The bathroom is the second dirtiest room in your house. It can harbor molds, mildew, bacteria, and other germs that can make your family quite ill. Most of the bacteria and viral organisms come from flushing the toilet. Some of these include e.coli, enterobactor cloacae, campylobacter, klebsiella oxcytoca, staphlococcus, and streptococcus to name just a few. These can come from fecal and urinary waste materials. Most home bathroom toilets have lids, which most people do not think about using. However, the lid is designed to be closed prior to flushing. This will limit the spread of harmful bacteria, viruses, and other germs. Every time a person flushes the toilet, water particles carrying these and other germs are sprayed up in a dome diameter of about ten feet. This then puts germs on your soap dish, toothbrush, razors, faucet, hand towels, and any other surface within this range. At this point some of you are horrified or thoroughly disgusted at the least. The secret to a clean bathroom is having the proper supplies and a routine that helps eliminate these nasty contaminants.

Teaching everyone in your house, including the older kids and teens, to properly clean a bathroom will help reduce the risk of your family and guests becoming sick. trash bags (or use plastic grocery bags) Swiffer (or broom and clean mop) Do you flush with the toilet lid up or down? Cleaning SuppliesHaving the proper supplies is essential to keeping your cleaning routine simple and effective. Always have cleaning gloves on hand to protect your hands from cleaners and germs. Many people use reusable yellow gloves, but some people prefer disposable gloves. The reusable gloves can attract an array of germs and must be cleaned after each use. Disposable gloves are simple and easy and may be tossed away after each use. Disinfecting wipes are a great investment and time saver. Again these are simple to use and disposable. You don't have to worry about storing several washable cleaning cloths along with your cleaner of choice. For those of you that are on a budget, you can find disinfecting wipes at your local Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

If you don't have these stores in your area, you can find these wipes at Wal-Mart and most grocery stores as well. Toilet bowl tablets are also wonderful to have. They help kill the germs in your toilet with each flush. This is helpful to those that don't have the time to disinfect the toilet daily. You can find tablets that hook on the side of your toilet bowl or tablets that you can drop in the tank of your toilet. Disinfecting spray is also handy to have, especially if someone in the house is sick. Simply spraying it on surfaces will kill the germs, thus protecting you and your family from spreading harmful germs. Most disinfecting sprays kill mold and mildew as well so it is always good to use them on the shower curtain daily to fight mold and mildew. It is also a good idea to use it on the toilet brush after you have rinsed it thoroughly. Plungers are also quiet disgusting so be sure to spray them inside and outside. Be sure to have bathroom cleaner and a clean cloth on hand for bigger jobs.

Never use a dirty cloth. It isn't advised to use sponges but if you prefer sponges, throw them away after use. john lewis curtains farmyardThey harbor and breed even more germs and you could be making your bathroom dirtier than when you started. kacee curtainsAlso have glass cleaner handy along with paper towels to clean the mirror.silver cross honeypot curtains Make sure you have toilet bowl cleaner on hand as well as a toilet bowl scrubber. ikea rosali fabricThe toilet bowl scrubber should have a base to sit in so it doesn't spread germs to your floor. ready made sheer curtains auckland

Scrubbing Bubbles makes an automatic shower cleaner. This sprays your tub daily to keep your cleaning time to a minimum. hospital curtain rails brisbaneAll you have to do is touch the button and it allows you to walk away while it protects your tub from mold, mildew, and soap scum.the tortilla curtain historical background Another cleaning tool cares for your bathroom floor. Investing in a Swiffer will save you so much time. This is much easier than having to sweep with a broom and mop daily. There are a variety of models to choose from and fairly inexpensive. Dust collects on light bulbs, tile ledges, towel racks, and many other places. Cobwebs also enjoy the corners of your bathroom, especial where the wall meets the ceiling. One good way to make it easier to have a dust and cobweb free bathroom is to use Pledge sprayed on a long arm duster.

This allows cleaning to be a breeze without over exerting yourself by climbing up on surfaces or ladders. Last but not least, a wastebasket. This is much easier than having to walk your trash to another room. Always line your waste basket with a plastic bag so you can help keep your waste basket clean. Plus it is so much easier to take out a bag and tie it up than tote the waste basket to another trash can to dump it. How often do you clean your bathroom? Daily Weekly Monthly All of the aboveSee results Daily RoutineFirst and foremost, clean up as you go. You should hang up wet towels to dry before tossing them into a hamper. Also, pick up your dirty clothes and put them in the hamper. This helps keep the floor free from debris you can easily trip on. Pressing the button to the Automatic Shower Cleaner after each use helps tremendously. If you don't have one, simply wipe out the tub with a disinfecting wipe. It doesn't take much time at all and leaves it clean for the next person or the next time you shower.

When it comes to cleaning, it honestly takes less than 15 minutes if you have all the proper tools. Simply wipe down counters, sinks, faucets, toilet seats and toilet handle with disinfecting wipes. Don't forget to use your gloves. Next, change out your hand towels. Did you know that every time you flush the toilet, you send an invisible spray of bacteria and germs that can travel around 10-feet on every surface within its path? Although you can reduce the spread of germs this way by closing the lid before flushing, this is just one reason why you change out the hand towels daily. Then, check the trash. Most of the time the trash needs to be taken out daily due to the fact it is a breeding ground for germs. This could also lead to airborne illnesses along with your bathroom not having that 'oh so fresh' smell to it. Finally, take out that handy Swiffer and swiff away. Depending on the size of the bathroom, this shouldn't take too long and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your bathroom floor is spotless clean every day.

Weekly RoutineOnce a week you need to give your bathroom a little extra cleaning. Although you may have followed the daily routine faithfully, mold, mildew, and germs are tricky little buggers. Thus an extra cleaning is essential to keeping your bathroom as germ free as possible. Just because your bathroom my look beautiful and clean, doesn't mean it truly is clean. Pick one day a week and really scrub the bathroom. Remove everything from the counters so that you can clean the mirror. You don't want any of the cleaning agents and dust to make its way to your toothbrush and toothpaste. Next, use a long arm duster sprayed with Pledge. Simply wipe this along the corners that meet the ceiling. This takes care of any cobwebs and dust without it falling down in my face. Then use a dusting cloth to dust any decorations you may have such as pictures and faux plants. Also, don't forget to dust the baseboards. Those are really bad about collecting dust. Now use your cleaner of choice and a cloth to really clean the sink and counters.

Also get the ledges to prevent dust build up. For the faucet, you could always use an old toothbrush to help get in the crevices and continue on to wipe down the cabinets and drawers. On to the toilet: go ahead and squeeze or spray the toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet bowl. Let the solution sit in the bowl while you clean the bathtub. When cleaning the bathtub, don't forget to clean the top edges, walls, and shower curtain. Then go back to the toilet to scrub it and wipe down the outside of the toilet. Finally, remove the trash and Swiffer the floor. This part is simple and doesn't take much time at all. Every Four to Six MonthsYou do not have to wait until spring to do some spring cleaning. Every four to six months you should go through your cabinets and discard any old makeup, lotions, and other expired products. This includes your medicine cabinet. Be sure to properly discard any expired prescription and over the counter medicines. If you use a shower curtain, this is also a time to change the shower curtain liner to prevent mold and mildew build-up.