How often should you clean your bathroom?

One person’s version of spotless is another person’s idea of utterly filthy. And the definition of clean becomes even hazier when you start talking about what makes a bathroom “dirty.” But these details are key in deciding how and how often you (or your cleaner) should clean your bathroom.

Bathrooms encounter numerous bodily fluids every day, so each surface has the potential to be contaminated with hundreds or even thousands of microbes that can spread infection and illness. And “there’s a very good likelihood those organisms will stick around for anywhere from a few hours like we see with respiratory viruses to well over a month like we see with noroviruses,” warns Jason Tetro, microbiology expert and author of “The Germ Code” and “The Germ Files.” “The key is to make sure that whatever has contaminated the services is killed.” 

While it’s impossible to kill everything that lives on the surfaces in your bathroom, you can implement the following tips from cleaning, virology and infectious disease experts on how to minimize transmission through structured cleaning, when (and where) to clean more often and tips for maintaining a sanitary bathroom.

How often you should clean your bathroom, according to experts

Poor bathroom cleanliness can “significantly elevate the risk of contracting various infectious diseases and exacerbating existing health issues,” says Dr. Anthony Leung, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic. These can include norovirus, salmonella, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus (staph), athlete’s foot, ringworm and respiratory issues, he points out. But how often is often enough when it comes to cleaning your bathroom (or hiring someone to clean it)? That largely depends on how much use the bathroom gets, say the experts.

General bathroom cleaning guidelines

Because “normal” or “typical” use of a bathroom can be hard to define, the ultimate frequency of cleaning a restroom can vary, as well. But the standard advice is usually once a week. And Tetro agrees, saying that if a bathroom is used by people multiple times over the course of a day, you should disinfect once a week.

However, Charles Gerba, a professor of virology at the University of Arizona, advises more frequent cleaning for a typical bathroom, based on his research. “Twice a week is best — better than every day or every two days, even better than once a week,” notes Gerba. “This may have been due to the time for a biofilm to develop. They are most susceptible to cleaning every three days.”

What are biofilms, you might ask? In simplified terms, according to a study in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a biofilm is a slimy film of bacteria that forms on a surface over time.

These biofilms are more difficult to eliminate and are more resistant to disinfectants, explains Gerba. Therefore, following his schedule may make a thorough cleaning easier.

Cleaning guidelines for low-traffic bathrooms

If you have a bathroom that gets less use than the others, you may be able to get away with cleaning it less often. “If it’s just a couple of people who are living together, and it’s not getting that much use, [plan to clean] maybe once every two weeks,” says Tetro.

How often you should clean key bathroom areas

Feeling daunted by the question of how often should you clean your bathroom? It might be helpful to break it down into individual tasks and/or have a bathroom cleaning checklist. While a whole-bathroom clean might seem like a big undertaking once or twice a week, focusing on specific areas with more frequent cleaning is crucial. Neglecting the regular cleaning of those specific areas can carry “distinct and significant health risks,” says Leung. Here are the main areas to focus on.

Fixtures and hardware

Because of how often they get touched (and with hands of varying cleanliness — for example, someone turning on the sink to wash their hands after going the bathroom), it’s important to “clean high-touch surfaces like sink faucets, toilet flush handles and doorknobs every day or every other day,” advises Leung.

Toilet

Not surprisingly, because the toilet can become “a breeding ground for fecal bacteria and viruses,” says Leung. “Failure to clean it allows these pathogens to multiply and spread through contact with the seat and handle, as well as through aerosolization during flushing, significantly increasing the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses,” he adds. With these factors in mind, it should be cleaned twice a week. 

“Clean high-touch surfaces like sink faucets, toilet flush handles and doorknobs every day or every other day.”

— Dr. Anthony Leung, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic

Sink and countertops

Outside of the toilet, the bathroom sink and countertops are the most contaminated areas in the bathroom, says Gerba, and should be cleaned twice a week. This is largely due to hand washing, cosmetic use and teeth brushing.

These uses mean there is a chance for foodborne pathogens, as well as whatever is spread through handwashing residues, says Leung. And the bathroom vanity can then “become a source of cross-contamination if not cleaned regularly. This neglect can lead to the spread of hand borne illnesses and foodborne illnesses, particularly in kitchen-adjacent bathrooms. Additionally, sink drains can harbor odor-causing bacteria and biofilms, contributing to an unsanitary environment. Therefore, consistent cleaning of each of these areas is vital in mitigating specific health risks associated with the unique microbial challenges they present.” 

Shower or tub and bathroom floors

Because they primarily come in contact with your feet, it may be easy to downplay the dangers of dirty floors. However, conditions that affect “Skin and soft tissues, such as staphylococcus aureus, athlete’s foot and ringworm can be spread from an unclean floor,” says Leung These surfaces should be cleaned weekly to prevent the buildup of grime, soap scum and these potential pathogens, he adds.

Towels, rugs and shower curtains/liners

Even if you wash your hands sufficiently before using the hand towel and your body before using the bath towel, they are still susceptible to airborne particles, and the moist nature of the bathroom is a great place for microbes to flourish. With that in mind, Leung advises washing ”hand towels every one to two days and bath towels every three to four uses, ensuring they dry completely between uses.”

