During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.
April 2, 2013 Project
Your project for today is to clean your bathrooms.
Here’s what I’m planning to do:
- Set the timer for 20 minutes and put toilet cleaner in each of the toilet bowls and let it soak.
- Remove any items that don’t belong in the bathroom, put away items that need to be put away in the bathroom, empty the trash.
- Spray and wipe down the sink and tub.
- Finish swishing and cleaning the toilet.
- Shake the rugs outside (or throw them in the laundry) and mop or vacuum the floors.
- Wipe down the outside of the cupboards and clean the mirror.
- You’re done!
You can follow along with my list — or do whatever constitutes “bathroom cleaning” to you. There is no one right way to do this. 🙂
Then, come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll show you pictures of my cleaning accomplishments for today and have a linky so you can link up yours, too!
How long does it usually take you to clean your bathroom(s)? I’m going to be timing myself this morning to see if I can do all of that in all three of our bathrooms in less than 20 minutes. I’ll let you know!
Join in the Chatter
::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.
::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!
Still catching up! Finished this one. It was a little more difficult than the first one because I never get around to cleaning our bathroom. At least there’s basically only that one because our guest bathroom rarely ever gets used. We actually did the floors the other day though so they didn’t need to be re-done. My toilets are happy now 😛
I try to clean the bathroom as I go. I need to tackle the mess in the cabinet!
I am also loving this. Yesterday’s task was easy, again like everyone else, it was clean already. But it looked even better when I wiped everything down again and put stuff away. Today I even had my husband’s help on the downstairs bath — and did the upstairs bath while waiting for the hair straightener to rewarm. I love this. And the best part — when I go to do it in a week – it won’t be so bad and I’ll get faster because of more practice . . . But the absolute BEST part will be at the end of the month when I get to start over and because it’s already “clean” and put away, it just won’t take long to do all the chores and I’ll have more time for quilting!! Just don’t ask me to clean THAT room — it’s organized chaos . . .
Hi! Is there a way to sign up for a daily email for this?
You could sign up for the LITE emails: https://moneysavingmom.com/subscribe-to-money-saving-mom
You’ll just get these posts plus a few other posts (non-deal posts) every day.
Ok! Thanks 🙂 I do already get the normal email but I didn’t look to see if your daily post was on there.
I do trash and laundry (mats, towels) on a different day then the cleaning, so the cleaning probably takes 15 min for 3! I only scrub the tubs once or twice a month so I don’t count those.
Bathrooms are Friday’s job, so I will do them then 🙂 Doing yesterday’s task today as Tuesday is vacuuming/floors day 🙂 Is this challenge going to have a lot of the deep cleaning stuff you did in the past challenges? That’s what I really need to get to and having a day to day task to complete like this is a great way to get it done! 🙂
You can see the basic plan we’re going by here: http://www.freshandorganized.com/2013/02/the-31-day-house-cleaning-routine.html
There will be some deep cleaning and some surface cleaning. But feel free to do whatever needs done most at your house. 🙂
okay, I did it, took my a few hours of going back and doing one thing at a time, but its done! Now the hard part is to keep my 4yr old out of there…she already tried to give her pet worms from the garden a bath :O
I hate cleaning bathrooms, but that is what children are for, and tomorrow is bathroom cleaning day in our home. 🙂
The bathroom is such an important room to keep clean! I did a quick clean yesterday; therefore, today should not take quite as long. 🙂 My floor does need to be swept and mopped, though.
Finished … although I think I must be the slowest cleaner ever. This took most of the morning. Maybe it’s because I cleaned 3 bathrooms? Maybe we’re super dirty?! Maybe I’m too thorough? Whatever the reason, so glad it’s done. It’s always great to have clean bathrooms!
I guess I should clean the bathrooms since I’m home today and they could use it. lol. My boys’ bathroom would likely take me less than 10 minutes and the same with the downstairs bathroom, but the master bath is going to take at least 20 minutes. I’ve been getting laundry done today and I had my kids vacuum. I’m 5 mos pregnant and still tired all the time so my house is nowhere near as clean as I would like it to be. This should be a good challenge for me.
Done! 🙂 Too bad that today’s and yesterday’s tasks are not really done for the next 30 days but pretty much every day chores. But at least they are done for now 🙂
I am enlisting my kids’ help with this project. We have no set schedule for cleaning. I usually clean what is annoying most. I think the schedule will be good for them and me! I am looking forward to what our house looks like in 1 month.
