A couple of times a year, your bathroom will need a deep cleaning, which involves a different kind of cleaning than in a maintenance cleaning. So, when the entire bathroom needs cleaning from top to bottom, start by washing the ceiling and then the walls. Don’t worry about the mirrors or the sink or the toilet or shower right now. Don’t even worry about covering such things up. Just let the drips and splashes fall where they may, unless the room is carpeted. (In which case you will need a drop cloth.) When you come to a light fixture (either over the sink or on the ceiling) put its glass bowl in the dishwasher unless it could be damaged. Most won’t be, and the dishwasher cleans them very nicely. Remember, this is not routine Speed Cleaning. We wouldn’t dream of hauling a light fixture off to the dishwasher during regular maintenance cleaning. We would just dust it, which takes a couple of seconds, and move on. Right now, we’re as interested in smart cleaning as we are in fast cleaning. If the light fixtures themselves are old and rusty and an eyesore, throw them away and replace them. You don’t have to be very handy to do this, and the fixtures are often inexpensive. The same is true for replacing glass bowls missing from the fixtures. Both of these steps can really enhance your spring-cleaning efforts.
After the ceiling and walls are out of the way, most of the rules of Speed Cleaning apply to a heavy-duty cleaning. It’s just harder and more time-consuming. But taking the time to get the bathroom as clean as it will ever be will save you time in your maintenance cleaning all year long.
Use the toothbrush liberally since it will get into long-neglected dirty corners and other areas that are difficult to clean or reach. If you use it correctly you may wear out a couple of them the first time through. Fine – that’s what they’re for. Use them around the sinks and faucets, towel racks, switch plates, corners of mirrors, pictures, and anything else you come across. Spray with Red Juice, agitate with the toothbrush, and wipe with a cleaning cloth.
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