Deep Cleaning 101 - The Bathroom!

The zone (per Flylady) for last week was the Bathroom plus one extra room.  I focused on the Bathroom.  Here are a few lovely shots of our bathroom:

(excuse the dog toy in the bottom corner - that thing gets worn around the house like a mink shawl by my kids - it is true, your kids really just need dog toys!)

This is only one side of the bathroom, we do actually have a shower and a toilet but, no one likes to see a toilet :-)  That stand in the corner - that is the "wash hands and brush your teeth" stool.  Some day I might actually get a regular stool for my kids to stand on . .. by then, they won't need it!

My little house was built back in the early 1900's and therefore, has very little storage space that can be named "closets".  When a previous owner updated the house, they added a very wonderful storage closet in the bathroom.  The thing is huge.  I love it because it truly meets so many needs.  When we re-did the bathroom a year ago, I worked on organizing the cabinets . .. but as you can tell by the first picture,  it quickly gets out of hand so one of the first things I do when I deep clean the bathroom is open the cabinet doors and look!  I take about 5 minutes and tidy up whatever has gotten out of place.  The bottom shelves I use to store my over sized kitchen items and all of our table clothes and cloth napkins.  (I've learned that tablecloths and kids don't mix . .. they think they are way too fun to pull of the table!) The top shelves hold our toiletries, cleaning supplies, and games.  There is also a full length cabinet (no picture . .. ) that is our coat closet and that closet holds my vacuum and steam mop. 

So, what is my cleaning plan?  Here it is!
1) Open up the cabinet doors and take a quick 5 (or less) to put things back in the right spot.  I also look at my stash of toiletry items and do a quick inventory . It is amazing how many tubes of toothpaste I end up with at the end of a month!
2) Wipe down the flat surfaces - the rolling cart (which is my vanity table), the counter top and sink.  While doing that I also wipe down any outlet covers that are in the middle of the wall and I wipe down the medicine cabinet mirror inside and out.
3) Fixture wipe down - I clean the toilet and shower.  During deep cleaning, I use Iron out and a sponge to really scrub the shower.  We have very hard water and, despite our water softener, after a month, there are rust stains starting to build up.  (On a side note - they have liquid Iron out now and it is so much easier to use than the powder!!)
4) Dusting - I take time to wipe down any pictures on the walls and knick knacks
5) The Floors - first, I vacuum, than I swiffer with my swiffer vac, next I do a quick swipe with the steam mop and finally, I get down on my hands and knees and mop the floor with pin sol.  While down there, I clean the bottom half of the toilet, wipe off baseboards, cabinet doors and the front of the tub. I wash the bathroom rugs sometime during the week too. 
6) Windows - I wipe down the blinds and usually clean the windows
7) Odd Things: Curtains I wash once or twice a year -usually spring and fall; I use Turtle Wax on the shower walls every 2-3 months to help make it easier to clean; outsides of windows - done once a year by my husband :-)

All of that cleaning (well at least 1-6) takes about 45 minutes totals during the week. Really, my bathroom gets basic cleaning once a week during my Weekly Home Blessing since it really needs it so doing deep cleaning really isn't that bad. 

What is a Weekly Home Blessing?  Basically you take no more then an hour and "bless your home" - basically doing quick cleaning.  Every one's list is different but mine includes:  Dusting without moving anything (just where it shows); Vacuuming the middles - not moving furniture, toys, or even kids (yes, I will vacuum around them if they are playing); swiffering the hard floors and running the steam mop over those as well to get rid of the sticky spots; cleaning the toilet and wiping down the shower.  (Plus, I swish and swipe in the bathroom daily which means - I wipe down the sink and mirror and "swish" the toilet plus wipe down the seat every day).  So yes, the bathroom almost gets a full clean every week (in case you ever visit, you'll know it's clean!)

Now, you might be wondering about that "extra room".  Flylady rotates that extra room or sometimes let you pick . .. whether it be a kids room, the laundry room, the den - whatever needs it.  For me, I attach one kids room to the bathroom zone and the other to the master bedroom zone BUT it is really hard to deep clean a kids room when they are hanging on standing by you the whole time.  It just so happens my kids are going to the grandparents soon so I'm waiting to deep clean their rooms until they are gone :-)  Their rooms really don't get that dirty yet since they really only sleep in there!   If I had a laundry room upstairs or a mud room - I would clean that on this week too!!

Next week . .. The Master Bedroom, Master Bathroom (if you have one .. which I don't), and Master Closet (no matter the size!).