Clean the bathroom, broken into 6 small steps
Nobody wants to clean the bathroom, but it's one of the few chores where the products do half the work if you let them sit.
Spray everything first, then go do something else for five minutes. When you come back, wiping is easy.
Start here · under 2 minutes
Spray the toilet, sink and shower with cleaner.
Under two minutes. Then walk away; the cleaner needs time.
The rest of the steps
- Step 2:
While it soaks, clear the counter.
Put bottles and brushes in a drawer or basket.
- Step 3:
Wipe the sink and counter.
Top to bottom: mirror, counter, sink.
- Step 4:
Scrub the toilet: bowl, seat, then outside.
Clean to dirty, always in that order.
- Step 5:
Rinse the shower or tub.
A quick wipe of the walls and a rinse is enough for a weekly clean.
- Step 6:
Change the towel and take out the bathroom trash.
Then a quick sweep or wipe of the floor if you still have energy.
Why this one stalls
It's unpleasant, so it's easy to wait until it's really bad, which makes it more unpleasant. A short regular clean breaks the loop.
If you get stuck
Keep a cleaning spray and a cloth under the bathroom sink. Two minutes of wiping while you wait for the shower to warm up keeps it from ever getting bad.
What “done” looks like
A clean sink and toilet, a fresh towel, and an empty bin.
These steps follow the same rules as the method in our task breakdown guide: the first step is physical and takes under two minutes, and every step after it is something you can see yourself doing. Got a head full of other things too? Start with a brain dump.