COUNTER CULTURE
A farmhouse dresser-turned-vanity brings a pretty and practical vibe to this bathroom.
5
THE BATHROOM
“My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.”
—Erma Bombeck, columnist
Your bathroom is the one room in your home where you are pretty much guaranteed some alone time. Whether it’s just a quick visit or an hour-long soak with a good book and a glass of wine, this space needs to be a place you want to visit. In the upcoming pages, our expert advice and surefire tips will encourage you to clean it quickly, inspire you to organize efficiently, and, most importantly, help keep it a healthy place for you and your family.
GET A CLEAN BATHROOM IN MINUTES
Make this space sparkle when company is on the way. You know they’ll go in.
GET SET UP
Grab a plastic bag to toss in any used cleaning wipes and the trash from the wastebasket. Next, pour one cup bleach into the toilet and brush the sides and under the rim. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
ZERO IN ON THE OBVIOUS
With a disinfecting wipe or a paper towel spritzed with equal parts distilled white vinegar and water, wipe away soap drips and toothpaste splatters on the sink, faucet, and countertop. If you have shower doors, give them a once-over with a fresh wipe to remove spots.
GO BACK TO THE BOWL
Run a wipe across the top and sides of the toilet tank and give the flush handle a swipe. With a clean wipe, go over, under, and around the seat and the lid. Flush the bleach that’s been sitting in the bowl. Toss the used wipes into your trash bag and move on.
MAKE IT GLEAM
Wipe a bit of rubbing alcohol on your mirrors, faucets, and other bathroom fixtures with a paper towel to make chrome shine. Wipe mirrors with a damp microfiber cloth to clean and zap streaks at the same time.
SHAKE OUT THE RUG
Fluff it up so it looks recently vacuumed. With a damp paper towel, gather obvious clumps of hair and dust. Pay special attention to the corners of the room where it collects. Toss everything in the plastic bag and take it with you when you leave.
LEAVE A FRESH SCENT
Straighten the towels and just replace any dirty ones. If you have linen spray that you use to scent sheets and bedding, mist the towels lightly to give them a pretty scent. A light spritz of perfume does the trick, too.
Here’s what you can do if you have almost no time to clean.
IN 2 SECONDS
Wipe away toothpaste globs with a tissue so they don’t harden and make for more work later.
IN 5 SECONDS
Stretch out the shower curtain after a shower to help it dry faster and keep mildew away.
IN 30 SECONDS
Put out fresh towels—especially hand towels. Clean towels give the entire bathroom a lift.
1-MINUTE TIP! Stubborn hard-water rings can make porcelain tubs and toilets look dirty even after you’ve cleaned them. Erase these deposits fast with a cleaning “stone,” like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Clorox® Toilet and Bath Cleaning Stone. Made of recycled glass, it quickly rubs out these marks without damage. Deep rust stains need a treatment with a rust remover, like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser. Apply, let sit one minute, and rinse.
KEEP YOUR BATHROOM CLEANER LONGER
A few extra steps now mean you’ll have to clean less often. So worth it!
SQUEEGEE YOUR SHOWER
This tip is so important that it bears repeating. Hang a squeegee from the showerhead to wipe down the walls, tub, and shower doors. Just several minutes of work daily can really minimize total cleaning time in the long run.
STASH A CANISTER OF CLEANING WIPES
With them, you can quickly wipe up toothpaste splatters, watermarks, and other messes when you see them, so they won’t have a chance to dry and become tougher to remove.
COMBAT CURTAIN BUILDUP
Spritz the bottom of a vinyl shower-curtain liner several times a month with a bleach-containing, all-purpose, or bathroom cleaner to keep soap scum, water minerals, and mildew at bay. Just let the shower rinse it off (before you step in) and you won’t need to launder the curtain as often.
CREATE ORDER
A clutter-free counter instantly makes a bathroom look and feel cleaner. Discard packaging of cosmetics and toiletries and stash these personal-care items, along with hair-styling tools, in your vanity and medicine cabinet. For any you must leave out, display them in pretty jars and baskets.
INSTALL AMPLE TOWEL BARS
Towels can be messy. Your bathroom will look tidier when you hang them neatly where air can circulate. No wall space? Consider an over-the-door towel bar.
