Bathrooms
Everyone notices Bathrooms and Kitchens Required
Clean the shower screen and door tracks ensuring that all glass has no streaks
Scrub and sanitise the shower recess floor
Remove mould from grout & soap residue from tiles (especially the line of soap under the
Clean the soap dish, shine the taps soap dish)
Clean and sanitise the hand basin, wipe the vanity unit
Wipe tiles above hand basin
Clean, sanitise and dry the bath
Clean and sanitise the toilet inside and out including pipes & fittings at the back of the toilet
Dust window sills and polish mirrors, leaving no streaks
Empty the bins and sweep and mop the floor
Logical Order
- Clean the dust off the floor with either a damp cloth or the vacuum.
- Clean the shower screen and leave to dry on its’ own.
- Commence other tasks from the top – such as dusting the fans and heater – and work downwards.
- To finish, polish the mirrors, dry and shine the shower screen, and polish the taps.
Cleaning Porcelain and Enamel Surfaces
The most frequently cleaned surfaces in a house – kitchen sinks, toilets, baths, bathroom floors and walls – are often made of ceramic tiles, porcelain, porcelain enamel or vitreous china, all of which are good at resisting stains. If they are regularly cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner or a mildly abrasive scouring powder or paste, these surfaces will normally remain sparkling. But even these materials with their glass-like finishes cannot shed every type of discoloration. Grout – the most porous material between tiles – is even more vulnerable.
If normal supermarket cleaning products fail, a number of homemade recipes are worth trying. To keep tiles shining, rub them with a cloth dipped in mentholated spirits, then buff them with a dry cloth. For stubborn stains use a weak solution of sugar soap. Dirty grout can be cleaned effectively with an old toothbrush dipped in bleach.
Do’s and Don’ts for Pristine Porcelain
To keep porcelain and enamel fittings in good condition, follow these basic precautions:
- Never use a bath or bathroom sink for washing metal or sharp-edged objects that could possibly scratch or discolour the surface.
- Do not stand in an empty bath, or rest large objects in it, without protecting the surface with a rug or bath mat.
- Be sure never to mix two different kinds of toilet cleaners together as this can set up a violent reaction. It has been known for an explosion to occur in the toilet bowl, sending broken enamel flying everywhere killing the person involved.
- Do not let bleach stand for too long in the toilet – some can etch even acid-resistant enamel
SHOWERS – always clean the shower first so that the rest of the Bathroom can be done while it is drying
There are a couple of ways of cleaning the soap scum off the tiles and glass in the shower. You may use Gumption or Jif and scrub with a cloth or sponge, then wash off the residue. If the shower nozzle does not aim at all surfaces you can use a bucket full of water and splash the water over the missed areas. Or you may use a WHITE plastic scourer and scrub the scum off while the tiles and glass are dry – NO NEED TO USE WATER – then vacuum up the powder that results. Remember to look for the line of soap scum that runs down the wall under the soap dish – this will need to be cleaned off too!
When finished and dry make the screen sparkle by using Windex and either paper toweling or newspaper. Always clean around the handles as well.
The taps, shower arm and head will look fabulous if you remember to shine them too, and will definitely be noticed, especially through a clear glass shower screen.
Toilets – have to be perfect!
- Clean all surfaces – including the base, back and taps TWICE.
- Flush, then add either deodoriser or disinfectant.
- Leave the lid up to dry the seat – nothing more uncomfortable than sitting on a wet seat!
- Don’t forget to clean the toilet brush holder.
- When dry always leave the toilet seat closed – looks so much neater.
- Replace toilet paper if necessary.
Baths
The bath should always be as clean as it can be. Some old baths are very hard to scrub clean, but don’t be tempted to use bleach. It can often stain old baths and can make gold and brass fittings turn black. Make sure the plug and hole are clean and hair free.
Mirrors
You can spend an hour cleaning a bathroom and leave one streak or mark on the mirror, and you can be sure that the client will complain about it – and not take into account all your other hard work! So make sure that the mirrors are absolutely spotless.
Toothpaste makes little dots on mirrors, which can be washed off with dishwashing detergent and hot water, and then dried with a t-towel. Then use Windex and newspaper to shine the mirror. Sometimes, if the mirror is old, metho works better.
Bathrooms in General:
Polish dry the taps and metal fittings with a paper towel – it makes them sparkle
Check that the towels are hanging straight and neat – it only takes two seconds to do and will create a clean impression when your client first walks in.
Remember to empty the bathroom bin, and if necessary, wash it out.
Clean and dust the back of the bathroom door – clean any marks off around the handle, and dust any ledges if it is a moulded door.
The bathroom cabinet – dirty marks need to be removed from the doors and handles, and now and then from the shelves within.
Use an old toothbrush around the base and along the joins of hand basin taps – scum does build up around the base of the taps and where the top part of the tap meets the bottom. Also, toothpaste marks at the mouth of the tap appear after your clients brush and rinse their teeth. An old toothbrush and Gumption does wonders.
Look out for plants in the bathroom – they get very dusty. A quick wash under the shower with cold water on low pressure does wonders.
Bottles and containers – any products left out on ledges and sinks ie: perfume and talcum powder, also get very dusty. Wash as required and clean underneath them.
Soap dishes, toothbrush holders and tooth mugs must all be washed and sparkling!
Ceiling fans and heaters should be kept clean – nothing spoils a clean bathroom more than to look up and see a dusty fan screen or an inch of dust on the heater. Clean with a damp cloth, and use a ladder – do not try to balance on the end of the bath!
Floors – bathroom floors collect dust and fluff, so it is best to wipe all of this up before you start, getting right into the corners, behind the toilet and also behind the door. Never leave hair on the floor – it will definitely be noticed and complained about!
Toilet Seats – never, never, never use Jif or Ajax (ie: abrasive cleansing solutions) to clean a toilet seat. It will scratch the surface, so always use a soft detergent when cleaning the toilet seat. In one example a cleaner didn’t follow this advice and the client made an insurance claim against him for the cost of replacing the toilet seat (about $160, can you believe that?!). People are very house-proud, and their home is a symbol of their status within their community, even right down to the toilet seat! So look after everything that is in your care.
Getting Close to your Work
Don’t reach forwards to work. Make changes so that you can
bring your work close to your body.