I asked my cleaner why she never mops the bathroom floor, and her answer has permanently changed the way I clean

I briefly had a cleaner for a few months last year. Yes, it's as life-changing as everyone says it is. But also life-changing is the advice they give you whilst cleaning your space from top to bottom. My lovely cleaner, Alex, let me in on a secret tip for cleaning bathroom floors, the proper way.

First, let's rewind — my cleaner used to clean all 3 of my bathrooms, as well as the entire upstairs of my house. The rest, I'd do myself. We had her come when I was integrating, going back to working after maternity leave, and she was a total lifesaver. I noticed that one of the times she came, she never took the mop upstairs. I politely asked her if she could clean the bathroom floors up there, and she let me in on a secret bathroom cleaning hack: you should never mop your bathroom floors.

Unbeknownst to me, who had been cleaning them with a spray mop for years, she enlightened me on how a bathroom floor needs a better clean than what a mop can offer, even a flat mop can't get in deep enough. The type of cleaning that can only be achieved by hand. So, after cleaning everywhere else in the bathroom, she sprays the floors and uses a clean cloth to wipe them over, corners and all.

I've not mopped my bathroom floors since.

A deep clean for your floors

This life-changing advice means I'm never grossed out by my mop heads, since they're only used for cleaning my living room and kitchen floors. As a rule, I have special color-coded cleaning towels that I solely use for my bathrooms, to avoid crossing them between my kitchen and bathroom.

This also makes it easy to clean your bathroom baseboards while you're cleaning the floors. And you can wipe down the seal of your toilet while you're there, too.

I also have help from my iRobot vacuum mop when it comes to cleaning my floors. I never let this in my bathroom downstairs because of bacteria, and it doesn't ever go upstairs. The same goes for my wet vacuum; I use the Bissell Crosswave for my entryway, living room, and kitchen floors. Again, never for my bathrooms.

More bathroom cleaning hacks

• Turn your shower on, and let the steam help you clean with this bathroom cleaning hack that will save you time scrubbing.
• Clean your bathtub with the right stuff — this is what to avoid, including bleach, to keep your tub at its best.
• Use your toothbrush to clean the nooks and crannies in your bathroom — and check out these other 4 bathroom cleaning hacks.
• Shine your taps with candle wax for an incredible finish. I tried it myself and couldn't believe the results.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to remove sweat stains from clothing — with one natural ingredient
• The best washing machines
• 5 easy hacks to remove coffee stains fast