Nobody wants to do it, but here are some tips for cleaning your bathroom thoroughly.

By Deb Cabral | Special for observer office

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The bathroom can be one of the most blooming rooms in the house. Even if the room looks clean and tidy, germs can lurk anywhere. Here are some strategies for giving your bathroom a good old-fashioned deep clean.

• Start with the shower. It's best to start at the top with the shower head. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place it over the shower head with a rubber band to hold it in place. Leave it on overnight, remove it in the morning and turn on the shower to rinse it off. The shower head should be whistling clean. Clean the tub and tiles with the bathroom cleaner of your choice and dry them with a microfiber cloth. If you have one or more shower doors, make a paste of baking soda and vinegar and use a sponge to rub the mixture on both sides of the door and on the inside of the rail. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour and rinse. Carefully place the shower curtain and liner in the washing machine with detergent and a little bleach. Centrifuge both items at low temperature. Clean the shower curtain rings by soaking them in the sink with dish soap and a little bleach. Now your shower is fresh and clean.

• Tiles, countertops, walls and ceilings. Soaps and even dead skin cells can build up on all of these surfaces. Raw but true. Spray all of these areas with an all-purpose cleaner. Turn on the shower and let the water steam for at least five minutes. Then turn off the shower, leave the room and close the door behind you. Let the steam work for at least 20 minutes. Then wipe all surfaces with a clean cloth. Use a microfiber mop to get to the highlights.

• Don't forget the mortar. Mortar is porous and can be a haven for bacteria. Using a toothbrush and bleach, scrub all of the grout, especially any that are discolored. Let the bleach sit for a few minutes and then rinse off with hot water. For those who don't want to use bleach, hot water and vinegar will work too. However, let it sit for at least an hour before rinsing it off. If you are using bleach, open the window to keep the air in the room fresh.

• Save the best for last (not really!): The toilet. Pour a full cup of baking soda down the toilet and let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub and clean all areas of the toilet with a toilet brush (my favorite is the one IKEA sells for $ 1.99), then flush the toilet. Remember to clean the toilet brush. A little bleach in the sink off the brush works best, but if you'd rather not use bleach, vinegar and hot water can be suitable substitutes. Clean the seat and all external parts of the toilet, including the floor, with a Lysol cloth. Then wash with a cloth with warm water and dry.

• Wash towels. It is best to hand wash the towels on the sanitizer setting if your washing machine is on this setting, especially during the pandemic. Replace towels every couple of days to prevent bacteria from spreading. Also clean the towel rail.

A clean bathroom keeps bacteria out and keeps you and your family healthy!

More tips from Deb on Observer Dispatch every Sunday and on her websites at decluttercoachdeb.com and dceffconsult.com. You can follow her on social media and see her TV show Organization Motivation! organizationmotivation.com.

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