10 Tips for Disinfecting Your Bathroom

Bathrooms see more action throughout the day than many other rooms in your home, so it's never a bad idea to give them some love in the form of a good cleaning. And while reducing clutter and tidying up surfaces are good items to knock off on your bathroom cleaning checklist, taking some time to disinfect your bathroom can help eliminate germs and give your space a deeper clean.

If you’re unsure where to start, these disinfecting tips will leave you with a beautiful, clean, and disinfected bathroom in no time. 

1. Spray Tough Surfaces First

Many disinfectants need at least a few minutes to work after applying them to a surface. For that reason, it's helpful to add disinfecting agents to places that are particularly prone to grime, like toilets and tile grout, at the start of your routine. 

Make sure these areas are free of buildup first, then spray them down with a disinfectant. Straighten up other areas while giving the disinfectant a few minutes to work its magic. 

2. Work in a Well-Ventilated Space

Cleaning and disinfecting agents can be powerful, especially if you’re cleaning multiple surfaces at once. While you’re scrubbing away at your shower or bathroom sink, be sure to pop open a window and the bathroom fan if you have one. Keeping the air circulating can help mitigate the fumes and keep you breathing easily.

"Ventilation is an extremely important step when cleaning," says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dustbusters, a family-owned and operated janitorial company in Williamsport, PA. "Not only does it prevent harsh chemicals and dust particles from entering your lungs, but it also allows for any areas that have been cleaned to dry in a sufficient amount of time as to not allow the growth of mold or bacteria."

Note: You should also avoid mixing cleaning products, as this can often create harmful fumes. 

3. Focus On High-Touch Surfaces

While cleaning is mostly focused on ridding your bathroom of visible grime, disinfecting your bathroom aims to eliminate germs. After you wipe away any dirt, think about the surfaces in your bathroom that you touch the most. That means giving handles, doorknobs, light switches, and towels racks some extra love with a disinfectant spray and letting it sit for a bit before wiping it away. 

4. Disinfect Your Shower Door or Curtain and Liner

Chances are you’ve grazed your shower curtain liner while washing up in the morning, so you want it to be clean and as free of germs as possible. Regardless of whether you're cleaning a shower curtain or cleaning a glass shower door, your process will be similar.

Start by mixing a solution of one part water and one part white vinegar in a spray bottle. To give your solution a fresh scent, you can also add a few drops of essential oil, like tea tree oil. If you have a shower door, spray the solution all over the inside and outside of the door, letting it sit for a few minutes. Then wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to avoid streaks. Follow this up with your favorite disinfectant. 

If you have a shower curtain and liner, remove the curtain. You can keep the liner up and clean it the same way you'd clean a glass door or pop it into the washer on a cold water cycle. For the curtain, you can also often throw it right into the washing machine to clean it. Consider adding a half cup of baking soda to your regular detergent to help with mold and mildew buildup. You can also add 1 cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. 

If you can't put your curtain in the washing machine, then sprinkle some baking soda on a microfiber cloth and wipe it down. Use a damp cloth to wipe away the baking soda.

5. Disinfect and Deodorize Your Toilet

You already know that toilets don’t always make your bathroom smell like roses. Solution? Pour a cup of baking soda down the bowl, let it sit for a few minutes, then give it a flush. Doing this every week or two should be enough to neutralize most odors. After taking care of any smells, use a bleach solution and scrubbing brush to disinfect the area for a one-two punch. 

6. Soak Your Showerhead

Over time, mineral deposits can collect on your showerhead, clogging it up and attracting bacteria. This is most often an issue with hard water. If you notice that water isn't flowing from your showerhead as quickly or consistently as it used to (or that it’s covered in grime), then it's probably time to clean. 

To clean and unclog your showerhead, mix a solution of one part distilled vinegar and one part water in a large plastic bag. Then wrap the bag around your showerhead and fasten it with an elastic. Soak the showerhead in the liquid for about an hour, reinstall it on your shower, then run hot water to flush it out.

7. Don't Forget Your Drain

The water, soap scum, and grease that your drain collects can lead to foul odors and an unsightly appearance. Fortunately, it's an easy fix. Pour 1 cup of baking soda and 2 cups of white vinegar down the drain, then let it sit for about 30 minutes before flushing it with hot water. After that, spray it down with your go-to disinfectant to finish the job so you can take your next bubble bath in peace. 

8. Think Outside the Box

Scrub brushes, sponges, and other conventional cleaning tools are great for most of your bathroom scrubbing work. But when you want to clean and disinfect all of the smaller details, it's helpful to think outside of the traditional cleaning toolbox. 

For example, you can wrap a cleaning wipe or rag around the end of a screwdriver to make it an effective tool for scrubbing your toilet's nooks and crannies. You can also run dental floss around the base of your faucets and give it a few tugs and pulls to help get rid of grime.

9. Protect Your Hands

When focusing on bathroom cleaning and disinfecting, it can be easy to get carried away. But before you start scrubbing, put on some rubber gloves and be mindful of any cleaning and disinfecting agents that come into contact with your skin. 

Even if you don’t touch these harsher cleaners directly, it’s always a good idea to flip your gloves inside out and wash your hands thoroughly when you’re done. 

10. Bring In a Pro

If your main focus is eliminating those pesky germs in your bathroom, then your routine could benefit from a pro’s help. Scheduling regular appointments with a local home cleaning service can help you stay on top of your bathroom cleaning schedule and give you confidence the disinfecting was done correctly.