Monday 27 June 2011

Cleaning the Bathroom - Swish and Swipe

Swishing and swiping is a fabulous way to keep on top of cleaning the bathroom.  It is another one of Flylady's brilliant ideas, which I have adapted to make work for me and my household.  As with anything, you have to customise it to suit your needs, and in my case, I always try to simplify it so that I actually do it!

What is swish and swipe?
Swish - swirling the water in the toilet bowl with the toilet brush to clean the toilet each day
Swipe - wiping down the flat surfaces in the bathroom each day




How do I swish?
Each morning, I simply take the toilet brush and swish it around the toilet bowl.  This is super easy, and really prevents any build up of nasties in the toilet bowl.  A great tip that I read somewhere, is to put a little shampoo or body wash (use the end of bottles, those freebies from hotels or any that are just cluttering up your cupboards that you just don't like) into the toilet brush holder.  This means that your toilet is being blessed with detergent (soap is soap, after all - it doesn't have to be specifically designed for the toilet!), and you don't have to have get out the toilet cleaner all of the time.

How do I swipe?
I will admit that I tried the spray bottle and rag for swiping, but it just wasn't working for me.  First, I tried having these things in the bathroom cupboard, but in reality I never opened the door, so I didn't see them and therefore completely forgot to swipe!  Then I moved it to the bench top, but hated it sitting out.  So, then I tried Bathroom Wipes.  I left the packet sitting on the bench - great!  I used them all of the time.  However, the packet on the bench was still annoying me.  So, with the 'soap is soap' concept in mind, I started to use my face wipes to clean the bench!  They are actually cheaper than specific bathroom wipes, but I am sure they do the same thing.  They work really well, they take up the dust and mess off the flat surfaces (including the toilet), and then they are so easy to pop in the bin.  A bit of waste, but I am doing my job of blessing my house, so I try not to feel guilty about the landfill.

Sorry - this photo wouldn't cooperate and sit landscape :(

Swishing and swiping does help to keep your bathroom in a ship-shape state, and although I still do the big clean with proper cleaning products about once a month, I generally feel good about the state of my toilet and benches.  My shower on the other hand...  Well, that's one I am working on ;)

8 comments:

Pollyanna said...

Enjoy your ideas.
I keep my shower close to spotless by using cold water (at the end of my shower) to rinse off all surfaces (my shower head is on a hose).
Also, its important not to use soap bars or your shower screens will become mottled. Glass cleaner is wonderful for screens. Once a fortnight I may need to clean the grout from build up.

Cassandra said...

The bathroom is definitely a challenge for me! Thanks for the tips!

Unknown said...

Hi, Cassandra! You're blog is becoming a great help for me. I like using wipes in my bathroom as well but do feel guilty about them in landfills. I have used some wipes by method which you use and then flush down the toilet and they weren't that much more expensive for the amount of wipes you get. I'm sure there are other brands like that out there.

Cassandra said...

Flushable wipes sound great Jennifer! I have a septic system though, so I don't think that would work for me... But yes, I agree - we need to do all we can to preserve our precious environment! Thanks for the info :)

Unknown said...

We have a septic system as well so each month we pour a box of Rid-X down the toilet. It's some kind of "bacteria-eater." Yes, it sounds gross! But, it really helps keep things working properly. lol Thanks again for your blog. I've boookmarked it so I can visit it often.

Cassandra said...

Thanks - I will take a look at Rid X :)

x

Grout Cleaning said...

This is absolutely great!! My biggest challenge in house chores is cleaning the bathroom. It is good to have more ideas on how to clean it up easy.

Anonymous said...

Just started reading your blog & loving it.. Stop buying face wipes! Baby wipes are just the same (if not better) & a heap cheaper.. :)

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