The house has eight bathrooms, from bottom to top: J'Office, 2nd Front, 2nd Back, 3rd Front, 3rd Back, 4th Front, 4th Back, and 5th Floor. The front bathrooms refer to the bathrooms closer to the Commonwealth Avenue side of the house, and the back bathrooms refer to the ones closer to the alleyway. You will be assigned to either clean one bathroom every week, or a pair of bathrooms to clean on a weekly rotation (for example, 3rd Front on one week, and 3rd Back on the next). Generally, you are expected to clean all surfaces to the best of your ability. More specifically you are expected to, in order of priority:

  1. Clean the toilets. (WEEKLY)
  2. Take out the trash. (WEEKLY)
  3. Restock toilet paper. (WEEKLY)
  4. Mop the floors. (WEEKLY)
  5. Clean the sink.  (WEEKLY)
  6. Routinely purge the bathroom of empty/used up toiletries (MONTHLY).
  7. Clean the mirror.  (BI-WEEKLY)
  8. Clean the glass shower divider. (BI-WEEKLY)
  9. Clean the shelves. (BI-WEEKLY)
  10. Clean the shower fixture, toilet paper holder, and other miscellaneous fixtures. (BI-WEEKLY)
  11. Scrub the grout. (MONTHLY)

On some days you will have more energy to do more of these tasks, and some days you won't have as much energy. That is okay. You are not expected to overwork yourself while cleaning a bathroom. You are, however, expected to put in the effort to do some of the lower-priority tasks (6-11) if you have the time. 

ALSO: DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA. THAT IS HOW YOU MAKE MUSTARD GAS.

How to Clean a Toilet

Start by flushing the toilet, of course. Wear gloves. Apply toilet bowl cleaner (Every bathroom should have some; if your bathroom doesn't, then check the poop closet or adjacent bathroom) to the toilet bowl and then use the toilet brush to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl; wait for the toilet bowl cleaner to work. In the meantime wipe down the exterior (This means EVERY side, including under the rim) of the toilet using Clorox wipes/disinfecting wipes, or otherwise spray diluted multi-purpose cleaner (Every bathroom has spray bottles. If you're not sure what's in it, drain it and re-fill. Make sure to use a sharpie to label what's in the spray bottle) on the surface and wipe with a damp cloth. Similarly, wipe off the toilet seat and lid, including the hinge and under the seat and lid. Flush again after 10-15 minutes after application of the toilet bowl cleaner to rinse it off. If you need another reference: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-clean-toilet/

How to Clean the Sink and other Fixtures

For the sink, you are expected to clean the porcelain and the faucet, including the handles. Wipe it down with disinfectant wipes or spray diluted multi-purpose cleaner on and wipe with a damp cloth. The faucet, shower fixtures, and surrounding areas often develop scale buildup that might need more wiping or scrubbing to remove. If you need another reference: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/how-to-clean-bathtub-sink/

How to Mop the Floor

First begin by picking up the hair the collects around the drains in the room. If you have the time, vacuum or sweep before you mop. From here you have two options for mopping the floor:

  • Swiffer: Every bathroom should have a swiffer. If your bathroom doesn't, then check the adjacent bathroom or the basement. Find wet swiffer wipes (again, check the poop closet if your bathroom doesn't have any), and put one on the swiffer. Wipe the floor until the wipe stops removing dirt; load a new wipe and repeat until the floor is clean.
  • Mop: There are a couple of mops around the house, usually around the basement or fifth floor. Load the water compartment with a diluted mixture of floor cleaner (or multi-surface cleaner if you can't find floor cleaner) and water. Dunk the mop in the cleaning mixture and mop the floor until the mop goes dry; repeat until the floor is clean. Let dry.

Reference if you need to clean deeper stains: https://www.marthastewart.com/1532786/best-way-to-clean-and-brighten-grout-and-tiles

How to Scrub the Grout

Apply grout cleaner onto the grout (the stuff between the tiles) and scrub with a brush. If you can't find grout cleaner, use a mixture of vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

How to Clean Mirrors and Glass

We have an extendable window cleaner which you can use to clean the mirrors and shower divider. Otherwise, use a microfiber cloth and a ladder. Spray on some windex (loaded into a spray bottle; again, pour out the old contents, rinse, load with windex, and label the bottle). If you're using the window cleaner, which has a squeegee, use the microfiber side to spread the windex around and wipe the glass, and then use the squeegee to wipe off the water. If you're using a microfiber cloth, use a damp cloth to spread it around, and then use a dry cloth to wipe it dry.

How to Purge Bathrooms

Whenever you do this, message out to Xi-Residents to notify people that you're going to be moving their stuff. It is up to your discretion how you conduct this. Generally, you take out old/empty toiletries and put them in bags outside of the bathroom, and then if they aren't claimed after a set period of time, they get tossed.

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