How to Deep Clean a Bathroom (With Bathroom Cleaning Checklist & Best Tips!)

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This post is all about how to deep clean your bathroom like the professionals.

Let’s be honest—cleaning the bathroom isn’t a task most of us look forward to. I’ll even admit it: I hate cleaning it. But it’s one of those things that has to get done, right?

If you’ve been putting it off or don’t know where to start, and your bathroom needs a refresh, this guide will walk you through how to deep clean a bathroom from top to bottom. Whether you’re prepping for guests, tackling your seasonal deep clean, or finally ready to learn how to keep it clean for good, this bathroom cleaning checklist is for you.

I’m also sharing some of the best bathroom cleaning tips I’ve picked up over the years—ones I actually use all the time. Plus, a few of my favorite deep cleaning hacks for bathrooms that are total time-savers.

This post is all about how to deep clean a bathroom

How To Deep Clean A Bathroom

Bathroom Deep Cleaning Checklist

Declutter:
- Put away items that don’t belong in the room and discard those you no longer need. Purge inside drawers, baskets, and cabinets. (example: products you no longer use, empty canisters, etc.)
Dust and wipe the ceiling and crown molding
Dust and wash light fixtures
Dust and clean blinds/curtains/shower curtains
Wash mirrors
Wash windows and/or shower doors:
- Window and shower seals too
Wash inside shower walls/floors.
Clean/shine shower faucet and shower head
Move furniture away from walls (if any)
- Dust and wipe the walls and baseboards behind the furniture.
- Vacuum and mop/disinfect underneath furniture:
Clean, disinfect sink and faucets (shine faucets)
Vacuum and wipe the inside of drawers, cabinets, baskets, etc.
Clean cabinet door/drawer fronts + door/drawer pulls.
Dust, wash, and disinfect ALL other surfaces:
- Furniture, walls, wall hangings, decor, doors, baseboards, light switches, door knobs, power outlets, toiletries, hair tools, etc.
Wash and disinfect the trash bin/s
Deep clean toilet bowl
Disinfect toilet plunger
Disinfect or replace toilet bowl cleaner
Clean/disinfect floors (including grout/crevices)

Click Here to Download Full Checklist

How Does The Bathroom Deep Clean Checklist Work?

I won’t repeat myself to keep this blog post from getting any longer. Please check out our ultimate house deep clean post for how I use and recommend utilizing the deep clean checklist and a few other tips.

Bathroom Cleaning Essentials I Use

Mop
Disinfecting Bleach
Powdered Tide Detergent
Brush
Cleaning Rags
Microfiber Cloth
Paper Towels
Bar Keepers Friend
Windex/Glass Cleaner
Vinegar
Ziplock Bags
Rubber Bands – I get mine at the dollar store
Swiffer Duster
Dawn Power Wash
Dawn Dish Soap
Hand-Held Steamer
Electric Spin Scrubber
Pumice Stone
Magic Eraser
Squeegee
Bucket – I get mine at the dollar store
Gloves
Spray Bottle

Tide formula: 1 Gallon of water, 1/3 cup of bleach, and one teaspoon of powdered Tide detergent. I learned this recipe from @gocleanco and have used it ever since.

How to Deep Clean a Bathroom Step-by-Step

1. Declutter

Before you dive into deep cleaning, start with a good declutter. Put away items that don’t belong in the room and discard those you no longer need. Purge inside drawers, baskets, and cabinets. (Example: empty canisters, old hair tools, items “you might use one day,” etc.)

This isn’t a one-and-done chore. I like to declutter every couple of months, and it becomes a habit over time. Don’t overwhelm yourself—begin with a single drawer or shelf. Tackling it in small chunks makes it much easier to keep up with.

Cleaning supplies I use: Trash bag

Dust and wash light fixtures

I’ll admit—I don’t clean the light fixtures as often as I should. Usually, it takes a burnt-out bulb to remind me. But I’m working on that by adding them to my deep clean checklist.

When I clean them, warm water and Dawn Dish Soap work wonders on any removable parts. I wash them in the sink and dry them with a microfiber cloth. For parts that stay mounted, I dust and wipe them down in place, with a step stool I keep handy.

