How to Keep Your Bathroom Fresher, Longer
Bathrooms often have the notorious reputation of being the dirtiest rooms in our homes. And we all dread bathroom cleaning day when we have to scrub our toilet and shower to keep nasty germs and mold from appearing.
But rather than getting down and dirty so often, there are a few steps you can take to cut down on bathroom maintenance and keep it glowingly fresh for a little longer. Save your clothespins for the laundry, because you won't need them to plug your nose every time you clean your bathroom!
- Replace Bathroom Accessories
Although that super-soft bath rug may look adorable and feel like heaven upon stepping out of the shower, your decorative bath rug may be harboring tons of germs. Similarly, that plastic shower curtain wasn't meant to last forever either. Replacing bathroom decor that receives regular use is a critical part of maintaining a tidy restroom.
Every six months, it is important to throw out your old bath towel, bath rug, shower curtain, and hand towel to reduce bathroom odor and prevent mold and mildew growth. If you don't want to throw away towels, giving them a thorough wash in the washing machine with fabric softener can eliminate that musty smell and bad odor from your bathroom.
2. Open a Window
Speaking of mildew growth, another easy thing you can do to reduce germ growth is simply opening a window the next time you shower. If you don't have a window in your bathroom, using your bathroom's vent fan or leaving your bathroom door open for 10-15 minutes after you shower should help with bathroom cleanliness exponentially.
The steam from a very hot shower can be a breeding ground for mold in your shower tiles and bathroom floor. Rather than digging out the bleach and sponge every few weeks to scrub down the grout on shower walls, making sure you leave your bathroom with a slight breeze post-shower can work wonders.
Tip: for an extra squeaky-clean shower, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and lemon juice and spray the shower door and walls with the solution. Wipe down everything with a paper towel or microfiber cloth, and not only will your shower look great, but it’ll smell amazing too!
3. Install Instant Toilet Cleaners
With over 3.2 million bacteria per square inch, a toilet bowl can be a nasty household necessity. Most of us dread cleaning it, but we know if we don't regularly give it a good scrub, an eventual toilet bomb will explode and subject our bathroom to more germs and unwanted scents.
Ignore your toilet for too long and rust stains, dirt, and other grime can make their home in your toilet. To make cleaning easier, consider getting an automatic toilet cleaner that sits in the bowl and does the work for you! There are also toilet pods you can toss into the bowl then flush, leaving you with a squeaky-clean toilet! While these products are helpful, it also doesn't hurt to give your toilet seat a good cleaning with some antibacterial wipes.
4. Invest in a Toothbrush Cover
If all this bathroom smell and germ growth talk is grossing you out, you’d better hope you have a safe place for your toothbrush. That's right, uncovered toothbrushes can host more than 100 million bacteria according to a study done by the University of Manchester. All of which have the possibility of entering your mouth. Yuck!
Rather than letting your toothbrush sit on the countertop collecting surface germs and germy air particles, consider purchasing a plastic cover or covered toothbrush holder to keep it safely contained. Your toothbrush's job is to keep your mouth fresh and hygienic, so prioritizing the cleanliness of it will improve its performance as well as your smile!
5. Get a Caddy for Cleaning Products
These tips won't get rid of bathroom stench forever, but they will definitely cut down on time spent cleaning. To make regular cleaning easier and more time-efficient, consider reorganizing your bathroom cleaning products so they are always where you can find them just a reach away.
Making space under your sink and getting a pail or small caddy to store important cleaning tools like vinegar, baking soda, bleach, and a toilet brush will keep cleaning a tidy and quick process. Plastic storage bins can be found at a dollar store, making them relatively cheap. Storing other bathroom products like toilet paper, air freshener, hydrogen peroxide, and soap will keep your bathroom neatly organized too. No more digging through mounds of cotton balls and Q-tips just to find your hairbrush in the morning!
Rather than giving your bathroom a monthly dish soap and vinegar bath, you can save yourself (and your nostrils) time with these cleaning tips. Regular cleaning mixed with these organization tips will keep your bathroom in top condition and have guests experiencing the luscious scent of fresh berries and lemon slices in your bathroom. They may never want to leave!