Woot! This one won’t be as hard, because I already did some of this over the last few days. Speaking of which, how often do you ladies scrub the tub? I honestly am seriously germophobic and would do it every week if I could. But it ends up only being like once a month. ICK!
http://ourhappilyeverafter219.blogspot.com/2013/04/30-day-cleaning-challenge-day-2.html
Just finished today’s tasks! Thankfully I clean our bathrooms every day {lightly} so it didn’t take me too long.
Ah I just realized the very only plus in having one bathroom in our new home…only having to clean one bathroom. It is my least favorite chore second to washing dishes so I’m tackling it with as much enthusiasm as a mother can living with one big boy and one little boy 😉
🙂
Done! Thanks for the kick in the pants to get going. Took me 50.4 minutes to do 1-1/2 bathrooms.
Woohoo!
Oh my least favorite task. It shouldn’t be to based as I cleaned for my mother in law’s visit. Alright off to just do it!
It typically takes me 15 minutes to just clean the sink/counter area and the mirrors in one bathroom. And another 20 for the floors and another 20 for the shower/tub. Knowing this, I got a head start. Yesterday morning I cleaned the masterbath counter area and the mirrors. This morning I cleaned the baseboards in the master bath and the toilet and behind the toilet. Tonight when I get home from work I will try to tackle the shower (while taking one). I find it’s a lot easier to clean the shower while taking one because then I don’t have to worry about getting wet.
I have three bathrooms and three children…each one cleans one! (I do help the youngest one with the master bath).
My children also vacuum once a week so yesterdays challenge was easy too! I did do the kitchen counters.
I am still decluttering before I start cleaning. Yesterday I filled up 3 garbage bags of items to donate plus two plastic grocery bags of trash. Hoping to fill one bag of items to donate today. Only problem is now I have a huge pile of stuff that needs to be hauled over to Goodwill 🙂
There are many days when I wish I had more than one bathroom, but today I am thankful to just have the one. 🙂
I’ve been trying to speed clean the bathroom as part of my morning routine, but I have to admit to just pulling the shower curtain closed a lot of the time. So as soon as I read this I got up and cleaned the shower. Thank you for giving me the motivation to get one of my least liked chores done!
Bathrooms are my LEAST favorite room to clean! My downstairs half bath gets the most cleaning because we have a lot of guests and I keep my kid’s bathroom clean but my beautiful master bath is the most neglected room in the house! This is a perfect project for me today. I’m excited to see how fast I can get them done!
I needed this challenge! I was just thinking the other day how to keep myself more accountable this month to keep our messy home clean (or at least, clean*er* :-), but felt overwhelmed by a whole-day house-cleaning project. This is perfect!
Btw, our two bathrooms are now clean, yay!! The kids will let them stay that way for, oh, maybe an hour? 😉
The bathrooms YES!!! I needed this today. Since we just moved into a new apartment last night I really want to get a good deep clean in the bathroom
I need to clear the counter off in our main bathroom as it has some toys, a flashlight and lots of hair ties laying in the dish on the counter or on the counter itself. Both of my bathrooms are fairly small so I am hoping I can get done in about 20 minutes today too. I cleaned the shower last night in our main bathroom while I was showering so one task down already.
I really hate cleaning bathrooms. I think it’s my frameless clear-glass shower. Even though we squeegee it every time we shower, it still gets a film of water/soap on it, so it rarely looks clean. The best way I have found to clean it is with an aquarium scrubber, some type of bathroom cleaner, and a lot of elbow grease.
I would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions on how to do this quicker or easier.
The rest of the bathroom is okay.
I use a magic eraser on my shower doors. It gets most of the soap scum off without a lot of effort.
I tried the half cup of heated vinegar mixed with half cup of blue Dawn mixture sprayed on my glass shower door. It is amazing how clean and clear it was after I finished! I was doubtful, doubtful, but it was cheap and with a try. It works!
Sounds like you have hard water that is leaving soap scum. Try some white vinegar. I use it straight in a spray bottle with some essential oils to make it smell better (right now I’m lovin’ tangerine!). Another option is to get some citric acid powder and dissolve it in water. I am not sure of the ratio but probably easily googled.
My daughter threw up last night, so I already did her bathroom! 🙂
It takes me about 40 minutes to do all 4 bathrooms in our house. Our garden tub takes a while to clean and then with 5 sinks total – we’re looking at quite a bit.
