I clean my bathrooms each and every week, but once a year (or more if it needs it) I do a major deep cleaning and organization. With all the mold and mildew that can grow in moist areas like the bathrooms, it’s definitely something that needs to be done regularly. In this post I’m sharing how to deep clean and organize the bathroom.
On my Deep Cleaning Schedule for the Whole Home, I have listed to deep clean and organize the bathrooms in DECEMBER. To say I’m a little behind in this post is an understatement. Holidays, life, homeschooling my child (thank you COVID-19!), and living with fatigue many days have gotten in the way! But here it is, FINALLY!
How to Deep Clean & Organize the Bathroom
What You’ll Need:
- Bathroom Cleaner – I use my homemade bathroom cleaner (I’ll be sharing my recipe here soon!). Some great store-bought options are Seventh Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner, Aunt Fannie’s Bathroom Cleaner, and Branch Basics (They have a concentrate you mix with water, and it can be used for pretty much all your cleaning!)
- Sponge – I love these sponges from Grove Collaborative that are made out of recycled coconut shells. I’ve been using them for washing dishes and will transition to using them to clean my bathrooms as soon as I run out of the basic yellow foam sponges you’ll see in the pictures. I love them because they’re a natural product made from plant cellulose (what the cell walls are made of), not made from synthetic chemicals like foam is, and they still hold up well.
- Microfiber cloths and/or paper towels – These Seventh Generation paper towels are a better option than most as they’re made with recycled paper and are not bleached white. However, opt for reusable cloths when you can to cut down on waste. I’m still transitioning to a greener, cleaner lifestyle, and, out of habit a lot of times, I still grab paper towels to clean the toilets. Little by little!
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner – I use Seventh Generation. Another option made with natural ingredients that won’t leave the air filled with harmful chemicals is Bon Ami.
- Toilet Bowl Brush
- Broom
- Dustpan
- Mop – I LOVE my Shark Steam Mop!
What To Do:
1. Clean Cabinets Inside & Out
First of all, take EVERYTHING out of each cabinet. It’s important when you organize a space to start with a clean slate. So we’re gonna clear and clean each space first, before we get to decluttering and organizing.
So, spray inside the cabinet with your bathroom cleaner, and wipe down the entire surface of the cabinet.
My bathroom cleaner is not made of harsh chemicals, and is safe to use on the wood cabinets. Look at the ingredients and any warnings on your bottle. If your cleaner contains bleach (sodium hypochlorite), I wouldn’t use it on cabinets. Besides damaging wood cabinets, it can also irritate your skin if it gets on you and can cause damage to your lungs and organs. Another option is to use a bowl with warm water and a Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Liquid Castile Soap and a cloth to clean your cabinets.
Then clean the outside of all your cabinets as well. Be sure to get in all the grooves and scrub away any toothpaste (like this cabinet in my boys’ bathroom!), dirt, makeup, etc.
2. DeClutter & Organize Products
Now that the cabinets are clean, we’re ready to declutter and organize.
Use this opportunity to purge any items you no longer use, have had for a long time and never used, or don’t see yourself using anymore.
Then organize your products by category. For example, put all body washes together, all toothpastes together, etc.
I bought plastic totes from Big Lots a while ago that I use to store bathroom products. Here are some similar ones you can find on Amazon. You could also use wicker baskets to organize your products. However I like these, because I can stack them on top of each other.
This is how I organize the products in my bathroom cabinets:
Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash
In this container, I keep my extra showering products.
I used to be a Bath & Body Works fanatic and stocked up on their products when they were on sale. I’m transitioning to safer, toxic-free products slowly over time. You can read more about making the switch to clean beauty and what ingredients to look out for in this post.
Before
Each year when I organize the bathroom, I dump everything out of the containers. Then I clean the containers with my cloth and bathroom cleaner. There is usually product to clean off the container because somehow the shower gel always seem to leak a tiny bit. And finally, before replacing products, I declutter. This year, I threw away some of my shower gels that were old or I didn’t love anymore and wasn’t going to use.
After
Nail Care & Miscellaneous
In this one I keep my nail polish, nail polish remover, and tools, along with extra homemade lip chap.
Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Hand Sanitizer, Razors, and Deodorant
I didn’t have much to declutter in this container. I just cleaned and straightened up the items in here.