USE A WATER REPELLENT
Coat shower walls and doors with a product like EnduroShield® Home Glass Treatment or Rain-X® Shower Door Water Repellent. They help water, minerals, and soap scum bead up and run off, so there’s less for you to scrub away.
SKIP BAR SOAP
Use liquid or foaming soap with a pump or even a hands-free soap dispenser instead. Eliminating the goopy soap dish will help your sink and countertop stay cleaner longer.
REUSE DRYER SHEETS
Keep a few used sheets handy to easily nab hair and dust bunnies from the floor without dragging out the vacuum cleaner or wetting a paper towel. You’ll have to deep-clean less often, and your bathroom will look clean for unexpected guests (and for you, too!).
1-MINUTE TIP! Use a continuous bowl cleaner, like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel. Dispense a dab of gel from the syringelike wand, and the bowl gets cleaned with every flush. One application lasts up to seven days.
OOPS! 6 BATHROOM MISTAKES TO AVOID
Guard against these bathroom mishaps to up your game against germs.
1 YOU FLUSH THE TOILET WITH THE LID UP. Leave the lid up when you flush the toilet and you almost certainly risk germy water particles spraying across the room and settling on surfaces. Make sure everyone in the household is onboard with the lid-down policy.
2 YOU STORE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH IN THE MEDICINE CABINET. Trapped in a cabinet or a lidded container, your brush may not be able to dry between uses, creating a welcome environment for bacteria. Store brushes in an upright position, not touching each other. This is another good reason to remember to shut the toilet lid when you flush!
3 YOU LEAVE MAKEUP AND BRUSHES ON THE COUNTER. Leaving these items out in a humid bathroom can make them susceptible to bacteria growth and place them in the path of airborne toilet germs. Store cosmetics in drawers and boxes in a separate nonhumid room. Clean brushes and replace makeup regularly.
4 YOU USE YOUR LOOFAH OR POUF FOR WAY TOO LONG. These shower staples, designed to hold soap and water to help you lather up, can be breeding grounds for bacteria. Rinse well after each use and hang to dry. Toss them every three to four weeks. Plastic shower poufs can be cleaned with bleach and water or in the dishwasher. Allow washcloths to dry thoroughly between uses and change them after every couple of uses or after every use if you use them to wash your face.
5 YOU NEVER RUN THE FAN. Bathroom moisture can cause a host of icky issues. So run the fan or open the window (or do both!) while you shower. Keep it running for 15 to 20 minutes afterward. Regularly vacuum the fan’s grille to remove dust that collects there. Most grilles can also be removed for cleaning in warm sudsy water.
6 YOU USE YOUR CELL PHONE IN THE BATHROOM. Checking social media or texting while in the bathroom exposes your phone to lingering germs. And while you wash your hands, you may not clean your phone. Studies show that cell phones not only have higher bacteria counts than bathroom surfaces but also have more types of bacteria on them, too. Take a break and leave your phone out of the bathroom when you go in. Also, remember to clean it often.
BATHROOM ORGANIZERS THAT MAKE CLEANING EASIER
Maximize storage and corral clutter with these smart organizing strategies.
USE CLEAR CONTAINERS
Herd together small, oddly shaped toiletries in transparent, lidded acrylic canisters and end the mystery of where things are stashed once and for all.
PUT UP SHELVES
Compact hanging shelves and caddies turn dead wall spaces into smart storage spots.
ADD DRAWERS UNDER THE SINK
Smooth-gliding, steel-mesh drawers restore order and accessibility to a vanity without drawers. Label each one so you know what’s in it and where everything should be returned.
GET A DOOR CADDY
The backs of bathroom doors are blank canvases. Use a vanity door to hang an organizer for hair-styling tools and the bathroom door for extra towels.
These seven simple steps will send these bathroom menaces packing.
1 CHOOSE RODS OVER RINGS. Heavy towels dry faster when spread out to dry on a rod. Hooks and rings look pretty, but moisture can stay trapped in the folds. And when they take long to dry, mold can take hold.
