Limit the number of toys in the bathroom - While you absolutely should allow your children to play with toys in the bathroom, it’s a good idea to limit the amount of them. After all, they don’t really need five different versions of the same squirt toy, to have fun in the bath. Before bath time, you can always allow them to select a toy or two that they’d like to bring with them. That way, you’ll always make sure that the room is free of toys when they’re off to bed, and they still get to play with their favourite.
If it’s impossible to limit the number of toys in there, you can always make use of a fun little toy caddy to keep them out of the way. They’ll have everything they need within reach, and you don’t have to tidy up the entire collection from the bath every day.
Keep a squeegee in the shower - If your children are old enough to shower, they’re also old enough to help you keep it clean. Keep a squeegee in the shower, and teach them to make a habit out of cleaning the excess water off the shower walls when they’re done. This doesn’t just remove the watermarks we hate, but by removing excess water you’re also limiting the amount of mold and mildew that’s allowed to build up in your shower. It’s a great way to teach them to be tidier as they grow up as well, and the longer they keep this habit up, the more likely it is that they’ll continue with it as they grow.
Create a bathroom cleaning schedule - The bathroom is a fairly easy room to clean - most don't require you to vacuum and there's no large appliances to clean either. A sponge, some water and a cleaning spray are enough to help out, and most kids are able to do this. Creating a schedule for your children will help to make a habit out of it (and makes sure everyone is clear about their responsibilities).
The oldest one can clean the toilet one day, while the youngest take care of the sink area. Newer vanity units are a lot easier to clean than the older ones, so have a look at Drench if yours is due for an upgrade. It’s a lot more fun to keep clean as well, meaning your children will surely pay more attention to making sure it looks good!
Then next time they can rotate so that nobody’s stuck cleaning the toilet forever. The youngest would have had time to watch how their siblings do it, so there shouldn't be any worries there. It’s the best way of making them learn good bathroom habits, and they get to work together while doing it.
Keeping a cleaning basket in the bathroom - Create a little basket with everything you need to keep the bathroom clean, and see if you can make a competition out of who is better at cleaning the bathroom after using it. Just make sure that the cleaning supplies are safe to use for kids, though, and have a look at this article if you’d like to use some homemade ones.
Keep a pack of antibacterial wipes in the bathroom, and get your children to wipe down the sink area a bit more often. That way, they won’t have to give the whole bathroom a deep clean that often, and especially not if they’re also good at using the squeegee in the shower. Making sure the cleaning equipment is easily accessible, will mean you can clean as often as you need to.
Keeping the bathroom clean may be a bit of a pain, but you can make it easier if you get the smaller ones to help out. You can even have a small prize for the best cleaner, or announce them ‘cleaner of the week’, and you’ll see your bathroom shinier than it’s ever been before in no time!