How to Clean with Children Part 4- Bathroom

One of my least favorite rooms to clean is the bathroom especially the boys’ bathroom. I am not sure why or how it gets so gross. However, my children have lots of fun cleaning the bathroom! Most of the fun comes from the homemade cleansers! There is not much else to cleaning it other than taking out the trash, picking up dirty clothes, putting other things away, etc.

For the Toilet:

1/2 cup baking soda

1 cup vinegar

a few drops favorite essential oil(s)

Pour baking powder into toilet, pour vinegar and essential oils on top. Prepare for chemical reaction which my children LOVE! Use toilet brush to scrub. Let set for a while and scrub again or flush immediately!

For the Shower/Sink:

1 cup baking soda

10 drops essential oils (tea tree oil will help prevent mold and mildew)

Mix well. Use a microfiber cloth and scrub shower with the mixture.

To Unclog drains:

Baking soda

Vinegar

Hot water

Pour baking soda into sink (remove all standing water and anything large which is on the surface blocking the pipe). Pour Vinegar on top. Allow to set for an hour and pour scalding hot water down drain.

All Purpose Cleanser:

A few drops clear dish washing liquid such as Seventh Generation Free and Clear

10 drops essential oils

Water

Spray onto commode seat, sink counter, etc. and wipe off as you would any other spray cleaner.

For an all-purpose deodorizing room spray:

Water

Essential Oils (such as tea tree oil, eucalyptus, lavender, etc.)

Mix together in a spray bottle. Spray/mist over room.

My children absolutely LOVE making their own cleansers and especially love cleaning the toilet! They know they have to clean the floor of dirty clothes and put other things away first. Then, they get to have fun. Baking soda and Vinegar are relatively inexpensive, so I will let them experiment with it and cleaning from time to time which they really love!

Other things we use to clean the bathroom:

• Shampoo which is old or made of ingredients we do not like to use on our body (free sample shampoos work perfectly)

Shampoo is great to add to the toilet cleanser! Not only do you have the reaction from the baking soda and vinegar, but the shampoo will add bubbles which makes it even more fun!

Shampoo also works well to scrub the shower. Just place a little on a microfiber cloth. Scrub the shower and either rinse off or wipe off with a damp rag.

• Essential oils and Hot water

Essential oils and hot water also work great for cleaning mirrors, disinfecting sinks and toilets, mopping the floor, and general all-purpose cleaning. Just add a few drops to a spray bottle full of water and have fun!

• Baby wipes

I do not like to use them because they are not reusable, but sometimes there are messes (such as poop) where we want to dispose of it and not worry about washing things out. Baby wipes are perfect for wiping up messes you just do not want to deal with, but need something wet to thoroughly clean!