Tips For Cleaning The Bathroom In Your Student House

It has to be said that sharing a bathroom during the COVID-19 pandemic is quite obviously going to be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be tough if you follow all the right precautions!

When it comes to the dreaded task of cleaning the bathroom, you need to make sure you’re doing a top tier job, not just for your own safety, but for all your pals too.

With a whole bunch of snazzy cleaning products out there, it can be confusing to work out what works best to make your bathroom COVID-safe.

We’ve done our research and gathered some top tips for cleaning the bathroom in your student house so that it’ll be spick and span in no time.

Rubber gloves at the ready, lets get cleaning!

Sharing A Bathroom During Coronavirus

We totally get that sharing a bathroom during Coronavirus can be daunting, and tricky to say the least!

But if you follow these handy tips, you can keep the risk of COVID-19 at bay, and all live in a happy and clean environment.

1. Wash Your Hands Frequently

This one may be a little obvious, but you need to be washing your hands as frequently as possible to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Wash them as thoroughly as possible with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitiser if you’d prefer.

Sticking your hands under some warm water for a few seconds just won’t do in this case, especially if you’re living in shared accommodation!

2. Ensure That Your Bathroom Is Well Ventilated

Make sure it’s nice and breezy in your bathroom with an open window!

Evidence suggests that viruses are less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings, so make sure your window is open as much as possible.

3. Consider A Bathroom Rota

If you’re living with someone that has tested positive and is now self-isolating, don’t panic!

Make sure that the isolated person is using the bathroom last, and thoroughly cleaning the bathroom once doing so.

You also need to make sure that the individual is using separate towels, both for drying themselves after showering/bathing and drying their hands!

Another type of rota worth thinking about, is a cleaning rota, if it’s possible to do so, set up a rota for you and your housemates, that way it’s fair on everyone!

A cleaning rota is a great way of keeping organised and avoiding any arguments when it comes to chores.

4. Be Thorough When Cleaning

It’s time to get those rubber gloves on, because now more than ever you need to be getting some thorough cleaning done!

Pay particular attention to surfaces that are frequently touched, such as door knobs and bathroom fixtures like taps, toilet seats, etc.

Ensure that you clean the toilet and washbasin thoroughly and sweep up/vacuum the surface dust, wipe the floor, sink, toilet, and shower with a microfibre cloth.

You don’t need any fancy cleaning products to get the job done either, a good old-fashioned bleach solution will do.

To make this, just mix one tablespoon of household bleach to one litre of water and get cleaning!

5. Stop Scrolling!

Granted, we’re all guilty of having a cheeky scroll through Tik Tok or Insta when we’re sat on the loo, but maybe try your very best to avoid this.

Scrolling through your phone not only prolongs your exposure to COVID-19 if your area is poorly ventilated, but it also increases your risk of spreading germs.

If you’ve been playing on your phone with dirty hands whilst on the toilet, then you wash your hands and pick your dirty phone back up, you’re kind of defeating the object of washing your hands, right?

Must-Have Cleaning Products For Your Household!

1. Bleach Solution

Obvs bleach gets the top spot for our must-have cleaning product when it comes to killing COVID-19, and virtually every other germ on the planet!

Wear some gloves when using bleach to protect your skin, and mix it only with water to create the solution, nothing else.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide

This particular cleaning product isn’t as strong as bleach, so it’s less likely to cause damage to products like bleach might.

Use this product straight, there’s no need to dilute it, and make sure your cleaning the prime areas like door knobs, toilet seats, etc!

3. Alcohol

Unfortunately we don’t mean the kind you drink when you’re out partying with your pals, we mean cleaning products!

Cleaning products that contain alcohol are great at eliminating germs when you’re cleaning.

With alcohol, you have two main choices, ethanol or isopropyl, as long as the product has at least 70% alcohol in it.

Before anyone gets tempted, don’t try and disinfect with a cheeky bottle of vodka, there’s no point, liquor is rarely over 60% alcohol!

Be careful when handling cleaning products containing alcohol, wear gloves, and avoid contact with eyes.

4. Disinfecting Wipes

Having a handy pack of disinfectant wipes in your shared accommodation is definitely going to make life a lot easier for you and your mates.

They’re not expensive at all, and can be great for wiping down surfaces. You can even wipe technology like your laptop or smartphone.

Nowadays, it’s super important to keep a pack in your bag, because you never know when you might need them!

5. Hand Sanitiser

You’re probably struggling to get yourself some hand sanitiser from the shop at the mo, purely because everyone is stocking up!

And for a good reason too, this product is super effective and requires at least 60% alcohol content.

We’d recommend websites like Amazon if you’re struggling to find any in the shops.

Hand sanitiser is great to take out and about with you when you don’t have access to soap and water.

We’d highly recommend taking it with you when using public transport, visiting the supermarket, and just generally when you’re away from home.

Please note, you don’t have to have all of these products.  Good old hot water and soap is also recommended by experts, but every little helps in keeping you and your friends safe.

How To Make Your Bathroom COVID-Safe In The Long Term?

To ensure your bathroom is COVID-safe in the long term, you need to take some steps in general bathroom etiquette.

You need to ask yourself some important questions…

• Are you closing the lid before you flush?
• Do you immediately wash your hands thoroughly?
• Are you disinfecting things before or after you’ve washed your hands?
• Do you leave your phone somewhere else whilst going to the bathroom?
• Do you have all the appropriate cleaning products?
• Are you regularly cleaning your bathroom?

Some of these questions may seem a little silly, but unfortunately we’re facing a ‘new normal’ right now. If you’re answering no to some of them, it’s time to sort your shizz out! We all need to ensure we’re keeping as clean as possible, and taking all the necessary steps to reduce the risk of Coronavirus. Hopefully, you found these tips helpful and don’t forget to mask up, get your rubber gloves on, and get cleaning!

For more student-friendly tips, guides and advice don’t forget to give our blog a quick glance every now and then!