Tip: Make sure all parts are at room temperature before washing. Dont wash while hot.

Dust and wipe the ceiling and crown molding

3. Dust and clean blinds/curtains/shower curtains

Dust and moisture are not a good mix, so it’s no surprise that bathroom blinds and curtains get gunky quickly with dust. Fortunately, I do not have blinds in my bathroom, but I do in other rooms. You are welcome to check this post for how to clean horizontal blinds.

As far as curtains and shower curtains, I throw them in the washer on a quick wash cycle. I dont fully dry them; I hang them slightly damp, which helps with the wrinkles.

Cleaning supplies I use: See blog post.

4. Wash mirrors And Windows

I clean my mirrors weekly with good old paper towels and Windex, but to “deep clean” them, I usually know it’s time when the Windex or glass cleaner is leaving streaks.

I wash the mirrors thoroughly with soapy water and cleaning rags. Then, I use a squeegee paired with a microfiber cloth to remove excess water and finish it with a dry microfiber cloth to dry the edges.

This method leaves my mirrors streak-free and removes that cloudy look that other cleaners can sometimes start to leave behind.

How do I clean the windows? I explain my method in this post.

Wash the shower Glass doors

If you have shower doors, you know they can be extra frustrating to clean—especially if you let the buildup go for too long. That’s why I recommend giving them a regular wipe-down more often than not. Trust me, the more often you clean them, the easier it gets over time.

I don’t have shower doors in my current bathroom, but I’ve cleaned my fair share—and this is the method I use when I do:

I start by focusing on the shower door track and the door itself. Using a mixture of warm water, powdered Tide, and bleach, I scrub the track thoroughly, ensuring it gets into all the corners and crevices. I use different brushes to loosen up any built-up gunk. Once that’s done, I rinse everything thoroughly to remove any traces of bleach—this is important before using any other products. (Reminder: Never mix bleach with anything other than Tide.)

Next, I move on to the glass. I mix about 1 cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle and spray it generously over the door. This combo is great for cutting through hard water stains and calcium buildup. You can also use it on the hardware. If I don’t have vinegar on hand, I’ll go in with Dawn Powerwash instead. Just make sure no bleach remains before using either option.

Let the solution sit for 10–15 minutes (or longer if needed), then gently scrub the glass with a soft sponge. Rinse well, and for a finishing touch, dry everything with a microfiber cloth. If needed, follow up with glass cleaner. I also use the white vinegar and Dawn solution on the shower door frame to remove water stains.

Wash inside the shower walls/floors

This is one of those chores I used to hate doing. It killed my back every time. But a while ago, I finally decided to get one of these long shower scrubbers with the electric brush, and LET ME TELL YOU—life-changing. One, you dont have to bend down the whole time to scrub; second, it scrubs faster than you can ever with your hands. I still use a regular brush as needed, but this has saved me so much time and my back!

That’s my go-to bathroom cleaning tool, and I highly recommend you get one if you don’t already own one. I use it for the shower floors/tub and walls, then follow it up with a narrow brush for areas needing more attention, such as crevices, etc.

I use a few different cleaners here, depending on how bad I let it get. I usually use a solution of Powder Tide detergent, disinfecting bleach, and water. But sometimes, depending on the type of stain, I’ll need to use Bar Keepers Friend. Bar Keepers Friend usually does the trick. DO NOT scrub with a sponge or brush if you have a tub; I use a cleaning rag to “scrub” the tub with the Bar Keeper Friend. Rinse and repeat as needed.

The water, Powder-Tide Detergent, and bleach solution usually remove everything else. Once I scrub everything, I rinse it all down and use a squeegee to remove excess water, which helps prevent water spots and keeps the bathroom fresh.

Clean/shine the shower faucet and the shower head

I have a post detailing how to clean a showerhead without removing it, so no need to repeat myself here. Check out the in-depth post here. And this post shows you how I clean and shine the faucets,

Cleaning supplies I use: See this blog post and this post.

Move furniture away from walls (if any)

Depending on the size of your bathroom, you may or may not have any furniture to move, but if you do, dont forget to clean behind the furniture!

