Cleaning bathrooms is one of those favorite or least favorite jobs. Some people like to clean the bathroom and others detest it.

In either case, the room must be cleaned regularly. If it is done regularly, the job is relatively simple and the smelly, germy aspect is considerably reduced. You can probably still sleep with dust bunnies under your bed or papers that missed the garbage can in the office, but when you wash your face and clean your teeth, you will need a clean sink. By doing the job frequently, dirt and germs will not build up.

Teach yourself and your family to rinse out the shower stall or tub after each use. That hair doesn't need to be in the bottom of the shower, and bathtub ring does not weld itself instantly to the side of the bathtub.

Things like curling irons, tissues, hairspray, toothbrushes, toothpaste and shavers tend to gather and clutter counters. Make storage areas to put these away and then put them there.

Use a system to considerably reduce time spent. Begin by putting away the clutter that will still gather.

Remove rugs until you are ready to shake them. Sweep floors.

Flush the toilet, plunge it down to lower the water level so it won't dilute toilet cleaner and put toilet cleaner in the bowl to soak.

Clean and polish mirrors. Glass cleaner isn't necessary on a daily basis. Wipe off mirrors with a barely moist cloth or towel and polish with a dry towel.

Next, empty the trash can and rinse or wash it out. You can use it as a bucket for a solution of detergent or disinfecting cleaner.

Wash surfaces with your bucket of disinfectant cleaner. Work your way around the room from the top down, wiping down tile, around light switches, counter tops, woodwork and the outside of the toilet and bathtub. Save the water for use on the floor later.

Wipe out sinks and tubs daily with your cleaner solution and cleanser won't be necessary as often. When you do use cleanser, reduce the quantity used. Sprinkle it on a moist rag rather than "powdering" the sink or tub.

Wash the floor with the disinfectant detergent solution, beginning on the end of the room farthest from the door and work your way backward out the door to avoid putting footprints on the moist floor.

Wring out rags, empty detergent solution from the wastebasket and wipe it out to clean it with a barely moist rag. Replace with a fresh garbage bag and put it back in place. Shake the rugs, replace them and straighten the towels.

If you do the above on a daily basis, things will stay tidy most of the time. Nevertheless, sometimes you will need to do a deeper cleaning. Start with the bathtub or shower for the major clean-ups.

Shower doors have a tendency to accumulate soap scum and hard water deposits, as do tiles in shower areas. Use a vinegar solution regularly to wipe these down and you may not have to resort to heavy-duty cleaners later. Shower curtains can be washed in a washing machine and hung outdoors to dry. If you use inexpensive ones, just toss and replace them.

Clean the shower walls around the tub with a tile brush and a tile cleaner. Usually, these products need to sit a while and soak before you wash them off. A toothbrush or other brush works well to clean the grout between the tiles and a bigger brush will help clean off the tiles themselves.

Clean the shower door the same way and clean out the shower door runners with a toothbrush or a paint scraper if needed. Rinse everything after you've done the scrubbing.

Clean the bathtub with a powdered cleanser provided your tub is one that can handle it. Some tubs scratch easily and require the use of specific cleaners.

Using a toothbrush, clean around the top of the tub where it meets the wall and where the black stuff starts to grow. The brush will get out much of the gook, but bleach may be required to get rid of the worst of it. Wait until the end so you don't have to breathe the fumes as long. Replace silicon seal if it pulls away.

Rinse everything using the shower head if possible.

Cleaning the toilet can be done with cleanser and a scrub brush, but toilet cleaners take much of the work out of the job. Follow the directions on the packaging. If you pour a couple of gallons of water into the toilet, it will flush without refilling. Plunge as much of the rest of the water down before pouring cleaners in. Let the cleaner do the work: pour it in and let it sit for 15 minutes or more to let the chemical act on the lime deposits.

Clean out medicine cabinets periodically to avoid the gathering of ancient medicine relics of diseases from yesteryear.

If your shower heads get clogged with lime and mineral deposits, try boiling it in 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed with 1 quart water for about 15 minutes. Don't boil plastic shower heads. Soak them in hot water with the same water-to-vinegar ratio as above.