The Hardest Spots To Get Clean In Your Bathroom That You Shouldn't Overlook

A fresh bathroom is something that everyone wants in their home, but it unfortunately requires an undesirable process to deliver this end result. Thoroughly cleaning the bathroom is a fairly straightforward chore if you know the correct steps and follow them. However, many skip some steps in the process, as there are certain areas that are quite challenging to clean. Unfortunately, if you want a sparkling bathroom, these spots simply cannot be overlooked, no matter how much you may want to ignore them. Difficult-to-clean spots in the bathroom can include the area around the toilet, your air vent covers, inside your vanity storage spaces, tight areas along glass shower doors, and drain covers.

A poorly-cleaned bathroom isn't just unsightly and unpleasant to use — it can also be downright unhealthy. This is because significant bacteria populations thrive in such a moist environment. In order to preserve a clean and safe bathroom for you, your family, and your guests, pay special attention to these common problem areas. Knowing these challenging spots in advance can allow you to effectively channel your sanitizing efforts.

When you think of a dirty bathroom, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the toilet. Indeed, toilets can harbor a great deal of bacteria, but toilet seats and bowls are easy to access, making them far less difficult to clean than the space behind the toilet. Due to the toilet's curvy shape and that awkward gap between the hardware and the wall, it can be challenging to vacuum, sweep, mop, or wipe this area, making it an ideal spot for grime, dust, and debris to collect. Using a vacuum with an attachment is an excellent way to get into difficult corners. On the other hand, you can use a soft, absorbent cloth to wipe away visible messes. Afterwards, disinfecting the area with a bleach-based or disinfecting product can be the best way to clean behind the toilet. Remember to always wear adequate skin protection and to properly air out the bathroom when using bleach and other chemicals.

Another unsurprisingly hard spot to clean is the air vent cover. Responsible for shuttling out extra moisture, pollutants, and odors, air vents are typically shrouded with a grate-like cover. This can easily collect hair, lint, dust, and other debris that hinders the hardware from doing its job. Fortunately, the bathroom vent fan may only need to be cleaned once a year to prevent any frustrating issues. Between these thorough cleanings, you can wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to keep dust at bay.

Vanity cabinets and drawers may not be top-of-mind for challenging spots to clean, but they are. Due to being constantly filled, the bottoms and interior corners of these spaces are always hard-to-reach. Bottles of hair products, razors, hair ties, and cotton swabs often lead to substantial debris left under and around these items. An easy way to make cleaning these areas simpler is to house the cabinet and drawer contents in removable organizing bins and containers. When it is time to clean, simply lift them out (container and all), wipe down the space, and replace the container.

Because they're constantly exposed to moisture and multiple uses a day in many homes, showers can get quite dirty, and cleaning glass shower doors and the spaces between where the door swings or slides open can be a nightmare. These tracks can harbor water, hair, nail clippings, and all types of gross debris, which can turn to mold, mildew, and grime over time — and you may not notice the dirtiness of it unless you get up close and personal. To clean this area, try soaking it with vinegar and using a toothbrush to scrub. 

Bathtub or shower drain covers are also a pain to deal with, being constantly bombarded with hair, dirty water, soap scum, and additional bacteria-ridden substances. Further, they can also be quite smelly. Pouring 1 cup of baking soda down the drain and following up with ½ cup of vinegar can effectively clean and deodorize most drain covers.