There is nothing as inviting as a hot, steamy shower to start or end a long day until you step inside and realize that your shower is a disgusting mess. While your shower is where you go to get clean, unfortunately, it can end being a flourishing sanctuary for mold, mildew, and grime.
Getting your shower clean can be a challenging undertaking when you’re dealing with soap scum, mildew, hard water stains, and hard-to-clean grout.
Fortunately, with the right cleaning products, a little elbow grease, and this handy guide, you can learn how to clean a shower and keep it looking great between cleanings. Grab your shower cleaning tools, and get ready to do some serious cleaning.
Cleaning a Shower
Cleaning the shower and keeping it clean takes a little bit of planning and some self-discipline to stay ahead of the dirt, grime, and mineral deposits that can be left by hard water. Adding this task to your house cleaning checklist ensures that you take care of the shower regularly.
Cleaning the shower can be a big job, but it is well worth the effort to have a fresh, clean shower. No matter how filthy your shower is, there is an easy strategy for cleaning each part. Here are the best cleaning tips to clean a fiberglass shower and getting your shower sparkling clean so it’s ready for the next person to step in.
Don’t forget to clean a shower rug, if you have one, while you are taking care of the shower. When the area is clean, you’ll have a nice, sparkling bathroom both you and your guests will enjoy using.
Unclog the Drain
It is an unfortunate part of life that virtually everyone has experienced a shower drain clogged while taking that wake-up shower first thing in the morning. It usually happens when you’re in a hurry, too. The solution is simple but will take just a few minutes and a coat hanger.
The first step to unclog the drain is to remove hair from the shower drain. Accumulation of hair can lead to other types of clogs, too, and cause family and friends to say that the shower drain stinks. Take a wire hanger apart or use a long thin item like a knitting needle.
Grab a garbage can or trash bag to hold the hair once you remove it from the drain. To unclog the drain, unscrew the cap, if your shower has one, or reach in the pipe with the coat hanger. Push the hanger down far enough to pass any matted hair that is gathered in the drain.
Gently pull the wire hook out to remove the hair. Continue this process until you’ve removed all the hair. Do this process every week to keep your shower drain clear and odor-free.
Clean the Drain
Once you’ve removed all the hair, use a drain cleaner to kill any bacteria that might be lurking in the drain. Use a commercial drain cleaner, or you can make a DIY drain cleaner from baking soda and vinegar.
Pour ½ cup baking soda into the drain, followed by ½ a cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain and wait five minutes. Next, pour six cups of boiling water down the drain.
The bubbling action of the vinegar and baking soda breaks down the soap scum build-up and eliminates germs. You should use a drain cleaner monthly to prevent major clogs.
With proper cleaning and maintenance, your drains will continue to work well. You can also use this mixture of ingredients to clean your toilet bowl and get rid of hard water stains and germs.
Clean the Shower Walls
Before you can thoroughly clean your shower walls with a natural shower cleaner, you need to empty the area. Remove all the bottles, razors, loofahs, soaps, and other items that you have sitting in the shower.
With a clean, dry towel, wipe the plastic items to remove excess water and mildew. If you have empty bottles or things that you no longer use, throw them away because it is much harder to keep your shower clean if it’s cluttered.
Rinse your shower walls with hot water to get hair, dirt, and other particles off the walls and out of your way. Use a bucket or cup and splash the walls with clean water to quickly rinse them before you use a natural shower tile cleaner.
You should rinse your walls once a week, whether you are cleaning a marble tile shower or have porcelain tiles, between deep cleanings to help maintain its cleanliness. After you’ve rinsed the shower walls, it’s time to start your deep clean. Once a month, deep clean your shower and tub.
The best way to clean shower tiles is by dividing each wall into three or four sections. By cleaning your shower in several parts, it prevents the shower cleaning solution from drying before you have a chance to scrub it onto the surface. Again, you can use a commercial shower cleaner, or you can make the best shower cleaner yourself if you want to avoid using harsh chemicals.
In a microwave-safe dish, heat the white vinegar until it is hot, then pour it into a spray bottle. Add the Dawn dish soap to the container. Place the top back on and gently shake to combine.
To remove hard water stains in the shower, liberally spray the cleaning solution on your shower walls and let it sit for 30 minutes. If needed, use a scrub brush on the walls and rinse with warm water.
The white vinegar in the cleaner will dissolve soap scum, eliminate odors, and remove stains and act as an antibacterial agent, while the dish soap will cut through grease and stubborn grime. This is the best way to clean shower tiles, and you can also use this recipe for cleaning vinyl shower walls.
Clean the Grout
When you clean tiles in the bathroom, you can’t avoid cleaning the grout, too, particularly if you have moldy places that have appeared. Shower grout mold must be addressed quickly, not only to eliminate it and sanitize the area but to keep it from returning.
If you have grout to clean, try one of the grout cleaning recipes that you can make from everyday household ingredients. The following grout cleaning solutions recipe will take you no more than ten minutes to make and will make your grout cleaner than any of the cleaners you can buy in the store.
The best part of this natural recipe is that it is non-toxic, making it safe for your family as well as the environment.
Pour the baking soda into a small spray bottle or squeeze-top container. Add the hydrogen peroxide and liquid dish soap. Replace the bottle’s top and shake to combine the ingredients.
