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Cleaning and Staging the Bathroom

Use this article to clean and stage a bathroom in a Landing home. If the home has more than one bathroom, follow these same steps in each one.

Who this is for: Hosts and Cleaning Companies cleaning and staging a Landing home.

This covers the bathroom: the toilet, the shower and tub, the vanity and sink, the mirror, the storage, and the floor. For the standard your work needs to meet, see Landing Cleaning Standards.

How do I clean the bathroom?

Work from the top down, and clean the floor last.

  1. Clean the shower and tub. Check the drain flows, and use Drano if it is slow. Spray a grime-cutting cleaner and let it sit, then scrub from top to bottom, including the shower head, the grout, the corners, the soap holder, the faucet, the basin, and the drain. Pull out any loose hair. Rinse and dry so there are no footprints, water spots, or hair left.

  2. Clean the toilet, outside to inside. Scrub the bowl with toilet cleaner and a brush until there are no stains, water lines, mold, or marks under the rim. Wipe the top and bottom of the seat, the lid, and the base with disinfectant, and check the back and base for hair. Flush before and after. If the toilet keeps running, submit a maintenance request.

  3. Clean the vanity and sink. Clean the mirror and any glass with glass cleaner so it is streak free. Scrub and dry the accessories, such as the toothbrush holder and soap holder. Clean the sink basin, faucet, and countertop, and dry them so they do not spot. Wipe the fixtures so there are no smudges.

  4. Clean the storage. Vacuum and wipe out the drawers and cabinets, removing all hair and residue.

  5. Clean the walls and baseboards. Use a magic eraser on any scuffs, then wipe with a damp cloth.

  6. Take out the trash and replace the liner.

  7. Clean the floor last. Sweep, then wet mop with a clean mop and warm water so the floor is not sticky. Turn the lights off and shine a flashlight across the floor to catch any spots you missed, then go back over them.

How do I stage the bathroom?

Stage the bathroom to Landing's standard once it is clean.

Bathroom staging standards infographic covering setup essentials, storage locations, and towel staging per fixture. Setup essentials: keep the shower curtain and liner outside the tub pulled to one side with the liner tucked behind; drape the bath mat over the tub, or fold it with the extra towels if there is no tub; place the toilet brush and plunger beside the toilet on the floor or in the utility closet, never in the vanity; always leave the toilet seat down. Storage locations: store towels in the vanity cabinet or bathroom linen closet, or the bedroom closet as a backup, and the hairdryer in the vanity cabinet or a drawer, or the bedroom closet. Towel staging per fixture: a single hand towel evenly draped through the sink-side ring; a single bath towel evenly draped over the over-the-toilet bar; a single bath towel evenly draped over a broad-wall bar; washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels folded and stacked neatly in storage with the end stripes aligned.

Towels

  • Hang a single bath towel, evenly draped, over the towel bar, whether it is over the toilet or on a broad wall.

  • Hang a single hand towel, evenly draped, through the sink-side towel ring. Do not drape the hand towel over or beside the bath towel.

  • Fold and stack any spare washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels neatly, with the end stripes aligned, and store them in the vanity cabinet or the bathroom linen closet. If there is no bathroom storage, use the bedroom closet.

To fold a hand towel: lay it flat on a hard, level surface, fold it in thirds with the stripes facing the outer edges, then fold it in half with the stripes lined up evenly.

To fold a bath towel: lay it flat, fold it in thirds with the stripes facing the outer edges, then fold it in half with the stripes lined up for a ring or bar. If you are storing it, fold it in thirds again by folding the ends under.

Bathroom towel folding infographic. Folding a hand towel: 1 lay a fresh hand towel flat on a hard, level surface; 2 fold it by thirds; 3 the stripes should face the outer edges; 4 fold it in half with the stripes lined up evenly. Folding a bath towel: 1 lay a fresh bath towel flat on a hard, level surface; 2 fold it by thirds with the stripes facing the outer edges; 3 for a towel ring or bar, fold it in half with the stripes lined up evenly; 4 if storing it, fold it in thirds again by folding the ends under. What not to do: do not stack towels sloppily in storage, do not drape a hand towel beside a bath towel, and do not drape a hand towel over a bath towel.

Bath mat

  • Drape the bath mat over the side of the tub. If there is no tub, fold it and place it with the extra towels.

Shower curtain and liner

  • Keep the shower curtain and liner outside the tub, pulled to one side, with the liner tucked behind the curtain so it is not visible.

Toilet

  • Leave the toilet lid and seat down.

  • Place the toilet brush and plunger beside the toilet on the floor, or in the utility closet. Never put them in the vanity.

Under the sink and amenities

  • Put one roll of toilet paper on the holder, and keep the spare rolls and the paper towel holder in the cabinet under the sink.

  • Store the hairdryer in the vanity cabinet or a drawer. If there is no room, use the bedroom closet.

  • Stage the bathroom amenity kit. See Welcome Kit Items for what is included and where it goes.

  • Make sure the trash can has a liner.

Take a photo of the fully cleaned and staged bathroom.

What if something is damaged, missing, or needs maintenance?

Check that the sink and shower drains flow, the faucets run hot and cold with good pressure, and the toilet flushes and does not keep running.

Regular wear and tear is expected, so you do not need to report it.

If you see major damage, or something is missing, create a maintenance ticket so Landing can handle it, choosing the issue type that fits, such as "Missing or Damaged Furniture" or "Missing or Damaged Housewares."

Report any other maintenance issue the same way, such as a leak, a clog, a running toilet, the exhaust fan, the lighting, or a door or lock, choosing the matching issue type. See Making a Maintenance Request for how to submit one.

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