Your bathroom floor is home to millions of microorganisms that can make your family sick. We tend to overlook cleaning our bathroom floors, as we focus on cleaning more obvious fixtures like the toilet and shower area. Hence, floors can get particularly dusty and dirty.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to clean a bathroom floor using common household cleaning staples, as well as how to get rid of stains on your bathroom formed by mould or minerals. It is important to know the material of your floors to ensure that you are not further damaging the material by using unsuitable cleaning solutions.
How to Clean Bathroom Floor: A Step-by-Step Guide
What You’ll Need:
- Protective Wear (gloves, mask for strong cleaning chemicals)
- Broom and Dustpan, or Vacuum
- Mop
- Soft Cloth
- Soft-bristled Brush
- Preferred DIY or Commercial Cleaning Solution (vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, or market brand)
- Wax or Oil Sealant (Optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Clear the Floor: Clear the floor of any obstructions, items, or furniture that may get in the way of cleaning. Clear away any moveable furniture as well.
- Sweep or Vacuum: Use a broom and dustpan, or a vacuum cleaner to clear out any debris or loose dirt that may litter the bathroom floor.
- Clean your Bathroom Floor with Vinegar: Mix equal parts vinegar and distilled water, and use the solution to mop your floors. Alternatively, you can use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe the solution on your floors, focusing on stained and dull areas. Let the floors air dry before stepping on them.
- Clean your Bathroom Floor with Lemon: Not fond of the vinegar smell? Lemon works extremely well in bringing back that luster to your bathroom floors while leaving a pleasant scent.
Fill a spray bottle with lemon juice, and spray all around your bathroom floor. Spray around hard-to-reach areas, ensuring every nook and cranny is covered. Wipe the surface dry with a soft and clean cloth or a fresh sponge.
- Clean with Commercial Cleaners: Mopping with commercial cleaners is a convenient way to clean the floors in your bathroom. Many commercial cleaning products even have antibacterial properties to keep your floors clean and sanitized at the same time. Read the manufacturer’s label for usage and directions before cleaning your floors.
- Clean Floor Tiles: Cleaning tile floors includes scrubbing at the tile grout lines. For white grout lines, use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to whiten, and scrub out dirt and mould from the grout. For coloured grout lines, replace hydrogen peroxide with water and continue using the baking soda solution to scrub grout.
- Clean Natural Stone Floor: Avoid using acidic cleaning solutions, such as vinegar and lemon juice, to clean natural stone floors. Both varnished and unvarnished stone floors can etch from acidic solutions, leaving unsightly scratches on its surface. Instead, use cleaning products meant for marble or granite, or use castile soap diluted with water.
- (Optional) Seal your Floors: If preferred, seal your floor with a readily-available wax or oil sealant that works well with the material of your floors. Sealant helps keep moisture from settling deep within porous surfaces. Apply in thin layers until you reach the coverage you’re happy with, and to prevent over-applying of sealant.
How to Remove Bathroom Floor Stains
Finding stains on your bathroom floor? Don’t start hauling out your tiles just yet! Here are a few simple steps you can take to remove those stains, whether they are mould stains, soap scum, or mineral deposits. Deep clean your floors to make them look stunningly new!
Although it has a mixed reputation, bleach is a powerful cleaner that sanitizes, gets rid of grime and oils, and kills mould. It is a whitening agent, so be careful when working with coloured floors. When in doubt, do a patch test on an unnoticeable area to check if the material of your floors can handle the bleach.
What You’ll Need:
- Protective Wear (gloves, mask)
- Bleach, Bleach Gel, or Heavy Duty Bathroom Cleaner
- Soft-bristled brush or old toothbrush
- Soft cloth or sponge
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Protect your Skin and Lungs: Bleach is a corrosive household cleaning agent that can cause breathing problems and burns on your skin. It is important to protect yourself by donning some rubber gloves and a mask to prevent contact with bleach.
- Make a Bleach Spray: Place equal amounts of water and bleach into a spray bottle. Swirl gently to incorporate the two ingredients. Spray liberally around your floors, focusing on the stained areas, mould, and mildew. Let the spray dry, around 15 minutes, then apply another layer as needed. Rinse thoroughly with water, and wipe your floors dry with a soft, clean cloth or sponge.
- Make Bleach Gel: Bleach gel sticks on the surface instead of running off. Ready-to-use bleach gels are available on the market; but in a pinch, you can make your own by heating up 4 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 cups of water until it forms a slurry. Remove from heat and add in 6-12 tablespoons of bleach. To use your bleach gel, apply liberally on your floors, getting into the grout and heavily stained areas. Let the gel stay for a maximum of 10 minutes, then rinse or wipe off with a clean cloth.
- Use a Heavy Duty Bathroom Cleaner: Multiple types and brands of heavy duty bathroom cleaners are readily available on the market, and do an efficient job at getting rid of stains. If you have specialized materials that require extra care, like marble, granite, or ceramic tiles, you may benefit from choosing a commercial stain remover that is formulated for the material of your floors or floor tiles.
How to Maintain Clean Bathroom Floors
Maintaining a clean bathroom floor is relatively easy when you know how it’s done properly. Using safe, homemade cleaning solutions is a great way to sanitize your floors without harming your family’s health, especially if you have kids or pets around the house.
- Sweep easily accessed areas daily.
- Use a steam mop to conveniently clean bathroom floors.
- Use a vinegar and water solution in a 1:1 ratio, and mop your floors with the solution once a week to remove grime build up and maintain cleanliness.
- Keep your floors dry. Wipe dry any spillage immediately.
- Open your exhaust fan during and after bathing to let the air circulate within your bathroom, reducing humidity.
- Use a quality wax or oil sealant for water and mould resistance.
Trust the Professionals
For all your home cleaning needs, Luce Home can get the job done the right way. Our experienced house cleaners are knowledgeable on how to clean a bathroom, as well as every other aspect of your home, leaving your place spotless. Contact us today for more information, or visit our website for DIY cleaning tips and tricks!
