Imagine you’re in an infomercial. As you desperately try scrubbing the hard, stuck-on stains out of your shower and bathtub, you wipe the sweat from your brow and breathe a sigh of exhaustion. Hearing your cries of distress, a magical cleaning fairy appears to save you from the dreaded task and removes all your shower-cleaning woes.
While this daydream sequence sounds pretty great, there is a slim chance that this fantasy will actually come true in real life. That’s why we reached out to our cleaning experts for their advice on how to make the shower and bathtub cleaning process easier. By using the proper supplies, solutions, and techniques listed below, we guarantee you’ll expend less elbow grease and your shower will be left sparkling clean.
Supplies needed:
-
- Rubber Gloves
- Sponge
- White vinegar
- Water
- Small bucket
- All purpose cleaner
- Mild abrasive cleaner
- Scrub brush
- Baking soda
- Clean cloth
- Old toothbrush
- Toothpick
- Optional: Liquid chlorine bleach
- Optional: Non-abrasive cleaner (for fiberglass or acrylic tubs)
Steps:
- Ventilate the room: open windows or doors and turn on fans
- Remove any items in the shower.
- Put on gloves.
- Wipe down doors with a vinegar-soaked sponge.
- Splash walls with water to pre-rinse.
- Remove any excess hair from the drain.
- Scrub the shower tiles with an all purpose cleaner and a sponge.
- For hardcore mold-ridden areas, mix ¼ cup of liquid chlorine bleach in a bucket, scrub the affected area and rinse.
- For porcelain or enamel tubs, apply a mild abrasive cleaner and let stand according to product instructions. Use a scrub brush to scrub and then rinse.
- For a fiberglass or acrylic tub, follow the same instructions, but substitute the chemical for a non-abrasive cleaner. Remember to rub gently as to not scratch the tub.
- For stubborn stains or rings on porcelain or enamel tubs, apply baking soda to a damp sponge. Scrub the stubborn area until the stain goes away.
- Wipe all of the surfaces of the shower dry with a clean cloth.
- Clean the fixtures with an all purpose cleaner and a sponge.
- Repair any caulking that might have deteriorated over time.
- If you are able to remove the drain cap, reach down and remove any clogged hairs.
- If you are able remove the shower, soak it in a bucket of vinegar overnight to remove build-up inside the head. Scrub it with an old toothbrush and then clean the small holes with a toothpick.
- Reattach the shower head and a run hot water through it for a minute to clear out.
- Jump in and enjoy your fresh clean shower.