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With the high humidity levels, exposure to bodily functions, buildup of soap and other toiletry residue, and daily grooming routines, your bathroom is one of the germiest and most mildew-prone areas in your home. That’s why regular cleanings—at least weekly, and more often if a bathroom is shared by the whole family—are necessary to keep odor, germs, and general grunge under control. While it’s admittedly true that cleaning your bathroom is never going to be your favorite chore, some products can make this task a lot more pleasant.
The following 10 ingenious bathroom cleaning products are all designed to make it faster, easier, and a lot more pleasant to keep the hardest-working space in your home looking and smelling its best.
No More Clogged Drains
When your shower or tub starts draining very slowly, clumps of matted hair are often the culprit. The problem is even worse if you or a family member has long hair. Fortunately, it’s easy to take proactive measures to prevent these clogs. All you need is a shower drain strainer like the Danco Tub/Drain Protector, which sits atop the tub or shower drain opening to catch any shed hair. After your shower, simply lift the strainer by its handle, remove and toss any hair, rinse the strainer, and return it to the tub. Get it at Amazon for $4.57.
A Squeegee a Day Keeps Water Spots Away
A quick wipe down of glass doors and tile surrounds at the end of each bath or shower goes a long way toward preventing the buildup of ugly water spots and soap film. And with the Gütewerk Shower Squeegee, it’s so easy to do. This sleek squeegee has an inner core of stainless steel for durability and a silicone coating to prevent scratches or damage to glass and tile. It comes with a suction-cup chrome hook that lets you easily store the squeegee inside the tub or shower enclosure between uses. Get it at Amazon for $18.99.
Keep It Organized
Showers and tubs tend to get cluttered with shampoo and conditioner bottles, razors, sponges, soaps, and body wash. If your shower lacks a niche that can hold it all, try a handy wire metal hanging caddy like this one from iDesign to keep your toiletries organized and off the tub floor. This extra-large rust-resistant steel shower caddy has two shelves and 10 hooks and hangs conveniently over the shower head. Two suction cups hold it firmly in place. Get it at Amazon for $32.98.
Related: 18 Totally Brilliant Bathroom Storage Hacks
No-Touch Trash Can
Every bathroom needs a trash can to collect used tissues, cotton swabs, and other grooming waste, and it should ideally have a lid, particularly if you have curious toddlers or rummaging pets, or if you just prefer to keep your trash out of sight. The iTouchless 13-gallon Pet-Proof Sensor Trash Can will up your bathroom trash game. Not only does this stylish stainless steel receptacle have a lid, but it opens without having to be touched: Just move your hand near the sensor, and presto! The lid, which contains an odor-absorbing carbon filter, opens right up and then closes automatically once its sensor detects that your hand has moved away. Get it at Amazon for $75.99
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub
Let’s face it: Scrubbing the toilet bowl is never going to be much fun. But with this brush from Simplehuman, at least you’ll get it over with quickly. The curved head of this ingeniously designed toilet brush fits into all the toilet’s nooks and crannies, and the stiff bristles easily whisk away grunge without scratching the porcelain. When you’re done, slip the brush into its discreet caddy to contain any drips and keep the brush away from other bathroom surfaces. Get it at Amazon for $24.99
Related: Your Top 10 Bathroom Dilemmas—Solved
Say Goodbye to Tough Stains
Rust stains, soap scum, limescale, mineral deposits: All of these ugly stains are difficult to remove with your run-of-the-mill bathroom cleaning products. That’s why when the going gets tough, the tough reach for CLR. This powerful, multipurpose cleaning product meets the EPA’s Safer Choice Standard, meaning it’s a safe alternative to most harsh cleaners and is even safe for use around children and pets. Use it on glass, ceramic, stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, porcelain, and more—within a few minutes, stains are gone. Get it at Amazon for $5.99.
Add Some Storage
Despite the name, a medicine cabinet is not the best place to store medications; the warmth and humidity in the average bathroom can degrade drug effectiveness. But a well-designed recessed cabinet is still a great place to stash toiletries, makeup, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and all those other hygiene must-haves you’d rather not leave on display. The Bobrick Medicine Cabinet has a clean, contemporary appearance, three shelves, and a full mirror front. It’s easy to install as well. Get it at Amazon for $186.
Plunge Troubles Away
A toilet plunger is one of those items that you hope to never need but are very thankful for when the need arises. With the MR.SIGA Toilet Plunger and Brush Combo, you’ll not only have a toilet plunger right at hand when an emergency strikes, but you’ll also have a toilet brush nearby when it’s time for a little bathroom cleaning. Both are neatly contained in a two-compartment caddy that keeps the floor drip-free and these bathroom necessities out of view until needed. Get it at Amazon for $21.98
Let It Shine
Natural stone, laminate, and tile are popular bathroom flooring materials, but they all can get a little dull and dingy in this high-traffic area. Luckily, with Bona Floor Cleaner, you can keep your hard floors clean, shiny, and residue-free—in the bathroom and everywhere else in your home—with little more than regular mopping. Bona is also nontoxic and environmentally friendly. Get it at Amazon for $12.03.
Related: 7 Pro Tips for Brightening Your Bathroom
Hard Water Buster
If you live in the 85 percent of the United States that has hard water—tap water that contains a high level of natural minerals—you are undoubtedly familiar with its effects on your bathroom fixtures. You’ve probably noticed white, cloudy stains on glass, tile, and chrome; hard-to-remove chalky white film inside your tub and on shower walls; and possibly even brownish stains inside the toilet or around the tub. These unsightly marks are tough to get rid of with most bathroom cleaners, but with nontoxic, eco-friendly Bio-Clean shower cleaner, you can wave goodbye to hard water spots and stains. Get it at Amazon for $17.77.