Living in a college dorm presents many challenges, including limited space, laundry lugging, and shared bathrooms.  

Sharing space with so many people also means sharing germs.  Bathrooms tend to be the top germ collectors in the dormitories, especially if there is one bathroom for the entire floor. Custodial staff may sanitize your bathroom regularly, or you may be required to clean your own bathroom if it is shared between fewer people.  If the task is in your hands, remember that when it comes to keeping your bathroom clean the key is to disinfect. Before you even begin scrubbing surfaces, you can take precautions such as having a shower caddy to keep your products safe and bath sandals to avoid treading barefoot on the floor. When it’s time to clean, read on for tips on where and how to keep these shared germs at a minimum.

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Stock up on essential cleaning supplies

Before cleaning your bathroom, you want to be sure that you have the essential cleaning supplies to hit each surface thoroughly. The first and most important thing that you will need is an all-purpose bathroom cleaner that breaks through lime scale (a hard, chalky substance that builds up due to calcium deposits in water) and soap scum (which can build easily on shower curtains).  This can be used for all of the surfaces in your bathroom.  For the toilet bowl, you may be able to use this spray, but a cleaner specifically designed for toilet bowls is optimal. You will also need a toilet bowl brush.  This is a device with a long handle and bristles on the end to scrub away stains and bacteria. Additionally, you will need a small hand brush for scrubbing the tub.

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Cleaning the sink

When cleaning the sink, you first want to make sure you clear everything off this surface. Spray your disinfectant generously on the surface and wipe with paper towels.  Be sure to wipe the entire surface, including inside the sink, the faucet, the knobs, and that little area behind the faucet (you may need the toothbrush for this space).  When replacing the items back on the counter, be sure to wipe these items as well, especially the bottom of the soap dispenser that can be a breeding ground for soap scum and germs.

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Cleaning the toilet

While the toilet may not be everyone’s favorite area to clean, you want to make sure that you are thorough here.  Spray the surface of the toilet tank, the flush handle, the lid, the top and bottom of the seat, and the surface beneath the seat with your all-purpose cleaner.  A toothbrush will come in handy for some of the crevices between the toilet seat and the toilet tank.  When washing the toilet bowl, administer the toilet bowl cleaner and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Using your toilet bowl brush, scrub all areas of the bowl, especially towards the top, beneath the lip.  Once you have scrubbed thoroughly, simply flush, and your toilet bowl should sparkle!

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Cleaning the shower

This can be the most tedious of tasks, since this is the largest surface to disinfect.  Once again, clear all of your shampoos, body washes, and other shower items out of the shower so you can disinfect all corners of this space.  Spray the tub with your all-purpose cleaner.  If there is a lot of grime, you may need something more abrasive to cut through the layers of dirt.  Here you can use your smaller scrub brush for dirt and stain remover.  Spray walls with the same cleaner, and use a toothbrush to clean the grout.  To clean the curtain liner, simply throw in the washing machine with some bleach.Image 1