Toilets, basin, mirrors and windows: the finishing touches that show

Toilets and mirrors are the two surfaces a guest checks without thinking, within the first five minutes. A streaky mirror in side light, a mark under the toilet seat, and the impression of cleanliness is gone, even if everything else is spotless. These finishing touches take little time but need the right technique, because the wrong one leaves a mark worse than nothing.

What to do, and when

Toilets: in the order that avoids cross-contamination

A toilet is cleaned from the cleanest to the dirtiest, never the other way round, and with kit that is never used elsewhere. This is the one place in the property where colour-coded cloths are not a nicety but a necessity.

1. Squirt the gel into the bowlAnd under the rim as soon as you enter. It works while you do the rest.
2. Clean the cistern, flush button, then the top of the seat.
3. The underside of the seatThen the seat ring, then the outer rim of the bowl.
4. The base of the pan and the floor around itThe most neglected and smelliest area.
5. Finally brush the bowlAnd flush.

Two details that set apart a truly clean toilet:

• The seat hinges, where a yellowish deposit builds up, visible as soon as you lift the seat. A toothbrush and vinegar will shift it, and many seats unclip for a proper clean.
• The waterline ring in the bowl. This is not dirt but stained limescale. Lower the water level by pushing it down with the brush, then apply hot white vinegar or a descaling gel and leave for an hour.

The toilet block should be changed every two weeks, by the date not the look: an exhausted block still looks like a block. Write the date on the back of the cistern rather than relying on memory.

The basin and its overflow

The basin is quick to clean, but two areas are almost always missed:

• The overflow, that little opening under the rim. It contains a cavity that never dries out, and is a classic source of odour in an otherwise spotless bathroom. Pour in some bicarbonate of soda followed by white vinegar once a month, then rinse with hot water. On many models, the collar unscrews for a proper clean.
• The underside of the rim, where splashed toothpaste dries in white spots that no one sees from the front but everyone feels by touch.

For resin or composite stone basins, never use abrasives or acids: micro-scratches dull the surface and limescale then sticks.

Mirrors: not a single streak

Streaks on a mirror almost always come from too much product, not too little.

The reliable method:

1. A barely damp microfibre cloth with plain waterOr water with a drop of vinegar.
2. Wipe in an S shape, top to bottomNever going back over.
3. Immediately buff with a second perfectly dry microfibreBefore the surface can air-dry.

It is the two cloths that make the result, not the product. A glass cleaner sprayed generously and wiped once will always leave a visible film as soon as the light hits from the side.

Always check the result from the side, never head-on: streaks only show in side light, exactly as the guest will see them on arrival.

Don't forget the bottom edge and corners of the mirror, where toothpaste splashes build up and where the cloth often stops three centimetres too soon.

Windows: once a month

Windows are done monthly, not at every clean: it's a long job and only lasts if the conditions are right.

Three rules that decide the result:

• Never in direct sun. The product dries before you can wipe and leaves a film that can't be fixed. Do it in the morning or on a cloudy day.
• Two directions: horizontal inside, vertical outside. If a streak appears, you know instantly which side it's on.
• Use a squeegee at an angle, wiping it after each pass, rather than a cloth that just moves the dirt around.

Don't forget the tracks and handles: that's where your attention shows, and on a patio door, a track full of sand jams the sliding mechanism, which is a real nuisance for guests.

Carpets and wall textiles, also monthly, are covered in Cleaning floors in a holiday let: order, tools, dosage.