How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom

Deep cleaning your bathroom can be straightforward and simple. Just follow these suggestions.

10 min read

OXO

Jan 19, 2024

Not sure how to deep clean your bathroom—and then keep it clean once you’ve completed the task? Our ultimate checklist for deep cleaning your bathroom makes it easy to get every part of the room—tub, sink, medicine cabinet and toilet—sparkling clean and germ-free.

Bathroom Cleaning Tools

Before you start, assemble your equipment. You’ll need:

Clean microfiber cloths
Glass cleaner plus a tub and tile cleanser
A large bucket
A toilet brush that can scrub under the rim of the toilet bowl
A scrub brush to use around faucets and drains
A tub and tile scrubber that can reach up to the corners of a shower stall
Small scrub brushes from cleaning hard to reach areas

Once you have your tools within reach, put on an upbeat good cleaning playlist (really!) and declutter. Make sure all surfaces are clear of daily bathroom essentials and get rid of any containers that are nearly empty or past their ‘Best Before’ date.

How Clean Your Bathtub or Shower

Since tiles and fixtures need time to dry in order to be really clean, start your bathroom deep clean with the wet zone.

Use a rag or paper towel to wipe down the items you plan on keeping to rid them of any soap scum that may have accumulated.
With a cloth, wipe down your soap dish, any organizational baskets on your tiles, and the shelves in your shower caddy, then replace items you’ll be keeping.
Scrub the shower walls, making sure to pay special attention to brush away any grime from the grout between tiles or near caulking.
Clean the shower head with vinegar and a scrub brush.
Squeegee off any excess water and allow walls to air dry.
If you have a porcelain tub, use a powder cleaner and some water to make a thick paste. Apply it to surfaces for up to 30 minutes, then scrub with a heavy duty scrub brush before rinsing thoroughly.
If you have an acrylic tub, use a baking soda and vinegar solution rather than an abrasive cleaner. Apply and let stand for 20 minutes, then gently scrub any stains before rinsing.

How to Organize Your Bathroom Cabinets and Drawers

Since the bathroom medicine cabinet can be clearing space for everything from nail clippers to almost-empty toothpaste tubes and prescription medication, deep cleaning your bathroom should include taking stock of what’s actually needed and what’s not. So:

Pull everything out of your medicine cabinet. Yes, everything. Do the same with any additional cabinets or drawers.
Throw away anything—empty tubes of toothpaste, triple antibiotic cream that’s past its prime—that isn’t useful anymore. Bathroom storage space is scarce—make sure you’re not filling your shelves with empty containers.
Wipe down shelves with a cleaner—if you don’t have a favorite from the store, try making your own DIY cleaning solution.
Replace the items you’ve decided to keep in order of priority with toothpaste on the bottom, most accessible shelf and more occasional items, like face masks, higher up.
In your drawers, group like items together in adjustable drawers bins.
Consider putting a a turntable under the sink to make things things more easily accessible
Place miscellaneous items like hair ties, cotton balls and travel size shampoos into transparent containers for extra tidiness.

How to Deep Clean Your Toilet

It might not be fun, but it needs to be done.

Remove any tissue boxes or wipes dispensers from the top of the tank.
Then wipe down the outside of the toilet with your preferred cleaning solution to disinfect all surfaces. Remember to wipe down the tank, base, lid and seat!
Using the slide-out scrubber feature on your spray mop, clean behind the toilet and around its base.
Sprinkle or spray a toilet cleaning solution into the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush that has angled bristles for reaching unseen areas).
Flush the toilet to wash the cleaning solution down the drain (and then admire your handiwork).

How to Clean Bathroom Sink

Bathroom sinks and countertops can be magnets for dirt and germs since they’re multifunctional, high-use areas.

Sprinkle your favorite cleaning solution into the sink, then using a damp scrub brush (not the one used for the toilet—that should remain a potty-only brush), work the powder into a paste, thoroughly scrubbing the inside of the sink. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse.
Spray the faucet and knobs with a cleaning solution then wipe with a rag.

How to Clean Bathroom Mirror

Humidity and splatters of soap or toothpaste can dull your mirror’s shine. To make it sparkle again:

Spray the surface with glass cleaner.
Use paper towel or a mirror squeegee to wipe excess moisture from the surface.

Good Tip: Work from top to bottom, then side to side to remove the spray and avoid streaks. Still seeing streaks? Go over the surface with a few sheets of newspaper until dry.

How to Clean Bathroom Vent

A dirty vent will recirculate dust and set back your cleaning efforts, so taking the time to keep yours clean is worth it.

Start by unfastening the vent cover from the ceiling or wall. If your unit has a light, use a small brush that can get into crevices to clean away all dust. Then wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth.
If your unit doesn’t have a light, submerge the vent cover in your kitchen sink then use an all-purpose scrub brush and mild soap to gently scrub away any dust and grime. Let it dry on a towel.
While the vent cover is off, vacuum the motor and the area around it.
Clear away any remaining visible dust with a clean microfiber cloth then replace your vent cover.

How to Clean Bathroom Floor

Once you’ve cleaned all the various fixtures and areas of your bathroom, the last step is to clean the floor.

Vacuum up any hair, dust or lint, paying special attention to corners and behind fixtures including the toilet or freestanding bathtubs.
Fill a spray mop with the best cleanser for your flooring.
Start in the furthest corner and mop the floor in a horizontal pattern, backing up until you’re out of the room.
Let the floor air dry before using the bathroom.

How to Wash Your Towels (and How Often)

How often should you wash your bath towels? That depends on how frequently you use them and how much air circulates in your bathroom. Because warmer, damp environments can lead to bacteria growth, which can build up on towels. A good rule of thumb: At least once a week, more if necessary. Luckily, it’s easy to keep them fresh.

Wash bath towels on warm or hot with laundry detergent.
Tumble or line dry until towels are completely dry to the touch.

Good Tip: Spacing your towels out in the bathroom will allow them to dry between uses, which will keep them fresh for longer. Same goes for loofahs and bath sponges. Dry them all on their own suction hooks, which can be affixed to tile, mirror and other smooth surfaces.