I gave each of my children a small plastic sand pail when they were first in the bathroom. Long before I trusted them to bath alone without a parent present they knew their pail and would retrieve it for the daily bath and 3-times daily tooth brushing. It stayed on their shelf and held their own little tube of toothpaste, 3 toothbrushes, a wash cloth that I cut down to their hand size, a half-bar of ivory soap in a travel box, and in small travel bottles their shampoo, conditioner and baby powder. They didn't get messy about their bathroom organization until they were teenagers.

This kind of approach for every area of the house--laundry, dishes, keeping stuff picked up. I'm not perfect in following it, but I like it so much better when I do.

Oh wouldnt it be lovely to keep your bathroom clean with only 5 mins a day! You have to be pretty damn fit to be able to do this and not a 60 plus year old like me. I am not at the doggery "old age" stage, yet, but there is no way I could do all that in 5 mins. I don't have a lot of bottles and containers on my counter tops, but the ones I have need to be moved and cleaned (glass and silver tops), this alone takes me a few mins.

Yep, I agree. I use these techniques daily all through my house. IF you do them on daily basis, they really work.

I agree with Susan54 & Rita. These tips work anywhere in the house. Maybe 5 minutes it's a stretch, but the longer you do this the less time it takes.

every day makes 35 min. per week. In 35 min. I can clean the whole bathroom, including the floor, which would still be dirty if I did you 5 min. a day, so I will pass.

I dread cleaning my bathrooms. 5 minutes is a great way to get me motivated!

If my bathroom looked like that, I'd gladly spend time cleaning it everyday! Sexy. -- I know it's not great for the environment, but I keep a box of baby wipes (at least I get those in the most earth-friendly possible!) in my cabinet and when I'm in a rush to clean up I just wipe everything down with a baby wipe and toss it. After the mirror dries I use a hand towel to 'buff' off the streaks. It keeps things from building up when I don't have a lot of time.

I also have a decorative bowl on my counter and in my quick pick-up before leaving the bathroom after getting ready I toss stray items (clips, pins, eyeliner, whatever!) into the bowl and deal with it on my day off. Keeps clutter down!

I try not to keep a lot in there so it does not look messy. While my little ones are in a bath for the night I clean the toilet or sink or sweep while talking with them. Then I wash my hands and deal with the kiddies.

For the skeptics...the reason this works is that if you do a daily cleaning, nothing ever gets really grungy. Not having to scour hard water stains in the toilet is a huge timesaver. If given a quick swipe every day, you don't even need to use nasty chemicals in the bowl.

Adjust as needed. If you demand a spotless floor, then do that more frequently.

i'm so glad that i know fulinlin will pass. i can go on with my day now.

great idears folks. i still think 5 minutes a day is too much for me. i am going to think long and hard about what i can do in my micro-bathroom to keep it clean in a minute a day. if i come up with anything i'll let you know. or ill do a post on it!

I'm a firm believer of not having anything on your bathroom counter. Our bathroom has a built in niche for bottles and body soup.

We hate shower curtains so we built in clear glass doors and our counter top has two drawers where everything has a place and on top of if we have a clean glass sink.

And between the shower and the sink we have our toilet. The only two things visible are one hand towel and the handsoup dispenser.

It is super easy to clean.

who reads spin?

Does the daily spray in the shower really keep the grout clean?

Agree with previous comments about daily cleaning prevents major buildups. Wiping down baseboards 1x month (or week) also helps keep things sparkling and less icky.

Tongue-in-cheek suggestion for saving time cleaning and saving time on the morning routine, but I confess I haven't tried:
- Brush your teeth in the shower: No dirty mirror or sink! And less clutter on the counter because the tools are in the shower.
- #1 in the shower: No toilet to clean! Maybe reconsider if you brush your teeth in the shower, but to each their own.

5 minutes is definitely a stretch. It takes a few minutes to get out and put away all those cleaning supplies. That mop doesn't just magically appear in your hand when you're ready to start mopping -- unless maybe you're Barbara Eden. To really do this in 5 minutes, I'd have to leave my windex and toilet brush at the ready in the bathroom instead of putting them away. That's just trading one mess for another.

Unless I'm in a terrible rush, I clean one or two things in the bathroom after my shower, even if it's just to wipe down the toilet or scour the sink. When I switch towels, I use the old one to wipe the floor before I toss it down the laundry chute. My bathroom is always reasonably presentable, and when I do a more thorough cleaning it doesn't take long.

