How to clean the bathroom floor

Key steps

When you’re cleaning bathroom floor tiles:

1. Clear and vacuum the floor.

2. Mop with a mixture of floor cleaner and warm water.

3. Scrub if necessary.

4. Dry with an old towel.

Most people spend time barefoot in the bathroom, so it’s important to keep a clean floor. Here’s how to clean bathroom floor tiles, or other types of bathroom flooring. We’ll also talk about how to clean shower floor types.

Keeping your bathroom and shower well-ventilated will keep this space clean for longer. By turning on the extractor fan or opening the window when you’re showering, and leaving the shower door open when it’s not in use, you’ll reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning bathroom floor tiles.

How to clean bathroom floor types, step by step

Hopefully this goes without saying, but don’t break the mop out if you’re in the unusual position of having a carpeted bathroom floor. We have a separate article on how to clean carpets that’ll work better for you. For more common bathroom floor materials, though, such as tiling, vinyl or linoleum, the following steps should get the surface clean.

Move anything that’s likely to get in your way while cleaning: bins, bathmats, toilet brush holders, and so on.

1. Run a vacuum cleaner around the room. For awkward spaces, such as behind the toilet, you may find it easier to use a dustpan and brush. If you’re taking a brush to any parts of the bathroom, do it before the vacuuming, or you’ll just be brushing dust onto the parts you’ve already hoovered.

2. Mop the floor, using warm water mixed with an appropriate floor cleaner; you could try Cif or Surf disinfectant. Follow the instructions on your chosen cleaner, and test the mixture on an inconspicuous corner of the floor before you start. The floor will never dry if you’re sloshing huge amounts of water around, so squeeze out excess water after each dip into the mop bucket.

3. If the floor’s really filthy, you might want to go over it with a soft scrubbing brush before drying. You should definitely test this in an inconspicuous corner first, though, because the bristles may damage some types of flooring. Alternatively, use a soft sponge.

4. Dry the floor with an old towel to prevent mildew, then set the towel aside to be washed.

How to clean shower bases

If you need to know how to clean shower floor types (or how to clean wet room floor tiles set beneath the shower), the method is slightly different. It’s difficult to manoeuvre a vacuum cleaner around a shower enclosure, after all.

1. Use the shower head to give the floor a quick rinse.

2. Put a squirt of washing-up liquid, such as Persil, on the wet floor.

3. Scrub the floor with a handheld scrubbing brush; test it in a less visible area first. You may need to put a little more effort into scrubbing if your issue is how to clean non-slip shower floor textures, because dirt can build up around the bumps and ridges.

4. Rinse the shower again.

How to remove hard water stains from bathroom floor tiles

If the above methods can’t quite get the hard water stains off your bathroom floor, what do you do? Here are a couple of methods you can try, using ordinary white vinegar. Test the vinegar on a small part of the floor before you start, and don’t use it on marble or wooden surfaces as it could cause damage.

For cleaning bathroom floor tiles with light water stains, dip a soft sponge or rag in a mixture of one-part water to one-part white vinegar, then use it to clean the stained areas. Rinse and dry the tiles afterwards.

For more serious hard water staining, you’ll want to leave the vinegar to act for a while. Put paper towels over the stained tiles in two layers and soak them with white vinegar. Leave for a few hours, then remove the tiles, scrub with a soft damp sponge, rinse and dry.

Your bathroom door should now be as shiny as an ice rink (but hopefully not as slippery)! If you’ve got grout problems, we have some specific advice on how to clean tile grout. Our article on how to clean a stained bathtub may also be of use.