Here is how I clean behind and under furniture: Begin by moving the furniture away from the walls. Then, dust behind the furniture and the walls behind the furniture. You can use a Swiffer Duster or a vacuum attachment. Either one works fine. Just make sure the walls are dry. So dont do this right after a shower.

Once I have dusted everything, I fill a bucket with warm water and add a few drops of dish soap. I like Dawn dish soap, but any kind you prefer should be fine. You’ll also need a few clean rags. Once my water is ready, I start wiping behind the furniture, the walls behind the furniture, and the floors. I rinse and repeat as needed.

If I need to disinfect, I use a different solution: water, Powder Tide detergent, and disinfecting Bleach. Just make sure your windows are open, and the room is well-ventilated. This solution will not only clean your surface but also disinfect it. Once everything is nice and clean, I push all the furniture back, and it is all done!

Clean, disinfect sink and faucets (shine faucets)

I’ve written a separate, in-depth blog post that walks you through exactly how I clean, disinfect, and shine the sink and faucet. Of course, depending on the material of your sink and faucet, this method may not apply to you, but you can get an idea of how to clean yours either way.

Cleaning supplies I use: See blog post.

Vacuum and wipe the inside of drawers, cabinets, baskets, etc.

Remember to focus on the inside of your drawers, cabinets, and baskets—these places often collect dust and debris unnoticed.

Here is how I clean these areas: I use the narrow vacuum attachment to get into these spaces and suck up any dust or crumbs. After that, I follow up with a damp, soapy rag to wipe away any lingering gunk. I sometimes use a narrow brush to get into corners, crevices, etc.

This is also the perfect opportunity to rearrange or declutter the contents inside. Items include old products you dont use anymore, old items, items you need to replace, etc.

Cleaning supplies I use: Vacuum | Narrow Vacuum Attachment | Cleaning Rags | Dish Soap

Clean cabinet door/drawer fronts + door/drawer pulls

I dust the surface of the bathroom cabinets and drawer fronts, either with a Swiffer duster, microfiber cloth, or my preferred method, a vacuum with a brush attachment. The bathroom collects a lot of dust, in my experience, so you want to make sure you get that all cleaned first; otherwise, youre going to just be spreading all of that around and not really get the surfaces clean.

I then grab a few rags and prepare my bucket of water with Dawn dish soap. I thoroughly wipe the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, rinse, and repeat as needed. And Magic erasers are the best for scuffs that wiping won’t remove. Just be careful with your paint, so spot test first.

If I want to clean and disinfect simultaneously, I use the Powder Tide detergent, bleach, and water solution, and do the same thing: wipe, rinse, and repeat as needed.

For the handles and knobs, I use a small brush to get into the detailed areas where grime tends to collect. After cleaning, I dry everything off with a cloth and give it a final buff with a dry microfiber towel to return the shine. Most of the time, that’s all it takes—but if stubborn gunk won’t budge, my handheld steamer works wonders.

Dust, wash, and disinfect ALL other Surfaces

Surfaces: Furniture, walls, wall hangings, decor, doors, baseboards, light switches, door knobs, power outlets, toiletries, hair tools, etc. This is when you can go in and find any physical items or spaces not already on this list—wash, clean, and disinfect them as appropriate.

If it’s a surface and it exists in your bathroom, clean it. I mean anything! I usually do this every few weeks. I chose one or two surfaces every time, which is usually enough to keep every other surface in rotation.

To dust and wash most surfaces, I usually first use a Swiffer Duster or dry microfiber cloth to remove all the dust. However, I think the vacuum with the brush attachments works best for the bathrooms. But if you dont have one, the other options work too. I then fill a bucket with water, Tide Powder Detergent, Bleach, and a few of my favorite cleaning rags to clean and disinfect. This formula leaves your surfaces super clean!

I use water and dish soap only for all other surfaces that cannot be cleaned with bleach. I rinse and repeat as needed. And Magic erasers are the best for scuffs that wiping won’t remove. Just be careful with your paint, so spot test first.