This is what the cabinet with all the above products looked like before I reorganized this year:
And this is after I organized it:
I threw away several things that were old and some things that had a lot of fragrance and toxic chemicals that I no longer wanted to use. I then was able to add the things that were standing up in the front of the cabinet.
In this other cabinet I keep:
- Hair Tools
- Hair products & brushes
- Hair accessories
- Extra contacts, contact solution, and glasses
Before
This cabinet was mostly organized and I didn’t really have anything I felt I needed to get rid of. I wiped down the containers, straightened things up, and removed all the hair in my hair brushes (I’m so bad at doing that regularly).
After
Hair Accessories
I keep my small hair accessories – bobby pins, hair ties, and little clips – in this pink bowl, and headbands and scrunchies (Yes, I wear scrunchies still – to shower and to bed!) in the rest of the container.
My Husband’s Toiletries
In my husband’s (one!) drawer in our bathroom, we keep his shaving cream, clippers, hair gel, and extra Q-tips and cotton balls (not shown here because we had JUST run out).
My Skincare & Makeup
I keep my skincare products in the overflowing red bag. I actually did get rid of some older products, and this is what’s left! I like my skincare and makeup products! The blue bag is where I keep my daily makeup, the red bag is my skincare, and the small pink bag is my “overflow” makeup (extras for when I run out of something). Same as with my body wash, I am slowly transitioning to safer skincare and makeup. I still have some Mary Kay products that I’m using up before making the switch completely.
I take everything out of these bags and wipe them down with a wet cloth. I also wipe my products down before returning to the bags.
To clean your makeup brushes without chemicals, soak them in warm water with a little vinegar and a few drops of essential oils to freshen the smell.
Watch this video to see how I deep clean and organize the bathroom and some updated organization tips and ideas!
Our Shared Toiletry Drawer
In the top drawer in our bathroom cabinets we keep the things we use most often:
- My Body Butter
- Toothpaste and Floss
- Deodorant
- My contacts, solution, and glasses
I love these white drawer organizers to keep things looking neat, contained, and from rolling all around in the drawer.
3. Clean Counters
After you clean out and organize the bathroom cabinets, next up is the countertops. This is something I do weekly, sometimes more than once a week (especially in my boys’ bathroom!).
Start by taking everything off your countertops (or push everything to one side and clean one side at a time). Spray with your bathroom cleaner, scrub with your sponge, and dry with your cloth.
4. Clean Bathtubs and Showers
Next up are the bathtubs and showers. Spray them with your bathroom cleaner and scrub them down with your sponge. You’re probably going to have to use more elbow grease than you did for the countertops. If you have a lot of soap scum and buildup, sprinkle the bottom of the tub or shower with some Bon Ami and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then scrub with a brush like this Grunge Buster from Grove Collaborative.
Watch this video to see how I organize my kids’ bathroom and tips for you!
5. Clean Shower Curtains
Next, take the shower curtains down and wash them in the washing machine. Dry and iron them, if you so choose.
Spray the shower liner with your bathroom cleaner, and scrub it well. If there is mold on it that is not coming off, I’d recommend purchasing a new shower liner.
6. Clean Toilets
Spray the entire outside of the toilet with your bathroom cleaner. Scrub away all the nasty stuff (this is my least favorite chore!) with your cloth or paper towels. Then wipe down the toilet seat and the edge under the seat (the worst part!).
Add your toilet bowl cleaner to the inside edges of the toilet. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub with a toilet bowl brush. A more natural way you can clean your toilet bowl is by spraying white distilled vinegar in the bowl and sprinkling it with baking soda. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes, and then scrub the bowl as usual.
7. Wash Towels & Rugs
I do this one a few times a year. Take all the towels and rugs from the bathrooms and wash them in the washing machine (not all at one time, obviously!). My favorite non-toxic laundry detergent is Molly’s Suds.
8. Clean Floors
Finally, clean the floors. I sweep them and then mop them with my Shark Steam Mop. I love it. It cleans better than water and a regular mop, and the floors dry faster. I also love that it doesn’t use harsh chemicals to clean – just steam! I add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the water reservoir to help clean and disinfect the floor and to make the bathroom smell nice and fresh.
That’s it for the bathrooms! Let me know how it goes for you! Happy cleaning!
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