How To Clean with Bleach In a Bathroom

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Your grandparents probably used it every day, but should we still be reaching for bleach to clean our homes? With all the different household cleaning products available now, bleach might not be as common as it once was—but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided. When used correctly, bleach is an effective way to sanitize and clean certain areas of the house. Here are a few tips on how to clean with bleach in the bathroom. But make sure, you don’t make these mistakes when cleaning with bleach.

While you’re at it, also learn how to use bleach in laundry.

Is Cleaning with Bleach Safe?

Yes, cleaning with bleach is safe, when bleach is diluted and not mixed with other cleaners. In fact, chlorine bleach is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in safe food production and to help prevent the spread of infections in homes, hospitals, schools and day care facilities. When using bleach, keep these safety precautions in mind:

• Never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. Doing so can create a toxic gas.
• Wear rubber gloves when using bleach.
• When cleaning with bleach, try not to breathe in the fumes, and open a window for ventilation.

Beware of these 20 cleaning products you should never mix!

How To Clean Your Bathroom With Bleach

Bleach is a great product to use in the bathroom because your bathroom contains many non-porous surfaces. And, with all the germs that can live in the bathroom, a reliable disinfectant is just what you need. To clean and disinfect the sink, toilet, bathtub, tile floor and shower, follow these steps. (Be sure to remove any fabric items like towels, rugs and bath mats before you get to work!)

• Wipe the area to be cleaned with a wet sponge.
• Mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water and apply the solution to the bathroom surface.
• Let the bleach solution stand for five minutes, then rinse and air dry.

Bleach Dilution Ratio Chart

For standard cleaning purposes, Clorox suggests 1/2 bleach per gallon of water, which is about a 1:30 dilution ratio. The EPA recommends a slightly stronger mixture for bathrooms, with 3/4 cup bleach per gallon of water. Either dilution method will work for bathroom cleaning, but remember to use room temperature water and to use the bleach solution immediately. A bleach and water solution does not have a long shelf life, and actually breaks down into salt and water over time. Though tile in the bathroom is really easy to clean, we’ll show you how to clean tile floors the best way.