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Greetings!
Last month we asked you to vote for your least favorite cleaning chore. And vote you did -- nearly 300 of you visited our first poll. (Wow! Thank you!) We gave you five choices: bathrooms, kitchens, floors, windows or other. While each of these chores got votes, the winner (or in this case, the loser) was clear: Bathrooms. It looks like scrubbing sinks, toilets, tubs and mirrors is giving many of you a major hard time. Well no more! In this August edition of the Clean Team newsletter, we teach you 7 essential steps for easing the burden of cleaning your bathroom. We Need Your Opinions: This month, the Clean Team has a special request. We're looking for personal reviews about our book Speed Cleaning. Please read below to learn why your opinions are especially valuable to us now. Letters from our Readers: Thank you for your fantastic letters last month regarding the final installation in our uncluttering series. You'll definitely want to check them out below. And please keep sharing your thoughts with us at jeff@thecleanteam.com Coupon Code: At the bottom of this (and every) newsletter, we feature a coupon code for a great Clean Team product just for you who receive our newsletter. Be sure to read through to the bottom of this newsletter for a bathroom bargain. | |
We Need Your Opinions
Write A Review of Speed Cleaning
We're looking for feedback and reviews of our how-to cleaning book: Speed Cleaning. We are working hard to convince our publisher, Dell Publishing, to print a new edition. This modern,  updated version would feature illustrative photographs and a section on advanced speed cleaning (for all you semi-pros out there). Your input will be invaluable to our campaign.
So, if you've read and used Speed Cleaning, please consider sharing your thoughts and suggestions with me at jeff@thecleanteam.com Thank you. |
 The 7 Steps to a Clean Bathroom
How to Clean Your Bathroom In 20 Minutes Or Less
Think you can't clean your bathroom in under 20 minutes? Think again. The key to a sparkling bathroom is regular cleaning and organization. You probably already know that. But do you know how to achieve that goal? Here are the 7 essential -- and easy -- steps for getting the job done. (Quickly.)
Before you get started, make sure you have the essential tools on hand. This includes cleaning cloths, scrubbing pads, toothbrushes (for those hard to tackle spots bathrooms are famous for), liquid or powdered cleanser, all purpose cleaner and mirror/window cleaner. All set? Now just turn on your stop watch and let the time fly!
Step 1: Shower Power
Soap scum and hard water deposits are two of the hardest substances to clean (No kidding!, you're probably thinking.) Here's how to knock out that scum without busting your bum:
- Use a product that is specially designed to attack that scum. Tile Juice and Scum Bum are examples. Apply and scrub from top to bottom using a circular motion. Scrub the plumbing hardware as you come to it.
- If you have shower doors, scrub with your tile cleaner along the inside of the doors. Use a toothbrush to get out the gunk lodged in the tracks. Leave the outside of the doors for Step 5.
- Use a powdered or liquid cleanser to scrub your tub (less is more here) and then switch to a toothbrush to break up any mold growing where tub meets the wall.
- Once you have scrubbed every surface in your shower, only then should you rinse it all thoroughly with cold water. Start with the walls and doors; end with the tub. If you don't already have a detachable showerhead, consider investing in one: It will make your life *much* easier.
Total cleaning time: 6 minutes.
Step 2: Make Your Sink Shine
Move on to cleaning out the bowl of your sink with the same technique you used to clean your tub. Lightly apply the cleanser with a scrubbing pad, using circular motions. Only clean the bowl of your sink. Do not clean your faucets or your vanity. You'll get to that in Step 6.
Total cleaning time: 1 minute.
Step 3: Tackle Your Toilet Bowl
For cleaning and disinfecting the toilet bowl, some like to use cleanser. Others go straight to bleach. Still others prefer the natural route: baking soda followed by a vinegar chaser (it foams -- your kids will love to help with this part!) Whatever your preferred cleaning material, make sure you scrub thoroughly around the bowl and under the rim. As you flush, hold your toilet scrubber under the water flow to rinse it clean, too. Only clean the bowl of your toilet. Do not clean the outside -- you'll get to that in Step 6.
Total cleaning time: 2 minutes.
Step 4: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Shine all the mirrors in your bathroom by spraying them with a glass cleaner and wiping them with a lint-free cloth. Work from top to bottom and make sure the surface is completely dry when you're finished. If you're still using messy newspaper to get a streak-free finish, give cloth a try. It will make your life easier and leave your fingers cleaner.