@Teakfreak: you've never peed in the shower? Seriously? :-)

I totally brush my teeth in the shower. I keep the stuff in my shower caddy (okay, it's actually a hanging 3-tier fruit basket, don't judge) which is handy because there's no room for my toothpaste and chunky battery-powered toothbrush to sit on my tiny sink without getting in the way. :D Plus, it means I HAVE to do it every morning, because there's no excuse not to - I can get it done while I'm shampooing, for Pete's sake.

A really easy way to clean your toilet is to sprinkle in a couple hearty handfuls of borax (a powdered, nontoxic product found in your friendly local grocery store laundry-stuff aisle), let it sit for a bit, and then do a good scrub with your toilet brush. Bam, done. And you can get away with only doing it once every week or two.

Someone above mentioned this would take 35 minutes a week: that's 35 minutes TOTAL each week. Many of these things most people would do everyday anyway, like hanging up towels, putting stuff away that's on the counters, etc. Plus, as others have mentioned, the more you do it, the faster it gets because everything stays clean.

I keep everything in drawers, nothing but soap on the countertop. Those drawers get pretty messy but the countertops are spotless. If the drawers get crowded, it's time to purge.

@pjfa: um...err....pleading the 5th!

I love all these cleaning tips.. But,,you know what would be better ?? To watch Maxwell on TV.. I would love watching him as I know he was on HGTV at one time..But.. Still would love watching his tips and stuff on TV.. wonder if you could get on Livewellnetwork... I don't have cable and watch that program all the time ... Just thinking.... Oh.. and I have your tips on what day to do what plastered on my fridge..

Get thee to flylady.net and habithacker.com (depending on your personality).
Just sayin'.

And I highly recommend picking up a 20-pack of microfiber towels --cheapest usually in the automotive aisle-- because if you damp that down, you don't even need the windex.

Regarding having a lot of supplies around... I guess that's the one good thing about having a small bathroom. My supplies are a those microfiber towels (yeah, I know I should have thought before submitting...sorry!), a toilet brush, a tub-brush, and a bottle of simple green. Not much to mop when the rug covers more than half the floor. (Just trade off with the other rug on the weekend.)

THAT'S WHAT I DO!!! Every day. My bath is small so I even can wipe the floor in 20 secs.

Does anyone have a recommendation for toilet cleaner? I've been using Ajax powder, with bleach, but find that the lower part of the toilet is still stained-looking.

Thanks for any suggestions.

One major trick, is to leave the bathroom window open during and after your shower to prevent mildew and for a quick dry. I leave a clean rag available to wipe off water from the shower handles and wall. I always wipe down my sink after each use. Super easy to do and the bathroom feels good as new.

As a child, I always wondered why my mom insisted on daily vacuuming, daily bathroom cleans, etc. (and we had live-in "help"), but as an adult, I recognize the value of what she modeled - keep it clean so it's never even borderline disgusting, and keep it clean so it's a simple breeze to maintain.

"body soup" .... interesting visual :)

@laloo hahaha body soap and handsoap lol thank you for the correction.

Wow! That's .000496 of my week I'll never get back!

do you post a variation of the same tips every month?

One minute: spray shower on your way out of it with the daily cleanser you keep in there. After your morning ablutions (of course, you put things back as you use them) grab a windex wipey thing and 1) wipe the mirror 2) sink fixtures 3) sink bowl 4) gross bit at the back of the toilet seat 5) the rim of the toilet bowl 6) wash hands and replace hand towel. You are basically going from cleanest to dirtiest surface. Once a week do a regular clean of the shower floor, tub, floor and toilet. Everything will always be clean enough.

I agree with not having a lot of stuff on the counter top. It makes the bathroom look cluttered and it takes more time to clean.

I put my hair stuff in a rectangular plastic basket and also have a container that holds my daily makeup basics. Makes it easy to use and put away quickly in the cabinet. Less used items are stored in the linen closet.

Olderworker: For cleaning the toilet you could pour a bucket of water in the toilet to lower the water level and then try scrubbing the toilet with Barkeepers Friend (can buy at Target by the other cleansers like Ajax). It works great on stains. I've also heard that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is good.

...you hire that lovely maid full time who usually comes before holidays?

hello Olderworker, i had a very dark large stain at the bottom of the toilet for a very long time. i thought i had tried everything. one night before going to bed, i poured a cup of oxyclean powder into the toilet. the next morning (8 hours later), voila, totally white, no scrubbing, nada. now i do it every week or so. it has never gone dark again after 3 years. and i lived happily ever after. the end.

