How do I keep bathroom cleaning tools hygienic?

Cleaning tools that stay damp become the dirtiest objects in a bathroom, and then spread what they hold across every surface you clean. Nothing here takes more than a few seconds; it is entirely a matter of habit.

What you'll need

• Colour-coded cloths
• Bleach or disinfectant (optional)

Step by step

1. After using the toilet brush, rinse it in the clean water of a fresh flush.Hold it in the bowl and flush around it.
2. Wedge the brush under the toilet seat to drip-dry before returning it to the holder.Five minutes. A brush put away wet sits in its own residue.
3. Empty and wash the brush holder regularly.It collects the water that drips off and is frequently the dirtiest item in the room.
4. Use colour-coded cloths — one colour for the toilet, another for basins and surfaces.This is standard practice in commercial cleaning for a reason.
5. Wash cloths at 60°C rather than rinsing and reusing.Rinsing does not remove bacteria; a hot wash does.
6. Replace sponges regularly and never use a kitchen sponge in the bathroom.Damp sponges harbour bacteria in numbers that surprise most people.
7. Replace the toilet brush itself every six months or so.They are inexpensive and they do not stay clean indefinitely.

Tips

• Disposable toilet brush heads exist and remove the problem entirely if you would rather not manage it.
• Hanging cloths to dry between uses matters as much as washing them — bacteria need moisture.
• Keep a separate set of cloths for the kitchen and never let them mix with bathroom ones.

Common mistakes

• Putting a wet brush straight back in the holder — It sits in its own residue and the holder becomes the dirtiest thing in the bathroom.
• Using one cloth for the whole bathroom — You transfer toilet bacteria to the basin and taps.
• Rinsing cloths instead of washing them — Rinsing removes visible dirt and leaves the bacteria.

Questions people ask