2 STRETCH THE CURTAIN. After every shower, spread out the shower curtain to allow water droplets to dry.
3 GET IT BEFORE IT SPREADS. If you see a few spots of mildew along the tub’s edge but don’t have time for an in-depth scrub, saturate a cotton ball with bleach and place it against the stain. Continue to wet it as it dries out. It will keep the mildew from growing until you can commit to a thorough cleaning job.
4 PICK UP MATS. Post bathing, pull up vinyl tub mats, roll loosely, and stand them up in the tub to dry. After use, drape bathmats over the edge of the tub or shower rod, or hang them in your laundry room to dry.
5 CLEAN MILDEW FROM PAINT. Remove the shower curtain, towels, and any fabrics that could be damaged by bleach splatters. Don rubber gloves and goggles and scrub the stains with a brush and a mix of one cup chlorine bleach in one gallon warm water (test first in a hidden spot for discoloration). Let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with a well-wrung cloth. When repainting, choose a paint that’s mildew-resistant.
6 WASH THE VINYL SHOWER CURTAIN. You know fabric shower curtains are washable, but did you know that vinyl ones are, too? Instead of tossing them when mildew strikes, launder them in hot water, with bleach, on your machine’s gentle cycle. Put them in the dryer on low heat for up to 5 minutes, just to remove the excess moisture. Remove them from the dryer and rehang them to finish drying.
7 CLEAN BATH TOYS. Children’s bath toys can be breeding grounds for mold, especially when water gets trapped inside. In the bath, use solid plastic toys without holes in the bottom. Allow toys to dry thoroughly after each use and clean them regularly. If you see or suspect that they harbor mold, toss them.
What’s a bathroom without soft, fluffy towels? Here’s what you need to know to buy the best and care for them properly.
TOWEL-BUYING TIPS
PICK COTTON. Buy 100 percent combed or ring-spun cotton—its fibers are smoothed and very tightly twisted for maximum absorbency and durability.
INSPECT THE SIDE SEAMS. Neatly folded edges (secured with close, even double stitching) signal quality. Woven edges are more likely to fray.
LOOK AT THE LOOPS. High-quality towels have tightly packed loops; the denser they are, the more absorbent the towel. Brush the loops aside—can you see the backing? If so, it’s a cheapie. Pass on it.
TOWEL-CARE TIPS
SHAKE THEM OUT BEFORE DRYING. Giving towels (and all clothing) a shake before putting them in the dryer helps fluff the pile and allows them to dry more evenly.
DON’T OVERDO THE SOFTENER. A little fabric softener to impart softness and a light scent is fine, but because it coats the fibers, adding too much can hamper a towel’s ability to absorb moisture. If you are a regular softener user, skip it every third or fourth load.
RESTORE THE FLUFF. If towels are scratchy, you may have a buildup of softener and hard-water minerals. Wash them without detergent, adding one cup water conditioner, like Calgon®, and one-half cup clear ammonia instead. For smelly towels, wash with one cup distilled white vinegar, then rewash as usual.
Organize this compact space, and it will be easier to keep clean.
MOVE THE MEDS
Relocate medications, including herbal remedies, to a cooler, less humid location. If you have kids, use a childproof lockbox for storage.
GROUP LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER
Keep all nail-care items (files, clippers, polish) together. Do the same with eye-care items, shaving supplies, toothbrushes and other dental-care products, and more.
GO MINI
Keep small bottles and containers to hold mouthwash, cotton swabs, and more that you refill from economy sizes stored elsewhere.
MEDICINE CABINET CLEANERS
RUBBING ALCOHOL
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
PETROLEUM JELLY
Turn this clutter hot spot into an oasis of order.
USE TRAYS
Easy-to-tote platters or baskets with handles allow amenities to move gracefully from the linen closet to the bathroom. Under-shelf bins can store extra pillowcases and washcloths.
ADD TOWEL BARS
Mount these to the inside of the door to store special occasion tablecloths, extra quilts or throws, or beach or guest towels that you might need in a hurry. This keeps you from having to riffle through the linen closet to find what you need.
ROLL TOWELS
Doing so saves you from toppling an entire stack when you need one. Rolled towels are also easier to grab.
FIGHT STALE SMELLS
Just like in the fridge, an open box of baking soda placed near your sheets and towels can prevent musty smells. Or make your own sachet by placing a new fabric softener sheet inside an envelope. Tuck it onto one of the shelves.