Your Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide: The Bathroom Deep Clean

Spring is in the air in Chicago, but for busy folks, that often means the daunting task of spring cleaning is looming. Between work, family, and trying to enjoy the city, finding the time and energy for a deep cleaning help can feel impossible. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with a step-by-step guide to transform your bathroom from grimy to gleaming.

Let’s tackle the room that needs it most. A sparkling bathroom doesn’t just look good—it feels fresh and hygienic. Follow this proven method used by our team to get professional-level results.

Step 1: The Pre-Clean Prep

First, remove all soft goods. Grab every towel, bath mat, and the shower curtain and toss them in the laundry. Starting with a clear space is crucial. If the thought of this whole process is overwhelming, remember that a trusted Chicago cleaning company like Jikas can handle it for you.

Pro Tip: Vacuum First!

My number one bathroom secret? Vacuum everything first—floors, corners, even the tub and shower walls. This picks up loose hair and dust so you’re not just pushing it around with a cloth later.

Step 2: Conquer the Shower & Tub

This is where the magic happens. Always work top to bottom.

• Shower Glass: Spray your cleaner first, as it needs the longest to sit. You can wait 20 minutes or even overnight for tough stains, then scrub and rinse.
• Tile & Grout: For a powerful disinfecting scrub, mix water, bleach, and a bit of Tide powder (ensure your tile is bleach-safe!). Scrub the grout lines thoroughly.
• The Final Sparkle: Use a polish cloth on the glass, fixtures, and showerhead to eliminate drips and streaks. Don’t forget the outside of the glass door—a quick Windex wipe-down removes greasy film.

Need fast cleaning services to handle this gritty job? We’re just a click away.

Step 3: Disinfect Every Surface

Using your multi-purpose disinfectant (like the water-bleach-Tide mix), start in one corner and work top-to-bottom, left-to-right.

• Wipe down walls, light fixtures, and the often-filthy back of the bathroom door.
• For the vanity: clean lights first, then the mirror, then the sink, working your way down to cabinets.
• Run dusty product bottles under the tap to quickly clean them.

This systematic approach ensures you don’t miss a spot. It’s the same method our pros use for professional home cleaning.

Step 4: The Not-So-Glamorous Parts: Toilet & Floors

The Toilet

Apply a dedicated toilet bowl cleaner or a trusted brand like Barkeeper’s Friend. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes (or a few hours for stubborn stains), then scrub and flush. For the exterior, use a disinfecting spray and wipe with a paper towel for extra hygiene.

The Floors (The Right Way)

I skip the mop here—it often just pushes gunk into corners. The old-school, hands-and-knees method is best.

• Use a scrub brush with your disinfectant solution to scrub the grout and tile.
• Wipe with a cloth as you go, working your way out of the bathroom.
• Let the floor dry completely, then do one final vacuum to pick up any leftover lint or hair.

If getting on your knees isn’t your thing, it might be time to schedule a cleaning with a pro.

Step 5: The Finishing Touches

Once the hard work is done, bring back your clean, fluffy laundry. Roll your towels for a spa-like feel. Step back and admire your sparkling, sanitized sanctuary.

Maintaining this level of clean is easier with regular help. Whether you need a one-time refresh or recurring apartment cleaning, consistent care makes all the difference.

It’s spring cleaning time, so that means we’re going to deep clean every single room. Let’s do the bathroom. Grab all the towels, the bath mat, the shower curtain, put them in the laundry so they’re ready when you’re done. My number one tip in the bathroom is vacuum everything first. When I say top bottom, I mean top to bottom. Spray the shower glass because that’s what needs to sit the longest. Waited 20 minutes. You can wait up to 3 hours, overnight if you want to for the shower glass if it’s really bad, and then just scrub it. For the rest of your shower, you’re going to spray it down too. Let it sit and then scrub it. Going to scrub the grout with water, bleach, and tide. I go a little bit heavier on the bleach with water, bleach, and tide. Make sure your tile is bleach safe. Extra special sparkle at the end. And we like to use a polish cloth to get rid of any drips or streaks or anything. Do this to your shower fixtures and your shower head as well. People forget to do the outside of the glass. You can just use Windex on it. Usually doesn’t have a lot of hot water on it, but we always do it just because it’s gross and greasy. Start in one corner of the bathroom. I’m going to work top to bottom, left to right. I’m using water bleach and tide, which is like our multi-purpose disinfecting cleaner. I love to use this everywhere in the bathroom to get rid of the germs. The back of the bathroom door is always filthy. Wipe it down. Vacuum it first, then you wipe it down. Inside the tub, I vacuumed it first. Then you’re just going to spray it down. Give it a good scrub. Rinse it. Polish it. Toilet bowls. I like Barkeeper’s brand or you can use toilet bowl cleaner. Squirt it in there, let it sit for minimum 20 minutes up to a few hours, you guys. Then scrub it out, flush it. Toilets, I like to use Clorox cleanup or water, bleach, and tie. Just as long as it’s something that’s disinfecting, you guys. Spray it down. And then I like to use paper towel, not a cloth. Bathroom floors, I do not like to use a mop, you guys, cuz I find that it just pushes gunk into the corners and behind the toilet. This is old school. We go on our hands and knees. I use a scrub brush, water, bleach, and tide, and a cloth. I just scrub all of the grout, wipe my way out of the bathroom. For the vanity, work top to bottom, left to right. Do the lights first, then the mirror, then the sink, then work your way down to the cabinets, the floors. The sink is just like the bathtub, you guys. If all of your products are dusty, just run them underneath the tap. Make sure you put back all of your towels so that they’re pretty. I like to roll mine and make everything look like a spa. Once the floors have been scrubbed, I let them dry. Then we go through with one final vacuum just to pick up any dust, lint, or hair that might have been LEFT BEHIND. HAPPY SPRING.