We'll be covering not only how to deep clean your bathroom but how to do it without the use of toxic chemicals. I mean, the main purpose of cleaning your bathroom is to stay healthy, right? Why would you want to use toxic products that can make you sick? Just give us a chance and read on, it's honestly really not that hard to go the natural route. Most of the products we'll be discussing, you should have lying around your house somewhere.
So put that bleach and toothbrush away, because we are taking a non-toxic approach to cleaning in this one. Oh yea, well your toothbrush may not be toxic, but let's keep it for cleaning your teeth, not the toilet.
Avoid using Chemicals
Before we jump in to the fun stuff, let’s discuss why you should avoid using chemicals and go the non-toxic route instead.
1. It’s better for your health.
Most household cleaners contain harmful chemicals. Deep cleaning your bathroom can be dangerous. That is because you are mixing a bunch of chemicals into one giant cocktail that releases harmful odors and gases. These fumes contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short. These VOCs have been linked to many health issues such as cancer and respiratory disease, and are toxic to breathe in.
Bleach has been a well-known toxic chemical for years. It is still one of the most frequently received calls at the Poison Control Centers for children, and it is commonly known to burn skin, eyes, and noses. But bleach is far more than something to keep away from children and put in our swimming pools, it’s a serious concern to our health.
2. It’s better for the environment.
Bleach and chemical cleaning products are not only bad for your health, but for the environment as well. After deep cleaning our bathrooms, the grey water used in washing our showers, toilets, and sinks goes down the drains and into our waterways. This means that these harmful chemicals make it into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, causing harm to the natural wildlife.
The lesson? If it’s not good for you, it’s not good for the planet, and visa versa.
3. It’s better for your plumbing.
Those harsh chemicals found in most store-bought cleaning products will cause everything that you clean it with to get worn down, including your drain pipes. This leads to clogged drains and degradation that can cause leaks and become a major issue.
Use Natural Ingredients Instead
You’ll be surprised to know which common household ingredients can double as cleaning products. There are just a handful of items you will need to deep clean every part of your bathroom.
Essential oils are a great way to bring a fresh and clean scent into your smelly bathroom. While commonly used in aromatherapy and for their wonderful smells, essential oils can also be used to clean and purify. This is because certain plants contain antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that help to remove germs. The most common essential oils used for cleaning products are pine, orange, and lemon. However, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and oregano also contain antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Remember, a little goes a long way in essential oils. Use a few drops in your DIY cleaning products to give a little extra cleanliness (and great scent) to your bathroom.
Vinegar is a staple in natural cleaning because of its ability to remove buildups. It’s also an antibacterial ingredient and is great for disinfecting. However, due to its strong acidity, it may need to be watered down in some cleaning solutions. Vinegar is very versatile for cleaning a variety of items, from windows to showers and tubs.
Aside from its cooking purposes, baking soda is an inexpensive and common DIY natural cleaner. It neutralizes and removes odors rather than covering them up, making it great for eliminating funky bathroom smells. Baking soda also causes dirt and grease to dissolve in water, making it great for removing scum and stains. Due to its abrasive texture, it also acts as a natural buffer for scrubbing away these stains.
Scrub brushes are a great cleaning tool overall, but for the natural route in your bathroom, these are essential. That’s because they help to move around the grit in baking soda (which buffs away scum and stains). Scrub brushes also help to get into those tricky areas such as grout, and all the cracks and corners in your bathroom (like toilets and faucets).
How To Deep Clean Your Bathroom
Each part of your bathroom requires a different method of cleaning. Thankfully you’ll just need baking soda and vinegar for most applications. Read on to see how to clean each item in your space.
Mirrors
Similar to windows, mirrors can be cleaned with a 50/50 ratio of vinegar and water. Add the liquid to a spray bottle, spritz your mirror and wipe down. Paper towels tend to leave streaks or residue, so for a streak free clean, use old rags from cut up t-shirts or a microfiber cloth.
Countertops
From quartz to granite, you can use the same basic recipe for all types of countertop. Here's an easy DIY cleaning recipe you can use:
- Mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water.
- Since vinegar has a pretty powerful scent, freshen up the smell by adding 5 to 10 drops of essential oil. You can use 10 drops of one essential oil, such as eucalyptus, or mix two together, such as lavender and lemon for a fresh unique blend.
- Add this liquid to a spray bottle, spray, and let sit for five to ten minutes before wiping or scrubbing away with a rag.
Shower/Tub
Showers and tubs can be a big task to deep clean. Full of grime, lime, and water rings, you’ll need something that will work on any stain your bath or shower creates. For deep cleaning, check out this post on how to create your own natural homemade shower cleaner.
If you have a handheld shower, like our Single Function Hand Held option, it makes rinsing off your tub/shower a breeze. Otherwise, you’ll have to use some elbow grease and a rag to do this work. For routine cleaning, use the same mixture as you would your countertops and tile.
Tile
Cleaning up bathroom floors, use ¼ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda in a bucket full of 2 gallons of hot water. Add a few drops of essential oil for scent. Using a mop or clean rag, use this recipe for basic everyday cleaning. For a deeper clean in between tile grout, read on for our grout deep clean recipe.
Grout
Grout can turn dingy and stray from its original color over the years. Give it a refresh with the power of baking soda. For floor grout, sprinkle baking soda over the grout and pour hydrogen peroxide over it and do a gentle scrub with an old toothbrush.
For wall grout, mix baking soda and water together until you form a thick paste then slab this mixture onto your wall grout. Then, using a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide, spray down the walls and use the same toothbrush method to scrub away the grime.
Toilet
To remove hard and stuck on rings around your toilet bowl, a combination of baking soda and vinegar is your go-to weapon. Here's a quick and easy cleaning hack you can try:
- Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl and swish around with your toilet brush.
- Let this sit for about one minute before adding 1 cup of baking soda in.
- Add another 1 cup of vinegar. This will create the fizzing action to let you know the two ingredients are working to remove the stain.
- Let this solution sit for about 10 minutes.
- Use your toilet brush to scrub around the bowl. Thanks to the baking soda and vinegar, the stains will be easier to remove.
- When you’re done, simply flush your toilet for a fresh clean bowl.
Drains
To unclog a drain the natural way, pour ½ cup of baking soda into a drain followed by 1 cup of vinegar. This will cause a chemical reaction and the mixture will begin to fizz. Let this happen for 15 minutes before pouring hot or boiling water down the drain to clean everything up. You might want to cap off the drain with a plunger or plug when pouring the vinegar in with the baking soda, as this chemical reaction can be intense.
Now that you have a list of easy non-toxic ways to deep clean your bathroom, you can ditch those chemical cleaners and create a healthier and safer life for you and your family while still having a sparkling bathroom in the end!