Are you particular about your bathroom? I am. I empty the garbage cans 3 times a week, I don’t like anything on the countertops, I can’t stand toothpaste splatters on the mirrors, and don’t even get me started on the mess that occurs when my husband shaves. Of course, these things are all aesthetic, and it wasn’t until I came down with a horrible stomach bug last March that I fully understood the importance of ensuring our bathroom is not only neat and tidy, but disinfected on a regular basis as well. I used to do one big clean every Monday, and would then go over every surface with paper towel and a bit of glass cleaner (don’t ask) once more on Friday afternoons, and figured that was sufficient.
But then I Googled ‘how long do stomach viruses live on surfaces’ and realized how very wrong I was. As it turns out, these germs are quite tough to kill and can live a lot longer than you probably think, and since I didn’t want my daughter to feel as wretched as I did, I spent a ridiculous amount of time sanitizing every surface of our home, with a particular focus on our bathroom. Sadly, I waited too long after I got sick to go on my cleaning spree and she wasn’t spared, Now I am determined to be more vigilant this year in hopes I can contain sicknesses a bit better than I have in the past. And since I know I’m not the only parent out there who cringes at the mere thought of bugs and colds, today I’m teaming up with the wonderful folks from Lysol® to share 5 of my best tips for keeping your bathroom germ-free.
1. FLUSH WITH THE LID DOWN
Did you know that every time you flush an open toilet, bacteria sprays into the area around it? On a normal day, this may not be such a big issue, but when you’re flushing vomit or diarrhea, it’s a completely different story. So as an added safeguard, I always close the lid of our toilet every time I flush, and I’ve taught my husband and daughter to do the same.
2. BE PREPARED
At the beginning of each season, I always make sure we have the right cleaning and disinfecting products on hand. I buy a new batch each year to make sure they aren’t expired and that I have the latest when it comes to germ-fighting power, and I buy in bulk so we don’t run out. You never want to be caught off guard.
3. USE DISPOSABLE GLOVES
My eczema-prone hands make it impossible for me to clean without protective gloves on my hands, but when someone’s sick, I always opt for disposable gloves so I can throw them away when I’m finished cleaning. I feel like even if I were to wash my regular gloves with a germ-fighting disinfectant, there’s still a chance they’d be contaminated.
4. DISINFECT EVERYTHING
Even if you’re closing the toilet lid every time you flush, you still want to disinfect every single surface a sick person may have touched in your bathroom. I’m sure this isn’t rocket science to you, but make sure to pay extra attention to things like toilet flushers, the immediate area around the toilet, faucets, door handles, and any other surface you may not typically clean, as these are likely loaded with bacteria-laden germs.
5. REPLACE TOOTHBRUSHES
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to keep toothbrushes stored in a closed cupboard so there isn’t a risk of contamination when someone forgets to close the toilet lid when they flush, but if you prefer to leave your tooth-cleaning products on the countertop, make sure to replace them if someone is sick in your bathroom. You can never be too safe!
6. WASH YOUR HANDS
And then wash them again… and again… and again…
7. BUY THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
While I am not usually loyal when it comes to buying one brand over another (the cheaper, the better in my opinion), I only use the Lysol® brand of products to clean our home. Why? Because Lysol® kills 99.9% of viruses. I’m serious! I own an entire library of their products, but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to share 2 of my favorites with you, which are Lysol® Foam Bathroom Cleaner and the Lysol® Disinfectant Toilet Bowl Cleaner.
What I love about the Lysol® Disinfectant Toilet Bowl Cleaner is that it is a mess-free way to clean under the rim of our toilets, which is something I don’t tend to enjoy doing, especially after someone has been sick! All I do is flush the toilet to get rid of any excess dirt or grim, squeeze a generous amount under the rim, and let it stand for 10 minutes or so. I typically don’t do anything other than flush the toilet after that (note: this is the only time I don’t close the toilet lid before flushing as I don’t want the product getting on the toilet seat and potentially getting on my daughter’s sensitive skin), but when our toilets are extra dirty, I will use a toilet brush and rinse the brush with bleach after I’m finished cleaning. (I told you I’m a germaphobe…).
Now, mess-free toilet cleaning may be great, but it’s the Lysol® Foam Bathroom Cleaner Aerosol that I love the most. Spray disinfectants always feel messy to me, and usually require more scrubbing than I have time for, but with the foam, all I have to do is spray it over whatever surface I’m trying to clean, let it stand for a few minutes, and then wipe it away with a cloth. I prefer to use a paper towel to wipe the product away since I can throw it in the garbage so that I don’t have to worry about cross-contamination. I also love how easy and mess-free the product is for quick cleanups. I use it frequently on toilet flushers and faucets!
Interested in learning more about the virus-killing Lysol® line of bathroom products? I thought you might be! You can buy them from most major retailers (Loblaws, Metro, Walmart, etc.) and they cost anywhere from about $3.87 to $3.97 depending on which product you’re buying. And if you CLICK HERE, you can print off a coupon that will allow you to save $2 when you buy any 2 Lysol® products. Pretty awesome, right?
For more information about Lysol® you can
- CLICK HERE to visit the official Lysol® website.
- CLICK HERE to like Lysol® on Facebook.
- CLICK HERE to follow Lysol® on YouTube.
And don’t forget to watch this video clip to see these amazing products in action!
If you found these tips to keep your bathroom germ-free, please share them on Pinterest!
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