The real secret is to live in an IKEA store display...

Get rid of almost everything as much as possible. A human being needs very little. Then its easy to clean. Quips aside magic eraser does just that.

we need to get a sort of "like" button on here so I can just agree without repeating

What if — you're a hairy Italian man that sheds? Add 5 minutes on top of that.

Irish men are hairer and shed more.....living with my son adds a good 10 minutes to daily cleaning

Laughing at the comments about hair/shedding. I shed plenty of my long hair, and also have a long-haired cat who likes to hang out with me (and shed!) in the bathroom while I get ready in the morning. I just take the tissue I've used to blot my lipstick in my hand and use it to pick up the shedded hair each day. I'm not sure if this would work for short men's hair though!

It's strange when you're a houseguest and you have to apply the 5-minute clean-up to the bathroom you'll be using, before you can use it. In fact, it can get downright scary. I love staying at friends' that are clean. Then there are those friends that have a Petri Dish for a bathroom.

@olderworker, apparently a few denture tablets down the loo and left over night can do the trick. It certianly works for cleaning the inside of bottles, decanters, etc.

I think I'll try Sarita's trick with oxyclean;)

There are two words that describe how I feel about this article:
Thank you.

(It'll take some preparation though -- actually I realized while reading that big part of my cleaning problems is not storing the "tools" in the most optimal way.)

I use one of those flushable toilet wipes to do the toilet cistern and then seat. There may be better things for the environment, yes, but this is quick and I don't get left with an icky germy sponge in the bathroom (I'm aware I may be over reacting, but this works for me!). I do use a swiffer for the floor, but it has a cloth sponge that fits over the top which cleans better (the fabric has texture) and goes straight into the wash once used.

There are a few things that need doing that aren't listed though ... bathroom fans have filters that need cleaning periodically, windows need cleaning (inside and out), shower heads need descaling, shower curtains need washing, etc. The tips are a great start though.

I keep duplicates of cleaning supplies in the bathroom under the sink, however another storage ideas for cleaning supplies include an over the door shoe rack over the bathroom door.

We have nothing on the sink counter except the liquid soap container and a sponge making it quick to wipe down. Everyone's products and supplies must be in a drawer or cabinet or carried in an out.

I can do the toilet, swiffer the floor with cloth, wipe the sink mirror and standing mirror in the bathroom.

I can't spray the shower down because all our products are inside, nor can I clean off the shower door gunk, the fabric shower curtains, the plastic curtain or scrub down the sink but its a great start.

For those using baby wipes and other wipes to clean in their bathroom, note that wastewater authorities say to NOT flush those. Apparently, they can really screw up either your own plumbing or municipal systems. I received a list of such Do Nots from an SF Bay Area municipality recently. I don't have that list handy, but here's a list I found from Tacoma:

http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=1471

"Avoid drain pain - don't flush these things

"Just because the package says "flushable" doesn't mean it's true. many items marketed as disposable and/or flushable do not degrade like toilet paper, and they wind up clogging pipes, tangling pumps and causing messy sewer backups into streets, businesses and homes.

"Our sewers are designed to dispose of very specific things. Using your toilet for disposal of many modern products will often result in blockages. The drains that connect your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper and human waste - often no wider than 4 inches.

"What not to flush:

Diapers (cloth, disposable, "flushable")
Facial tissues
Baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.
Toilet bowl scrub pads
Swiffers
paper towels
Dental floss
Hair
Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material
Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals
Wash cloths, towels, rags (any cloth item)
Clothing
Sheet plastic, or plastic of any kind

"So what CAN I do?

"Avoid purchasing "flushable" items. Clean with a sponge or a rag that you can reuse.

"What should be flushed? Just toilet paper and human waste."

This is hilarious. Five minutes a month is fine in our house and the room is not disgusting or filthy.

Of course, we have a fairly small bathroom and don't have kids, the infirm, or slobs living here.

The American obsession and ignorance over germs and contamination never ceases to amuse.

I keep a separate set of cleaning gloves, products, etc. in my main floor bathroom so the process is quick and easy to get scrubbing and dusting. I like the idea of segregated gloves especially when toilets are involved!