Apply the mixture to the grout and let sit for at least five minutes. Use the toothbrush to scrub the cleaning solution into the grout, then use a paper towel or sponge to wipe clean.
Rinse the grout lines with water to remove any residual cleaner. Not only will this cleaner remove the dirt and grime, but it will also kill any mildew and mold that may be lurking on the grout.
Clean the Shower Floor
When dirt and grime cling to the tiny cracks and crevices of your shower floor, it looks dingy and dirty, even if you clean it regularly. Using a retail cleaning solution will only clean the surface and tends to leave a residue that can cause soap scum and dirt to build up, making the floor look even dirtier.
Here’s how to clean the shower floor with a homemade cleaning solution using natural ingredients that will get rid of even the worst dirt and grime. It is also the best way to clean bathtub, too!
Pour the white vinegar into a medium-sized bowl. Slowly add the baking soda to the vinegar and stir to form a thick paste. If you need to add more baking soda, start by adding one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick paste.
Pour the paste onto the floor of the shower and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. With an old toothbrush, gently rub the cleaning solution into the floor. Continue to scrub until you’ve removed all the build-up. Rinse the floor clean with warm water.
Clean the Fixtures
If you have hard water, you might start to notice unsightly water spots covering your fixtures. To clean your faucets, mix equal parts hot water and white vinegar.
Dip a clean towel into the cleaning mixture and work the fabric in a circular motion over your shower fixtures to remove hard water spots and soap scum. Use a clean, dry rag to wipe excess moisture from the fixtures to avoid leaving streaks.
Clean and Unclog the Shower Head
If your shower head isn’t functioning correctly, it could mean the shower nozzles are clogged with mineral build up. Luckily you can unclog shower heads and get them sparkling clean with nothing more than some white distilled vinegar, a plastic bag, and a rubber band.
You can use this cleaning method once a month to keep your water flowing and to prevent mildew. Pour the white vinegar into a gallon-sized plastic storage bag.
The amount of vinegar that you use depends on how big your shower head is, but you want to pour in enough vinegar to completely cover the spray nozzles. If you can remove your showerhead, place it into the bag so that it is fully submerged in the vinegar.
Secure the rubber band around the end of the bag to keep it sealed. Let the shower head soak overnight, then remove it and replace it in the shower. Run clean water through the showerhead to make sure that it is spraying at full capacity.
If you aren’t able to remove your showerhead, you can still use this method to unclog the nozzles. After you’ve filled the plastic bag with vinegar, place the bag over the showerhead, and secure it with the rubber band. Leave the bag on overnight, then remove and turn the shower on to make sure that it is functioning at full capacity again.
Clean the Shower Door
Having glass shower doors makes your bathroom look sleek and sophisticated. However, a build-up of soap scum quickly makes it look run down and dirty.
Unfortunately, a glass cleaner or commercial bathroom cleaner won’t be able to tackle this mess because they aren’t able to cut through the caked on minerals and soap scum. Luckily, this easy-to-make bathroom cleaner will do the job in half the time, and it won’t cost you a fortune.
Rinse off the shower door with clean water to remove any debris. Mix equal parts warm vinegar and Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the cleaning mixture on the shower door and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes.
Take a sponge or Magic Eraser and scrub the door. After you’ve finished scrubbing away the soap scum and grime, rinse with warm water.
Use a clean microfiber cloth and dry the shower doors to remove any remaining residue. Be sure to use this recipe to clean aluminum shower door frames. With just a few ingredients and a little work, your glass shower doors can look as good as new.
Wash Your Shower Curtain and Liner
If you don’t have glass shower doors, make sure to wash your shower curtain and liner. Carefully remove the shower curtain and liner and place them in the washing machine, after separating and spreading them out to ensure they both get clean.
Loosely place them in the tub of the machine, or drape them around the agitator. To ensure that you remove any stains from the curtain and liner, add a few old towels to the wash. Add your regular laundry detergent and wash according to the recommended wash settings.
Remove the items from the washer and hang dry, or tumble dry on the lowest setting. Shower curtains and liners can quickly shrink so, dry them in 15-minute increments to avoid over-drying and shrinking.
How to Keep Shower Clean
Now that you’ve deep-cleaned your shower, you probably want to make sure it stays clean. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a ton of time to keep your shower sparkly clean in between monthly in-depth cleanings.
Use a daily shower cleaning spray after every shower to help keep soap scum, lime scale, dirt, and grime at bay. This homemade daily shower spray will do a better job at keeping your shower clean than products you buy at the store, and it won’t cost you nearly as much.
Pour the hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, and rinse aid into the spray bottle. Slowly add the water to the container. Replace the top of the spray bottle, then gently shake to mix the ingredients.
To use, spray the walls of the shower enclosures after every shower, including the shower doors. That’s it; there is no need to rinse or wipe off. This is the best way to clean shower stalls and keep them clean between your monthly scrub down.
Your shower is designed to get you clean but is often the last thing most people want to spend their weekends cleaning. Unfortunately, this results in the build-up of soap scum, hard water stains, hard-to-clean grout, and mold and mildew. This comprehensive guide on how to clean a shower and how to keep shower clean will help you tackle the dirt and stay ahead of the grime.
We hope you liked reading about how to clean a shower. If you found these shower cleaning tips useful, please feel free to share this ultimate shower cleaning guide with your family and friends.