Total cleaning time: 1 minute.
Step 5: Shower Power, Part Deux
If you have shower doors, now is the time to clean the outside of them. (Or, if you are one of the lucky ones with a curtain, you can go straight to the next and final step!) Shine the outside of the doors just like you did the mirrors, with glass/window spray and a dry, lint-free cloth. Usually the only area of the door that needs cleaning is where people touch the door to open and close it.
Total cleaning time: 1 minute.
Step 6: Think Sink (and Toilet)
Using a dry, clean cloth and an all-purpose spray, clean the top of your vanity and shine your faucets. For stubborn spots, use your toothbrush. Now turn your attention to the seat and outside of your toilet. Spray the seat (top and bottom) and the lid, plus all those plastic joints. Scrub quickly and wipe clean with a damp towel. Don't forget about that grubby area at the bottom of your toilet. Too gross to clean? Turn to your ally the toothbrush for making quick work of this unpleasant task.
Total cleaning time: 4 minutes.
Step 7: Finish With Floor-ish
You're nearly done. Don't lose steam now! There are lots of ways to clean a floor, but there's only one way to clean a bathroom floor: The old fashioned way (aka, on your hands and knees). Start in the back corner of the bathroom and work your way to the door. Spray all-purpose cleaner as you go, wiping it up with dry cloths. As your cloth gets littered with hair and other bathroom debris, fold your cloth in half. When there's no more cloth to fold, grab a new one.
Total cleaning time: 2 minutes.
You're done! You did it! Now that wasn't too bad, was it? Take a moment to admire your handiwork and check your stopwatch. If all went well, you've got 180 seconds to spare in your 20-minute allotment. If you went over 17 minutes, don't worry. Doing this every week means you'll get many (many, many) chances to shave your time. Save even more time by using a shower squeegee after each shower!
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 Letters From Our Readers
We got some great letters this month sharing your parting thoughts on parting with your stuff.
Put a trash can between the mailbox and where ever you put the mail. Stop at the trash can and throw away ALL the junk mail. Magic! Presto!! The big pieces of paper aren't making little pieces of paper at night--well, at least if they are it is in the trash can. -- a loyal customer in Missouri
Instead of stacking tee shirts, casual pants, and shorts, file them in their drawers. Just fold them to the height of the drawer, file them vertically just like paper in a file folder, and you can see the one you want at a glance. And the one you never wear migrates to the back where you can grab and recycle it.
-- Barbara Noble, Belmont
I also asked you to share with us the hardest thing you've had to unclutter. I was particularly touched by this response.
Several years ago, when we knew our family was complete, it was time to get rid of the baby things. I gathered up everything to donate to a local agency that helps families transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency, but I couldn't part with the small wooden cradle that had been a gift from my mother and held such wonderful memories.When I dropped off the items, I learned that the housing group was grateful for any donations since they had a mother-to-be who was expecting her baby in one month.The administrator explained to me that since there was not enough room for a crib, the new mom would be placing her newborn in a bureau drawer lined with a blanket.Needless to say, I went straight home and returned with the cradle.When I called my mother to confess to her that I had given away this heirloom, she was thrilled.Now when I have any trouble giving up a sentimental item, I try to picture it in the hands of someone who truly needs it.
-- Joan Schultz, Doylestown, PA
As always, we love hearing from you: What is your number 1 tip for cleaning the bathroom? How do you battle the bathroom blues? The more you share with us, the better we can serve you -- and the rest of our readers -- with our monthly newsletter. Please send me your emails at jeff@thecleanteam.com
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Coming Soon: Windows
Take Our Newest Poll
 We had so much fun with our poll in July about dreaded cleaning tasks, that we're doing it again. Come answer our newest poll about how often you clean your windows!
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BATHROOM BUSTER: FREE GROUT BRUSH
 Are your bathroom tiles covered in soap scum and mold spores? Want to make cleaning them a cinch? Try the Clean Team's handheld grout brush ... for free!
The handheld grout brush is perfect for grout lines in showers and on counters. The upswept design works the crimped bristles into grout and crevices.
To get your free grout brush, just order any size bottle of Scum Bum or Tile Juice. We'll send a grout brush along with your package, free of charge. At check out, select "Specials", then "Code" and enter the code: CTNAUG8.
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Thanks for reading us this month! Come visit us on the web at www.thecleanteam.com.
Sincerely,
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Jeff Campbell
The Clean Team Catalog |
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