If you cleaned your bathroom once a week it's not going to take "hours and hours" :P

I keep a little tote under the sink with a few rags, microfiber for mirrors!, paper towels, mini spray bottle of vinegar, scrubbie, pumice, etc (stock tote with small amounts of whatever you may need for your own bathroom). There is a swiffer & a mop in the hall closet. No need for a mop bucket- that's what the bathtub is for! Rule in our house- NOTHING left on the counter except the cute fishbowl with stones, shells, etc that we've collected on travels. We each have a drawer, a shelf in the closed cupboard & a personal tote under the sink (my personal stuff in one, his in the other). If if doesn't fit in these designated spaces, too bad. Find a new home for it. I agree with posters about brushing teeth in the shower (also doing #1. I mean, c'mon, what's the hangup?!). Before leaving bathroom in the morning, & before going to bed, a quick spray down with vinegar & wipe with paper towels. Takes like 3 minutes. Use less makeup, hairspray, body care products. Seriously, you're beautiful without all that stuff, & so why give giant corporations all your money so that they can convince you that you need all those chemicals to look beautiful...(political rant, sorry). But really, not only will you be cleaner & fresher, but so will your bathroom. Shower curtain- I use a fabric style, & if you give it a bit of a shake, then hang it outside the tub the air will better circulate & dry it better. No mold. I really love my curtain & I've had it over 5 years. Still looks good as new. (Throw it in the washer one a month with towels & vinegar). Wipe the shower down with a rag when we get out & it's always clean. Before we leave the bathroom we just wipe something down, whether it's the counter, toilet seat, door knob, whatever. I love Sauveteur's idea using the little pails for her kids. Excellent idea!

Oh, I wanted to add, for those who insisted that their builder/contractor install the biggest, most luxurious bathroom that your money could buy- complete with jacuzzi tub, locker room size all glass shower stall, his & her toilets, sinks, bidets, massage table, etc..... well, it's not so luxurious now that you have to freak out about keeping all that clean, huh?!

We also keep our laundry basket in the bathtub, behind the shower curtain of course. That is real estate space sitting there all day not being utilized while you're out at work paying for that real estate not being utilized, why not put it to work! Store your bucket of cleaning products in there! Store your laundry hamper, store that damn shedding dog (just kidding...).

Suddenly I like the fact that I can touch all the walls of my bathroom at once.

Instead of "reading a magazine,", I compulsively wipe up hair from the floor. (one cat, two long haired people. My hairs are often more than 40 inches in length)

olderworker - SnoBowl!!

When we moved in, our toilets had yellowish/brownish rust stains at and below the waterline. I tried everything suggested, and then lucked onto that toilet cleaner (made by Arm&Hammer). It's got a higher hydrogen chloride level to take out hard water and rust stains - and I've never had anything work as well. I found it in Ace Hardware on the shelf, but it's really difficult to find otherwise... but it is totally worth it. Just leave it on for about 10-15 minutes if the bowl is really stained, and it should come right off with a few swishes of the brush! And it's cheap too...

I have a lot of cosmetics which can get out of control. I have found if I put away 10 items per a walk through my vanity stays presentable. Once I run out of things to put away I will wipe something down or clean something instead. Also I also swear by keeping showers, tubs and sinks perfectly dry. Everyone asks how we keep the shower glass walls crystal clear. We squeegee and wipe down the shower bone dry after every use, and I have never had to clean it once, not even one time and it is pristine.

Read more about this topic:

http://plumbonline.net/store/news/article/how-to-keep-your-bathroom-clean/801465478/

Great article! I need motivation to clean more often and this article is helping me. Cleaning can be overwhelming. Cleaning more often but for a shorter amount of time makes so much sense.

What a great idea to keep things tidy and teach your kids! I will have to do this when I have kids! Thanks for sharing : )

The first minute I find very important, because many people do not want to collect objects and end up sweeping, therefore object damage finish. Also we avoid accidents.

In the second minute I put the vinegar and after few minutes, I clean the toilet with the toilet Bowl Brush and Caddy, is very easy of use.

In the third minute is very important, many articles in internet is not have this step.
In the four minute I clean the mirror with the Microfiber Towel and a little spray for clean.

In the five minute, I recommend the article very good is for clean the bathroom and surfaces. CLEAN THE BATHROOM WITH DIFFERENT CERAMIC

Excellent article and simple.

I think with a good planning, we can do a best work in the bathroom. Many people not have the knowledge for clean. I think too, is important select the best janitorial supplies for do the clean. In the market exist many online store for buy the janitorial equipment.

It is important to know the equipment that we use, because this way we save time.