best sponge/tool for bathroom cleaning?
July 18, 2014 6:18 AM   Subscribe

When I clean the bathroom, I try to use a plain rectangular sponge but there's a lot of hair in there and it just moves it around and redeposits it and is frustrating. I wind up using paper towels which seems like a waste and isn't as convenient for little touch ups. Does anyone have a type of sponge or tool that they really like for this? Bonus for anything else that will make this chore easier, which will help me do it more often.
posted by ftm to Home & Garden (16 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
I use those disposable Lysol wipes to get the hair up and then go about cleaning with a sponge. Still a little wasteful but better than only using wipes/ paper towels.
posted by missriss89 at 6:29 AM on July 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


A cloth/rag that you can shake out?
Vacuum the hair up before cleaning?

I use clorox wipes for quick cleaning. Not the best answer if your biggest complaint is waste, but they work for me.
posted by phunniemee at 6:30 AM on July 18, 2014


i use the dry swifters to get rid of pet hair. the wet ones just move it around a lot. I used to have a microfiber "broom" thing that worked pretty good to.
posted by domino at 6:30 AM on July 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


I vacuum first to pick up most of the hair (pet and human) and use microfiber cloths for wiping. The microfiber cloths are tossed in the washer every once in a while. I picked up a 10-pack of them at a home improvement store a few years back for a decent price and they haven't deteriorated like sponges.
posted by TORunner at 6:35 AM on July 18, 2014 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Microfibre cloths. Do a dry wipe of everything first (to collect up hair and dust and whatnot) and then use a new microfibre cloth with your usual cleaning product(s). You can shake them out and then toss them in your washing machine - wash and dry with no bleach and no fabric softener (you want them to retain their rough feeling). Infinitely reusable - we have oodles of them in our home for every cleaning purpose under the sun.
posted by VioletU at 6:37 AM on July 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


I wind up using paper towels which seems like a waste and isn't as convenient for little touch ups.

Hey, that's what they're there for. Go forth and don't sweat it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:48 AM on July 18, 2014 [4 favorites]


I've used these Scotch Brite Counter Cloths for a while and they work well. I sweep up hair first (yes, broom off the vanity, then sweep that up off the floor), and these get anything stuck in the corners or in the sink. You can throw them in the washer and they're good as new. I'm going on a year with my first pack, so they are pretty hardy.
posted by danielle the bee at 6:53 AM on July 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


I use cheap washcloths for all household cleaning (ca. $4 for 18, mine are from Walmart). Getting a nice-smelling cleaning product helps me clean more often.
posted by momus_window at 6:53 AM on July 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


I find that Viva paper towels do the best job for the first swipe in a really in-depth clean. Get up most of the hair, then I attack with brushes or magic erasers, etc for the dirt scrubbing.

For touch ups, Lysol or Clorox wipes are fine.

Hair on sponges SUCKS!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:56 AM on July 18, 2014


Response by poster: Oh! I have a bajillion of those microfiber cloths for car stuff. Why the heck didn't I ever think of this? Apparently my brain can't cross the conceptual car-->bathroom gap! Thank you, and please keep it coming!
posted by ftm at 6:58 AM on July 18, 2014


They make giant lint rollers with long handles for floors. I will use that or the vacuum. It's a wonder I have a hair on my head given the amount of hair that ends up on the floor!
posted by cecic at 7:10 AM on July 18, 2014 [2 favorites]


I vacuum first and then use microfiber cloths. Although that long roller thing looks like less of a hassle than the vacuum so I might give that a try.
posted by HotToddy at 7:21 AM on July 18, 2014


Yes, cloths! Have plenty so you can switch to a fresh one as soon as the last one is gunked up.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:52 AM on July 18, 2014


Yes, switch to a cloth! And here's another tip that I *just* learned - do a first pass with a dry cloth, which picks up the hair better than the wet ones, which just move it around. I am horrified at how long it took me to figure that out.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 8:01 AM on July 18, 2014 [2 favorites]


Toilet paper. If you buy the sturdy Charmin (or equivalent) brand, it works like a charm. Just wad or fold some up, wipe, and flush.

I use this to wipe hair off the shower walls and tub as well before using a (natural) sponge for cleaning the tiles and tub.

I use TP to clean all my vinyl floors, including kitchen. I find its emollient properties (whatever it is they use to make is soft for your body) helps pick up little bits of stuff as well as hair.

Also good for dusting. And degreasing the stovetop.
posted by nacho fries at 12:59 PM on July 18, 2014 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Okay, the dry wipe + use a new microfiber cloth worked great. (First, I tried just using a wet cloth, it was hateful - it does grab the hair and redeposit it at random times, and you can't actually just rinse the hair off because it's too grippy!). Thanks all!
posted by ftm at 11:56 AM on July 21, 2014


« Older A birthday greeting from a significant and...   |   Bookmarking a page of results in academic search... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.