Like migratory bird patterns, humans find the changing of the seasons to be a time when our thoughts turn to spring cleaning. What seasonal patterns have to do with keeping our homes clean is a mystery, but it continues to be a factor nonetheless. It’s almost as if we only recognize the dirt, dust, clutter and debris only at certain times of the year.

After seeing my brother-in-law’s home however, I’m grateful for any reason, that would make him want to clean that filthy disgusting bathroom. [Smile]

The bathroom should be regularly cleaned if only to keep germs under control. There are some cleaning chores that can be done on a somewhat longer schedule than the weekly cleaning.

1. Take a look under the bathroom sink and you probably see a good collection of half used personal hygiene products. Go through each and every one of them and decide if they’re worth keeping. Some products like medicated shampoos and possibly suntan lotions are good to keep handy. That green strawberry mint flavored shampoo that promised that men would go wild but only gave you a rash could probably be tossed into the garbage.

2. Take a look at how you store all the paper goods to the bathroom. Are they organized and easily snagged when needed? If not, maybe it’s time to give those boxes of facial tissue and rolls of toilet paper, a place of their own.

3. Next up are the washcloths and towels. If you’re like most of us, we tend never to discard old towels. We end up with a pile of towels and actually only use the first one or two. If this sounds like you, take stock in how many towels and face cloths you actually need and send the rest to the rag box.

4. If you’re cabinet has drawers, they’re probably filled with miscellaneous hair decorations, bands, pins etc. Go through them and anything not used in the last 2 years should be thrown out.

5. Vacuum the inside of the vanity cabinet and drawers to remove hair and lose dirt. Heck, give them a good cleaning by getting one of those old washcloths damp with clear water.

6. Wash the liquid soap container or soap dish. Come on, you know that thing is disgusting, especially if you have children.

7. Use a vinegar solution or commercial product like CLR to remove bathroom scum and hard water deposits from bathtub or shower enclosures. Take down and wash any fabric shower curtains.

8. Use a 10% bleach solution in a spray bottle to remove any mold buildup in the tub area.

9. Check everything in the medicine cabinet and throw away any prescription or over-the-counter drugs that have passed their effective expiration date.

10. Replace that disgusting toilet brush with a new one.

By following through on this quick list, you will find a lot a lot less cluttered bathroom. Visit the site below for more information on how your vacuum cleaner can be used to speed up many household cleaning chores and find more quick house cleaning tips.

How to fill in the blanks with rubber stamps:
Is there a bare wall in your bathroom? Is the wall bare so that you cannot find a theme to match? Have you considered wallpaper, yet nothing seems to fit? Why not put your creativeness and ideas to work and make your own wallpaper design.  I bet no one else will have one like it.

Before you get started, decide what you really want to put on a bare wall you are trying to cover.  Make sure you are creative and try to use the same theme you are working with, such as birds. This can be done in any room of you house where you have a wall and want to do something different.

You’ll need to shop around and find some rubber stamps or stencils; you can even draw the design if you want. The rubber stamps, stencils, all of these things can be found in the craft department of most department stores. Be sure to grab the brushes you’ll need; the variety pack of brushes is nice since you have different sizes and styles all in one.

Usually in the same department you’ll be able to purchase the paints you’ll need, use ceramic paint, it comes in many colors and shades to accommodate your needs. Clean up is a breeze just using warm and soapy water to clean up the paint to change from one color to another is all you need to do.

Whenever doing a project like this, you should do it twice to be sure you have the right design and colors that you’ll want to use. If you need more stamps or stencils just go to another department store, wherever craft supplies are sold, they all sell different ones.  Cover the area that you are going to stamp on with freezer paper. The paper you can buy wherever groceries are sold, usually in the meat department. When putting up the paper just stick a thumbtack on the corner and a few places in the center to hold it in place.

Now you are ready to make the first copy of your wall project. Go for it and start stamping away.

It is hard to place everything so they are exactly spaced but don’t worry you can fill in those empty spots later. When going from one color to another, if the colors are going to touch make sure that the first color completely dries? When finished, let dry and look at it for a couple of days to make sure this is what you want. Then go on to the permanent design.

How to remove the paper?
Now you’re ready to do your wall, taking down the paper carefully so you don’t forget your color combinations. Keep it for a pattern to work from. Remember no two projects are the same. That’s the fun of the whole project; no one will have one like it.

Paint your wall in the color of your choice making it a light color to match the colors you are going to stamp on it. Using your pattern, you have set aside; start stamping again on the original wall. Again, make sure each color is completely dry before stamping another color so they do not touch each other. If do not like the pattern you’ve done just fill in the spaces with something else or add a new color somewhere. No matter how many times you use this technique you’ll never be able to do two projects the same. This is the tactic known as creativity.

What cleaning tips do you need to incorporate into a daily routine for the bathroom that will keep surfaces sparkling and the atmosphere inviting? Pick up some standard cleaning supplies and try working these seven things into a daily routine:

Step #1: The Shower Wipe Down
After taking a shower in the morning or in the evening, take the time to wipe down the surfaces with a sponge. Or a quick spray with a mildew killing bathroom agent on mildew prone spots is also an excellent idea if you don’t have time for a srub down.

Step #2: Toilet Bowl Cleaner
To stop stains from forming on the toilet, work a quick scrub down into a nightly routine. Before or after an evening shower, clean the toilet quickly with a brush. Or, just spray a little cleaner in the bowl and let it set to keep stains from forming.
Step #3: Quick Counter Scrub
Keep on top of bathroom counters by wiping them down as part of the morning or evening routine. A quick wipe down on a daily basis will practically eliminate the need for serious scrubbing later on.

Step #4: Mirror, Mirror
To keep mirrors looking great, wipe water spots and toothpaste residue off with your bath towel. You could take it a step further by gathering cleaning supplies like paper towels and glass cleaner to shine your mirror as well.
Step #5: Daily Dust
Tuck a small duster under the sink to quickly dust surfaces such as light fixtures or the counter to pick up powdered makeup and loose hair. Running the duster along the baseboards every now and then isn’t a bad idea either.
Step #6: Spic and Span Floors
It’s unlikely you’re going to mop the bathroom floor everyday, but using a duster mop or a swiffer dry dust mop will help keep hair, makeup and dust from buliding up on the floor. Also, dry wet spots on the floor after showering with a spare towel.
Step #7: General Tidying
Keep a hamper in the bathroom to collect clothes and towels. Hang towels to dry on racks or door hooks instead of leaving them on the floor or in the sink.

All told, a seven-step daily routine working into a morning or evening pattern can help keep bathrooms sparkling and looking great. There’s no reason to let your Chicago apartment bathroom get grungy and dirty when a few minutes a day can keep the area in tip top shape. And, even if you can’t do this everyday, every 2 or 3 days would be great as well.