Whether you’re soaking in the tub, getting ready for work, or enjoying at-home spa treatments, your bathroom should be a place of restful respite. Unfortunately, because bathrooms are very moist environments, they’re prone to developing odors that detract from their peaceful atmosphere. Even when a bathroom isn’t in use, mold, mildew, and lingering bacteria can create a persistent unpleasant smell that’s difficult to mask with air freshener.
Instead of trying to hide unwanted odors in your bathroom, we recommend tackling them at the source: Proper ventilation and regular cleaning, along with the use of natural odor absorbers, will eliminate the conditions that encourage mold and bacteria growth in the first place. Whether you clean your bathroom yourself or entrust the task to our professional maids in Louisville, fighting odors the right way will make your bathroom a safer, more enjoyable place for your whole family. To get started, contact our cleaners or try out the tips below:
6 Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh
- Air your bathroom out frequently.
Bathroom fans remove moisture from the air by design, but they aren’t foolproof. If you notice condensation lingering on your bathroom mirror and walls after you shower, your bathroom fan may not be powerful enough to reduce humidity to acceptable levels. Likewise, in many older homes, bathroom fans vent directly into the attic; this simply distributes moisture – and mold problems – around the house.
To prevent mold and mildew growth in your home, open your bathroom door and window as soon as you’ve finished showering. Leave them open for at least half an hour to thoroughly ventilate the area, while running the bathroom fan at the same time. If your bathroom still seems damp, purchase and install a dehumidifier.
- Clean your bathroom fan twice a year.
Even the best bathroom fan won’t work properly if it’s clogged with dust and debris. To keep your bathroom fan running optimally, take the cover off it twice a year and inspect the fan blades for dust and caked-on mess. (The use of certain products, like hairspray, can coat fan blades with a sticky residue that traps dust, lint, and hair.) If the fan looks dirty, start by soaking the cover in warm, soapy water. Then, unplug the fan before removing the fan and motor assembly. Lightly moisten a microfiber cloth with a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water and wipe the blades clean. Towel off the fan motor, blades, and cover, then let them air out until they’re completely dry.
While you wait for the fan assembly to dry, vacuum out the fan housing and exhaust vent using your vacuum’s crevice tool. Then, wipe away any remaining grime with a cloth before reinstalling the fan.
- Clean and disinfect your toilet regularly.
Toilet cleaning is officially America’s most-hated chore, but it’s one you can’t put off if you want to keep your bathroom smelling fresh. The average toilet contains over 125.55 colony-forming units of bacteria per square inch; without regular cleaning, these colonies of bacteria quickly multiply, giving rise to nasty odors – and health risks.
To keep toilet cleaning quick and hygienic, purchase a toilet wand. Toilet wands use replaceable sponge heads that come pre-loaded with a disinfectant cleaner, making toilet cleaning as easy as snapping on a new head, scrubbing the bowl and rim, then flushing to rinse. To keep your toilet smelling flawlessly clean, consider adding a five-minute scrub with a toilet wand to your daily cleaning routine.
Once a week, deep-clean your toilet to stop bacteria from accumulating outside the toilet bowl. Use an old toothbrush and disinfectant cleaner to scrub the grooves under your toilet’s seat and lid. Then, wipe down the body of the toilet and the area around the toilet with disinfectant wipes. When you’re done, rinse the toilet lid, seat, and body with a damp microfiber cloth.
- Keep your shower free of mold, mildew, and bacteria.
If you think the toilet is the dirtiest part of the bathroom, we have bad news for you: Your shower curtain and shower floor could be harboring more bacteria than your toilet bowl. Showers can become shockingly grimy, smelly places because the dead skin cells, dirt, and germs we wash off combine with dampness that may linger for days at a time. According to Dr. Mai Ha, a leading specialist in odor control and antimicrobial technology, this allows “a wide variety of bacteria, fungus, and yeast” to thrive. “In addition,” Ha explains, “Soap scum, hard-water scaling, plus hair and skin exfoliates can stick to surfaces and gradually build up. These hard-to-remove surface contaminants can provide even more safe harbor for bacteria, fungus and yeast to grow.”
The best way to prevent this overgrowth of mold and bacteria is to control shower moisture and clean your shower floor and curtain frequently. During each shower, take a minute to quickly spritz your shower stall and curtain with diluted white vinegar. After you turn the shower off, use a squeegee to remove excess moisture from the walls of the shower stall. On the weekend, thoroughly scrub your shower from top to bottom (pay special attention to removing grout stains) and wash your shower curtain along with your towels and cloths. Remember to wash these items on a hot cycle to kill bacteria.
- Clean your drains.
Bathroom drains are prone to becoming clogged with a mix of hair, toothpaste, soap scum, and dead skin. To keep unwanted drain odors at bay – and keep your drains working – pour a cup of undiluted white vinegar or commercial drain cleaner down your bathroom drains once a week.
- Use an odor absorber.
Odor absorbers that contain bamboo charcoal are capable of removing both odors and moisture from the air, making them a perfect fit for bathrooms. Look for deodorizers with this natural, environmentally-friendly compound at your local big box store, or make your own bamboo charcoal bags at home.
Need Help Getting Rid of Unwanted Bathroom Odors? Call Super Cleaning Service Louisville
Removing bathroom odors can be very challenging, especially if you can’t clean with disinfectants due to respiratory health issues and be very careful if cleaning when pregnant. If you’re having trouble keeping your bathroom smelling fresh – or you’d rather assign the dirty job of bathroom cleaning to someone else – our professional maids in Louisville can help. Contact us online or by phone at (502) 230-6735 to arrange your first cleaning appointment today.