Speed Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes

We’re all a little time-poor these days and when the weekend comes, the last thing any of us want to do is clean the bathroom.

The bathroom is usually one of the more unappealing chores on the to-do list but it doesn’t have to be such a battle.

Here’s how to speed-clean the dirtiest room in your house.

The Quickest Way to Clean Your Bathroom

Remember to prepare first. Have your arsenal ready to go. I like to keep a bucket in the bathroom or cleaning cupboard, full of supplies (my multipurpose spray, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, mop and cloths) so that when the mood strikes, I’m ready to go.

1. Clear Clutter | 2 minutes

Start your cleaning by grabbing a garbage bag and clearing out any empty or grubby items beyond cleaning (mould-laden bath toys, for example).

Remove everything off surfaces and your shower caddy/recess box and place it in a different room for the time being.

Squirt or spray your toilet cleaner of choice around the rim of the toilet bowl and let it sit.

2. Windows and Mirrors | 3 minutes

Cleaning windows and mirrors doesn’t have to be a hard task – if you’re doing it on a regular basis, this part of your cleaning can be completed in a jiffy.

Pay special attention to toothpaste smears (how do kids get it on the mirror so often?) and buff out any streaks with a microfibre cloth.

3. Flush | 2 minutes

Use your toilet brush to give the toilet a good scrub before flushing. Don’t forget to give the seat, cistern and toilet exterior a good wipe down as well.

4. Spray and Wipe | 3 minutes

This one is fairly self-explanatory. Give all of your surfaces a thorough wipe down and polish faucets with your microfibre cloth.

5. Shower Screen | 4 minutes

I have allowed some extra time here because this can be the most laborious task of all. Again, if you’re doing it regularly, the soap build-up on your glass shouldn’t be too stubborn.

I recommend setting aside a different day to really focus on getting your shower screen clean. Once you have a ‘clean slate’, maintaining its cleanliness during regular speed cleans will be a cinch.

Some products can even be sprayed on after a shower to keep shower scum at bay. Taking just a minute or two to squeegee off the water and give the screen a spray and wipe could save you a lot of work in the future.

6. Mopping Time | 1 minute

Full disclosure here: I have a relatively small bathroom and use my handy spray mop for this part. Every couple of weeks, I do get on my hands and knees to thoroughly clean grout and any hard-to-reach sections of the floor.

If you have a mop at the ready and go at a speedy pace, a minute should be enough time to give your floor a once-over.

Tip – you shouldn’t be wetting your tiles with too much water and cleaning products. Excess water is what seeps into your grout and gives it that grimy, dark appearance over time. I find a light mop with a quality cleaning product usually does the trick.

Once the floor is dry, remember to put everything back on the vanity etc. Don’t forget to replenish, dirty towels; fresh, co-ordinated towels are the ideal finishing touch to a freshly cleaned bathroom.

Clean Smarter

We recommend alternating between a speed clean and a deeper clean/scrub each week – bathrooms are prone to bacteria and grime so a thorough clean is required at least fortnightly.

You can also make bathroom cleaning feel like less of a chore by:

Multitasking: This was an awesome tip I recently came across. If you have young kids, bath time is not only a great time to chat about your days; it can also be an extra 5 minutes to get some of the bathroom clean done.

Assigning: My husband has long showers, so he is happy to take on an after-shower screen clean. This makes it less of a chore when it comes to the overall bathroom cleaning.

If you have older kids at home, you can make it part of their chore chart or responsibilities to keep the bathroom clean. Even if it is just vanity, every little bit helps!

Cleaning as You Go: Doing a task each day can make the bathroom not such a daunting chore.

Whether it is keeping a spray bottle and cloth handy to give the vanity a wipe down while brushing teeth, or giving the toilet a quick spray and scrub before bedtime, breaking the bathroom clean into small tasks can make life a lot easier.

Keep it healthy: Moisture, hot showers and toilets can make your bathroom one of the more unhygienic areas of the home. Ensure that you are opening windows regularly and running exhaust fans to prevent mould, and ensure your toilet is high on the chore to-do list.