The shower is meant for getting clean, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a scrub sometimes, too! It’s not only shampoo and soap that accumulate in the shower, but also hair, grease and other dirt. We’ll show you how to clean the shower easily—and which products are best suited for this purpose.
Most showers are made of plastic, tile, ceramic or glass—or a combination of all of these. In addition, there are the faucet, shower head and valves—in other words, a whole host of different materials. Each material has different demands for cleaning. What they all have in common is that shampoo residue, as well as limescale and dirt, will cloud up the surfaces (we’ve got some tips for removing limescale, too!). Cleaning is, unfortunately, inevitable. The good news is that there are universal cleaning agents for cleaning the shower that can be used on most bathroom surfaces without a problem. Regardless of whether you want to clean a glass or tile shower, all-purpose cleaners like Soft Scrub® Cleanser with Bleach are effective against limescale and typical shower dirt. How efficient!
Most cleaners are available in a practical spray bottle. Spray the cleaning product generously on all surfaces and the shower faucet, shower head and valve or valves, and let it soak in for a while if necessary. Then rub thoroughly with a sponge. The more sensitive surfaces such as the fittings should be done with a softer cloth. Use the shower head to rinse all surfaces generously once—this also removes loose dirt from the shower. If you want to clean a glass shower door, use a squeegee with a rubber lip to remove water droplets from the surface. Hot tip! You can use the squeegee for tiles as well. You can add the finishing touches to your clean shower enclosure by wiping it down with a lint-free cloth and polishing the fittings again. Always follow product use instructions for how to clean and for what type of sponge or cloth to use.
When thinking about how to clean a shower, you might have to consider mold stains, too. Wherever moisture lingers, mold stains won’t be far away—this is, unfortunately, especially true in humid environments such as bathrooms. Special cleaners are available to remove mold stains when cleaning the shower, and If you’re really unlucky, you may have to regrout your shower, but try giving it a good clean first!
Cleaning the grout in your shower is definitely not a favorite task. But if you clean your shower regularly, you won’t have to pay special attention to the grout every time. Every now and then, however, the grout will need a scrub. You can use a bathroom cleaner and an old toothbrush to clean individual grout lines. Be careful when doing this, however, as the material can easily become porous and tear away. If this is the case, it is best to reseal the joints as soon as possible—this will prevent water from running between (and behind) the tiles or the shower pan.
Long hair can get stuck in drains and be really hard to unclog. It is best to always remove the hair directly after showering and/or use a filter above the drain. If you notice that the pipe is clogged when cleaning the shower, you can also use special cleaning agents that unclog the blockage. If that doesn’t do the trick, a plunger may help. If nothing works, calling a professional can sometimes be necessary. Let’s just say we’re not envious of Rapunzel’s plumber!
Cleaning the bathroom is seldom someone’s favorite task—although maybe it trumps having to clean the toilet. Make it easy for yourself by taking preventive measures during and after showering. If you have a glass door, use a squeegee after every shower and dry the fittings and faucet thoroughly. This prevents water from standing and limescale, or even mold stains, from forming.