanity top and sink (rag + antibacterial cleaner)

• clean and disinfect chrome fixtures and hardware (rag + antibacterial)

• disinfect door knobs, switches, and handles (rag + antibacterial cleaner)

• empty and reline trash

• vacuum & mop floor

• launder towels and bath mat

Hope that helps!

 

Do you have these lists for all rooms?!?  If so, could you post them?  I would like to use them at my house!

[PumaBearclan]

Natural soap, hot water, various scrubbers, rubber gloves, baking soda, essential oils, and rags clean everything in my house, from dishes to floors to glass to bathrooms.

Bathrooms are much more sanitary if men and boys sit whilst urinating (unless you have a urinal in your home).

Also, elimination of petroleum products such as detergents for body and hair, sticky hair care cosmetics, and waxy makeup products make cleaning bathrooms much easier (and the body much healthier).

[mom2mygirls]

I use method and love it . it smells really good.