Cleaning around sinks, kitchens, and bathrooms can feel like such a chore, so it’s easy to keep putting it off…
Before you know it, quite a bit of dirt and grime may have built up.
When I’m at a restaurant, hotel, or traditional Japanese inn, seeing a dirty sink or bathroom can really bring my mood down.
On the other hand, when the water areas are clean, everything feels so fresh and refreshing. ✨
Today, I’d like to share my tips for keeping sinks, bathrooms, and other water areas clean with minimal effort—from someone who became a cleaning-loving minimalist after developing allergies!
Three Ways to Keep Things Clean with Less Effort
① “Reduce”
The fewer things you have, the easier cleaning becomes.
Even when something feels like an obvious necessity, try asking yourself:
“Do I really need this?”
You may find that you can live without things like sink strainers, dish-drying racks, floor mats, bath stools, wash basins, toilet brushes, and so on.
Of course, if something makes your life more comfortable, there’s no need to get rid of it!
But if there’s something you find annoying to maintain, why not consider letting it go?
In the end, it comes down to which feels better: the convenience of having the item or the convenience of not having it.
② “Get Things Off the Floor”
Having things sitting on the floor creates both a physical and psychological barrier to cleaning.
Simply reducing the number of things on the floor makes cleaning feel much easier.
For anything currently sitting on the floor, consider whether you can give it a designated storage spot or hang it up instead.
A little while ago, I replaced the kitchen trash can that had been sitting on the floor with a magnetic hanging trash can attached beside the sink.
It made cleaning around the kitchen so much easier!
It turns out that even having to move just one small item out of the way when cleaning can be surprisingly annoying.
It may seem like a tiny change, but these little improvements add up and can make a huge difference to your motivation to clean.
③ “While You’re at It”
Cleaning when you think, “Okay, time to clean!” takes a certain amount of motivation.
I think the key to keeping things clean is to simply do a little cleaning while you’re already doing something else.
The cleaning methods I’m about to introduce are all examples of this “while you’re at it” approach.
Once you make this kind of cleaning a habit, you may hardly even feel like you’re cleaning anymore.
So, here’s how I clean each area of my home!
Kitchen
After washing the dishes from dinner, I wipe the inside of the sink with my kitchen cloth while running water over it.
I use stocking-style mesh drain bags in the drain basket, so after cleaning the sink, I simply remove the bag and throw it away.
Then I give the drain basket a quick rinse with water.
By the way, I don’t use a drain cover. (It just creates one more thing to wash!)
Finally, I wipe down the stovetop and the area around the sink, and I’m done.
If there are oil splatters on the stovetop, I wipe them off with a wet wipe.
The whole thing takes about five minutes.
The next morning, I use the same kitchen cloth to wipe the bathroom sink and then put it in the laundry.
If I notice grease around the sink or drain, I put some liquid dish soap on an old sponge and give it a good scrub. I do this about once or twice a month.
Bathroom Sink
While doing the laundry, I use the kitchen cloth from the previous day to wipe around the bathroom sink and the mirror.
I wipe inside the sink while running water over it, then toss the cloth into the washing machine.
When I start noticing water stains inside the sink, I scrub it with my bath-cleaning sponge.
Not having a separate cleaning tool for every single task is another way to reduce the number of things you own.
I also use the towels that are about to go into the laundry to quickly wipe around the washing machine and anywhere else in the bathroom that catches my eye.
It takes only about three minutes, but it’s enough to keep the entire bathroom area looking clean all the time!
Bath
After taking a bath, I scrub the bathtub with my bath-cleaning sponge while rinsing it with warm shower water.
I also give the floor of the shower area a quick rinse and then quickly push the water toward the drain with my bare hand.
I gather the hair around the drain into a little ball. (The next morning, once it’s dry, I simply pick it up and throw it away.)
I leave the ventilation fan running overnight, and by the next morning, the bathroom is dry and sparkling clean.
By the way, our bathroom has no shampoo, soap, bath stool, wash basin, or anything else sitting around.
That’s because I basically don’t use anything in the bath.
As a result, mold is less likely to grow, and cleaning the bathroom is incredibly easy.
Including cleaning, my entire bathing routine takes about 15–20 minutes.
Toilet
Whenever I use the toilet, I quickly wipe the toilet bowl and seat with toilet paper.
Even this simple habit goes a long way toward keeping the toilet clean.
When I have a bowel movement, I use toilet paper to quickly wipe the top of the toilet tank, the toilet paper holder, and other dusty areas, then toss the paper into the toilet before using it.
This way, dust doesn’t build up inside the bathroom, and it also helps prevent splashes during a bowel movement—a win-win!
For the floor, I use a disposable floor-cleaning sheet every day, going in this order: room → toilet floor → entrance. Then I throw the sheet away.
From time to time, I also wipe the floor with an old piece of cloth that I’m ready to discard.
If I notice dirt on the toilet bowl or seat, I simply wipe it with a wet wipe.
And that’s it—always sparkling clean!
A Life Without Letting Things Pile Up
Dirt, fatigue, and stress all become much harder to deal with when they’re allowed to pile up.
I’ve come to realize that, in almost everything, the easiest approach is to deal with things little by little instead of letting them accumulate.
I feel that these small habits, repeated day after day, lead to a more comfortable and pleasant life.
I hope you find at least one idea here that you can use!
Thank you, as always, for reading! 😊