How to Clean Bathroom Floors
Follow these steps for the cleanest bathroom floor.
What You Need
Small broomDamp paper towelWarm waterVinegarDish soapRagOne or two large towels
Step 1: Sweep Floors
A clunky vacuum cleaner is almost no help in a small bathroom. Instead, the best way to clean a bathroom floor is with a small broom. Sweep along the edges of the room and work to collect dust and dirt in the middle. Don’t forget to reach around the base of the toilet where dust likes to collect! An easy way to pick up your small dust pile is with a slightly damp paper towel.
Step 2: Wash Floors
Keep your cleaning bucket stowed while you clean bathroom floors. Instead of hauling it upstairs with your mop, turn your bathroom sink into a makeshift bucket. All you need to do is close the drain and fill the sink with 2 gallons of warm water. Add 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon dish soap; mix until suds form. Submerge a rag into the mixture and wring away excess water. Rinse the rag between passes.
Step 3: Dry Floors
Towel-drying your floors is the best way to make sure they’re left sparkling. But why make it any harder than it needs to be? Instead of crouching down on your hands and knees to dry them, lay a large towel on the ground. Find your balance and put one foot on the towel to move it around the bathroom floor, section by section. Large bathrooms may require two towels, depending on how wet they get. Be sure you’re starting at the far end of your bathroom so you finish drying by the door. This way you don’t have to walk over your freshly cleaned floors to exit.
How to Clean Bathroom Floor Tiles
Clean bathroom tile and grout with your choice of products.
What You Need
Small broomPaper towelWarm waterVinegarDish soapRagLarge towels Commercial grout cleaner (optional)Baking sodaWaterHydrogen peroxide (optional)
Step 1: Clean Tile Surface
Cleaning bathroom floor tiles and grout is an especially tricky task unless you know how to do it efficiently. The best way to clean bathroom tiles is by starting with the basic cleaning steps above. This will remove the dirt and grime from the tile surface before you clean tile grout.
Step 2: Make Cleaning Solution
Unless you’re using commercial grout cleaner, you’ll have to make your own. For mildly dirty grout, combine two parts baking soda and one part water. Swap the water with vinegar if your bathroom grout is stained or discolored. However, vinegar can be damaging to some tile materials, so avoid if you have marble, slate, granite, or stone tiles. Combine two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide if you’re cleaning coarse or fragile tiles.
Step 3: Scrub Grout
Once you’ve prepared the natural tile cleaning solution, it’s time to clean tile grout. If you made the vinegar solution, test the solution on a small area before you begin cleaning the bathroom tile grout to make sure it doesn’t cause discoloration. Then, use a spare toothbrush to apply the cleaning solution to the grout. Apply it all at once to save time.
Step 4: Rinse and Seal
Let sit for several minutes, then scrub the grout lines clean. Rinse with water and apply a grout sealer after 24 hours. Want more tips for cleaning tile? Follow our how-to guide for cleaning tile floors.
