One of the most dreaded household chores is scrubbing the toilet, but I have some tricks that make that job, as well as cleaning the entire bathroom, done faster so that you can go out and enjoy your life. Are some of my ideas weird? Yes, but they also work. Get ready to expand your mind and make your bathroom shine.
Every morning
My dentist told me that I should brush my teeth for two minutes using an electric toothbrush. Guess what I can also do while brushing my teeth? Tidy the bathroom counter. I think of it as a brain exercise because brushing my teeth with one hand and organizing bottles and hair do-dads with the other keeps me young.
When I’m done brushing my teeth, I wipe off the tile and sink using one of two options. Option one is a microfiber towel. Option two is a disposable disinfecting wipe. Normally I opt for the towel because it’s better for the environment, but if there’s something extra gunky I use the wipe. The wipes also work for great spot-cleaning the toilet.
Every other day
I keep a small basket in our downstairs bathroom marked “Dirty Clothes.” This helps corral random socks that get abandoned in the living room, used dishrags from the kitchen and also the bathroom hand towels which I change every couple of days. It’s surprising how fast that little basket fills up.
Every Wednesday
Long-time “I Brake for Moms” readers might recall that I love heating Dawn dish soap and white vinegar in the microwave to create a DIY shower cleaner. That method works great but it stinks. A slightly less smelly version, is to forgo the microwave and pour white vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray down the shower, bathtub and sink with the vinegar. Then, follow up with Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray. My apologies for sounding like an advertisement for Procter & Gamble, but wow! That stuff really works. Let it eat into the soap scum for five minutes while you clean the toilets. Then come back and wipe it away with a sponge. You can also use the spray bottle of vinegar to shine the bathroom mirror and chrome faucets.
Once a month
Nobody enjoys cleaning the bathrooms, but what about visiting a day spa? That sounds fun, right? Well, this might not actually be a spa that anyone would pay money to visit, but just like you can combine tooth brushing and countertop tidying, you can also mesh the entire bathroom cleaning operation with beauty routines. Slather conditioner on your hair and wrap your head in a towel for a deep-moisturizing treatment, put on a face mask and then get to work. Thirty minutes later, wash off all the goo in your freshly cleaned shower. Note: Do not try this if your spouse is working from home and on camera in a Zoom meeting. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Jennifer Bardsley publishes books under her own name and the pseudonym Louise Cypress. Find her online on Instagram @jenniferbardsleyauthor, on Twitter @jennbardsley or on Facebook as Jennifer Bardsley Author. Email her at teachingmybabytoread@gmail.com.
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