I didn’t see the floors mentioned. This is part of my job as well especially with a 6 year old boy in the house. He does a GREAT job, don’t get me wrong. But he misses the toilet at night sometimes and the entire surrounding area needs scrubbed.
Lol! I have 3 boys under 9 and undoubtedly someone misses the toilet. Scrubbing the floors is my most disliked daily chore 😉
That being said, Crystal has motivated me to break out the cleaning supplies and have at it. I love the smell of a freshly washed (and bleached) bathroom 😉
Bleach has been used in warfare. I’ll only use Method or H2 or vinegar and water.
Same here! With 3 boys aged 4,5 and 7…I use water and on guard (doterra essential oil) to clean my bathroom. When you add in a 33 year old husband, this is a daily task in my home…must clean around toilet daily! We only have one bathroom for a family of five, so this is a must. It’s not very large either. Since we all use it…it takes a bit longer, but boy is it nice for a short while that its clean!
Floors are fifth on the list and definitely very important — especially with boys. 😉
I love how you see the bright side in your daughter’s throwing up.
😉
PS: Yes, vinegar/water does the trick!
I procrastinate these as long as i can time to g cracking…..once i finish yesterday’s
Maybe I’m the odd ball out- bathrooms are are FAVORITE room to clean lol! There’s just something so nice about having a clean shiny bathroom =)
Cleaning the master bath was on my goal list for last week, but didn’t get done. Maybe tonight’s the night! 🙂
This is when I really hate having 4 bathrooms. This will take some time tonight after work, especially the boys’ bathroom! Good thing we are having leftovers tonight.
Totally with you, Carrie. When a saw this on the list, I was wondering if it was supposed to say ‘bathroom’ not ‘bathrooms’. There’s no way I could clean my 4 bathrooms in 20-30mins. However, I’m wondering if each day it says “Bathrooms” (which seems to be every 4/5 days) that we do something different in the bathrooms. I was thinking of just deep cleaning one bathroom every day it says “clean bathrooms”.
That sounds like a good idea! And I don’t think I could clean 4 bathrooms in 20 minutes either. 🙂 I’ve done one bathroom so far and it took me 10+ minutes and it was already pretty clean when I started. So I think 20 minutes was under-estimating it. 🙂
Oh perfect I needed to organize mine 🙂
I will be completely impressed if you can clean all three bathrooms in 20 mins. Maybe I’m just slow (which is likely), but it takes me about 15-20 mins for each smaller bathroom and the master bathroom is at least 30 mins.
My bathroom plan today is to pick up any out of place items, clean countertops and the lids/seats/outsides of the toilets and the tub in the smaller bathrooms. Everything else in those bathrooms (and the master bath) will be done on another bathroom cleaning day.
I’m with you Sarah, there is no way I could do all of them in 20 minutes. Your times sound right to me. I have 5 bathrooms so I don’t usually do them all in the same day. A quick pick up and wipe down maybe but to do all the floors, tubs, sinks and toilets is going to take a lot more time than 20 minutes.
My thoughts exactly! I also have three bathrooms and so far I’ve done two. This includes cleaning countertops, mirrors, toilets, sinks, bathtub/shower and also sweeping/mopping. It is taking me about 20 minutes per bathroom, so probably an hour total. I have decided to take a break before attempting to tackle my basement bathroom though. 🙂
I have my kids (15 and 12) doing this right now! I have two bathrooms, so each of my kids is doing one of them! They are also going to clean up their rooms (again). How is it that after cleaning them up yesterday, they still look like something threw up in there again?! I am loving this challenge! Oh, and by the way, we have no water today! My hubby was underneath the house last night (trying to fix something else) when he hit the water line and it broke! So, this bathroom cleaning is being done with just Lysol cleaning cloths, no water! They will clean the tubs/showers hopefully tomorrow, if we have water.
Bathrooms are my least favorite task, but I will also take up the challenge trying to get three bathrooms done in under 20 minutes. The sooner it’s done, the better! :o)
I think I’d be lucky to get my one bathroom clean in 15 minutes and it’s not very big!
Oh, and I’m with you, cleaning bathrooms and doing dishes are my least favorite chores.
I really don’t mind cleaning the bathrooms and find that it’s quick and pretty painless. I also love after I’m done and everything is shiny 🙂