Wash and disinfect the trash bin/s

Trash bins are one of those things that can easily get forgotten and hardly be cleaned, which can cause foul odors. So, I keep the trash bin washing in rotation in my home. I usually wipe the trash bin down with a disinfecting wipe every week. Sometimes, I skip it, but most of the time, I stay on top of it—and the more you keep up with it, the less time it takes.

However, every other month or so (I can usually tell when I need to wash it), I take the trash bin outside and scrub it with dish soap and water, then spray it with a disinfecting bleach solution. I rinse again and wipe it dry with a microfiber cloth. I still leave it outside to dry for an hour or so to ensure it is completely dry before bringing it back in.

Cleaning supplies I use: Dish Soap | Brush | Old Sponge | Disinfecting Bleach | Water

Deep Clean Toilet Bowl

For weekly maintenance, I usually give the toilet a quick scrub and wipe-down. But when it’s time for a deep clean, here’s what I do:

First, I remove the toilet seat lid and place it in the shower. Then, I mix a cleaning solution using hot water, powdered Tide, and bleach, and pour it into a spray bottle. I generously spray the entire toilet: base, behind it, and all around, including the floors surrounding the toilet. While that sits, I spray the seat lid in the shower with the same solution and let it soak for a bit. If needed, I’ll scrub lightly. I rinse it off and let it air dry while I finish the toilet bowl.

Back at the toilet and the surrounding floor, I scrub any problem spots, then wipe everything down with paper towels. (I know some prefer rags, but I personally stick with paper towels for this.) After the initial wipe-down, I spray with plain, clean water and wipe again to avoid streaks.

Once the outside is done, I pour Bar Keepers Friend into the toilet bowl and scrub thoroughly. If anything is stubborn, I’ll use a pumice stone to remove it. After everything is clean and stain-free, I reattach the toilet seat and give it one final wipe if needed.

Disinfect the toilet plunger

Most people don’t even bother cleaning this, but it may be the reason for the foul odor in your bathroom. You can replace them if yours is too far gone, but if it’s salvageable, here is how I clean mine. I usually clean it as I see it needs it.

And I hate cleaning it, but I’m also not going to replace it every month. So I use disposable gloves, hot water, disinfectant bleach, and an old brush or sponge. (I save old sponges and brushes for this purpose.) I mostly clean the plunger when I know I will be cleaning my shower.

This way, I can wash it in the shower, and then clean my shower after. I take the plunger to my shower, fill a bucket with hot water, powdered Tide, disinfectant bleach, and scrub it down. I soak it with bleach solution again, let it sit for the recommended time, rinse it, and let it air dry in my shower. And that’s it–not seeking perfection here, just clean enough and not stinky!

Disinfect or replace the toilet bowl cleaner

This is another possible culprit for foul odors in the bathroom. If you have a disposable bowl cleaner, you don’t have to do this. But if you have a reusable one, here is how I clean it:

Although I replace my bowl cleaner pretty often, I like to keep it as clean as possible in between. I dont do anything crazy, I place the bowl cleaner in my shower and fill the canister with a mixture of bleach and water. I let it sit for the recommended time and then rinse with hot water. I use paper towels to wipe it down (using disposable gloves). And that’s it!

Cleaning supplies I use: Disinfecting Bleach | Bleach | Paper Towels | Disposable Gloves

Clean/disinfect floors (including grout/crevices)

I mop my floors several times a week, but deep cleaning floors is essential for all floors, especially the bathroom floors.

When I do get to deep cleaning my bathroom floors, here is what I do: I use a brush with the water, Tide, and Bleach solution to scrub and disinfect thoroughly. I prefer to do this to see all the nooks and crannies the mop usually misses. If needed, I also use my handheld steamer to clean the grout thoroughly and/or nooks and crannies that are hard to reach with a brush. I only clean the grout when needed, which is only a couple of times a year, so it’s not too bad.

Lastly, I fill my mop with water, Powder Tide detergent, and Bleach, and mop the rest of the floors. I rinse and repeat as needed, and my floors look so good afterward!

Cleaning supplies I use: Handheld Steamer | Powdered Tide | Mop | Disinfecting Bleach | Brush

This post was all about how to deep clean your bathroom

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