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How to Clean and Disinfect the Bathroom

How to Clean and Disinfect the Bathroom

Follow these disinfecting tips in your bathroom to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If someone in your household is sick or exposed, follow CDC guidelines on isolation.

Disinfect all areas of the bathroom — the toilet seat, bowl, all handles and any surfaces around the sink used while washing hands. Put out paper towels or napkins to avoid using a shared towel to dry.

Wear Gloves While Disinfecting

Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom – gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If using reusable gloves, gloves should be dedicated for surface-cleaning and disinfection. They shouldn’t be used for other purposes.1

Disinfecting Your Toilet

To disinfect your toilet, use Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach2 and follow these steps to disinfect properly.3 

  • Flush the toilet, then add ½ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach2 to the water in the bowl. 
  • Scrub with a toilet brush, then let stand for 6 minutes before flushing again. 
  • The exterior of a toilet, including the handle and the seat, can be disinfected with the same bleach and water solution used for other bleach-safe surfaces in your home, making sure the surface stays wet with the solution for 6 minutes before rinsing.  

The Clorox® ToiletWand® is also a convenient way to disinfect your toilet bowl and throw away the head used for cleaning after. 

  • Flush the bowl before cleaning, then open a pouch of disposable cleaning heads and push the handle straight down onto the cleaning head until it clicks into place.
  • Dip the cleaning head in toilet bowl water for 1-2 seconds. Scrub the entire toilet bowl above the water line and let stand for 10 minutes to disinfect.
  • Hold the wand over the trash bin and slide button forward to release. Flush the toilet.

Disinfecting Your Shower

Start by removing bath mats and other items. Pre-wash the tub and tiles. Wipe the tub and shower with the bleach solution. Wait 6 minutes to ensure effective disinfection and then rinse the tub and shower with warm water.

Disinfecting Other Bathroom Surfaces

Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes are also a convenient way to quickly and easily disinfect toilet handles, seats, bathroom sinks, showers and bathtubs and the exterior base of the toilet, but not the bowl interior.3

Use a fresh wipe to disinfect surfaces. Surfaces must remain wet for 4 minutes. If the wipe becomes dry, the product no longer contains enough disinfectant to be considered effective.

When You’re Finished

Following the cleaning and disinfecting of the bathroom, change your clothing and place them in a hamper or laundry bag to avoid cross-contamination.

Visit this page for a full list of our EPA-approved disinfecting products.

Already have Clorox® bleach? Learn how to make your own disinfecting solution.

1. According to Saskia Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, a senior hospital infection prevention epidemiologist at HonorHealth and paid Clorox consultant.
2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html
3, 4. According to Mary Gagliardi, aka “Dr. Laundry,” Clorox’s in-house scientist and cleaning expert.

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