Similarly, your bath mat can also harbor bacteria and requires regular cleaning. “We have found that throw rugs get very contaminated with fecal bacteria,” says Gerba. This is likely from people walking on them and the spray from the toilets, he adds. Therefore, they should also get washed once a week, he advises. 

And because it can be “difficult to eliminate bacteria from bath towels as they are so thick, and some fecal bacteria survive even after hot water washes,” Gerba advises using a sanitizer in the wash, as well.

Forgotten areas in the bathroom

Bathrooms not only have numerous nooks and crannies, but they also have spots that are easily overlooked and can harbor hidden germs. Here are some items to add to your do-not-forget list, according to Leung.

• Ventilation fan covers. 
• Shower curtains and liners. Shower curtains and liners frequently have mildew and “should be dried thoroughly by spreading out in its entirety and washed frequently in soap and hot water.”
• Showerheads “can harbor bacteria like Legionella, potentially leading to serious lung infections.”
• Toilet base and behind the toilet. 
• Soap dishes.
• Toothbrush holders.
• Wastebaskets. Don’t forget to clean inside! 

Special cases: When you should clean your bathroom more frequently

Under normal circumstances, cleaning your bathroom once or twice a week is sufficient, but there are some situations in which you should clean more often.

During illness or infection

If someone in your home is ill, you (or they) will need to clean the bathroom more often than you usually would to prevent transmission. Ideally, the sick individual would use a separate bathroom, says Leung. However, that’s not possible for many households. 

In those cases, Gerba advises cleaning twice a day. While this may seem like a lot, Gerba adds that, as an example, “a person with a norovirus diarrhea can excrete up to 1100,000,000,000,000 viruses in his stool — and contamination of the restroom occurs during flushing and failure to wash hands. It only takes 1-10 noroviruses to infect a person.” 

After heavy use (e.g., hosting guests)

In general, if you have a guest, Gerba says you can stick to cleaning your bathroom once a week. But if you have multiple guests, a party or one of your guests is sick, you may want to clean more often — after the party, for example.

Mold or mildew issues

If you have issues with mold or mildew in your bathroom, you may have to clean more often to properly tackle it. “When it comes to mold and mildew, you’re no longer dealing with bacteria or viruses, now you’re talking about fungi,” says Tetro. “This means spores, and that means respiratory irritation and allergies. Disinfectants need to be able to deal with both the fungus and the spores and honestly, bleach and hydrogen peroxide are the best,” he adds.

And if you do have mold or mildew (or you want to actively prevent it), ventilation is key. More on that to come.

Tips for thoroughly cleaning your bathroom

Now that we’ve established that it’s vital to keep a clean bathroom, the experts share some tips on how to do that.

Use effective cleaners

To properly clean your bathroom, it’s important to kill whatever is contaminating the surfaces. And “the only effective way to do that is through the use of disinfectants that are known to kill these particular pathogens,” says Tetro. To that end, he says that bleach is one of the best disinfectants but acknowledges that some people don’t want to or can’t use bleach. (For example, bleach is not recommended for use on marble.) Hydrogen peroxide and even citric acid are options, as well.

If you’re unsure of what type of product to use, he advises looking at the label and looking for “names such as influenza, E. coli, Staphylococcus and Trichophyton (a skin fungal infection).” 

Follow cleaning solution instructions

For a product to work the way it’s meant to, it’s important to follow the directions. For example, a disinfectant will typically need to sit on a surface for around 10-15 minutes to do its job, says Jessica Agate, owner of The Cleaning Diva in Belmar, New Jersey.

Luckily, that information tends to be on the packaging. Tetro advises looking for the contact/dwell time. This is important because the surface needs to be wet for that amount of time in order for the product to be effective, he adds. Because of this, Tetro warns that using wipes may not be as effective in disinfecting surfaces.

Clean dirtiest areas first

To avoid spreading grime across surfaces, Leung advises working from the least dirty areas to the dirtiest. This might look like starting with your shower and working your way to the toilet.

Keep color-coded rags

In an effort to be both environmentally friendly and avoid cross-contamination, you can use color-coordinated microfiber rags like Agate does. For example, her company uses a red rag for the toilet (but you can use whatever system you prefer).

Maintain proper ventilation

During and after use, ensure good ventilation in your bathroom to help surfaces dry and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew, advises Leung. This is particularly important if someone in the house has a respiratory illness.

If you have a ventilation fan, it’s important to always have that on when you’re showering, says Agate. Additionally, she advises leaving the bathroom door cracked open during and after your shower for air flow. 

How to have a clean bathroom and healthier home going forward

So now you know the potential health risks of a dirty bathroom, the dirtiest spots and have ingested some helpful tips from the experts on how to clean effectively. What now? Now, you set a routine and stick to it. 

You can make it easier to execute this routine by “keeping a little bin of cleaning supplies under the sink, or beside the toilet in your bathroom,” advises Agate. By making it convenient, you’re more likely to actually do it, she adds. 

And consider making it a family affair, if you can, adds Leung. By establishing a “cleaning” day and sharing the various tasks, you’ll not only present an an opportunity for family bonding, he notes, but you’ll modelgood cleaning and hygiene habits for younger family members.