The Best Ways to Clean Any Shower
A shower may be a place to get yourself clean, but it can also be a place for grime to thrive!
But how can you keep your shower clean?
Cleaning a shower is not just limited to the shower head, you also need to clean your walls, bath - if it’s a shower bath - shower screen or curtain and drain.
Cleaning a shower will help avoid a build-up of mildew and mould as well as blocked drains - resulting in dirt and bacteria forming.
Read on to find just how easy it can be to clean a shower, with homemade and store-bought products…
How to clean a shower quickly
If you’re having a quick shower in the morning before work, you want to know the quickest way to clean it afterwards.
The easiest and fastest way to clean a shower is by rinsing the shower combined with a bathroom multipurpose cleaning spray. Using a bathroom cleaner, spray your walls and bath or shower walls. Then, rinse the surfaces down with water - either from your shower or cups of water - and dry the tiles with a towel.
Remember: always ventilate your bathroom when cleaning a shower, this will allow steam to escape as well as any cleaning fumes.
Always check to remove any hair from your shower or bath’s plug - hair can cause a blocked drain, leading to grime building up.
How to clean black mildew and mould in a shower
Whether you’re removing mould from your bathroom tiles or shower curtain, make sure you are working with as much ventilation as possible.
Read more: How to Remove Bathroom Mould
Removing mildew and mould from tiles
For smooth surfaces, such as your tiles, spray a cleaning solution onto the affected area and wait for it to soak in, creating a visible coating.
Using a cloth or sponge, wipe the mould away, remembering to use a new side of the cloth when the first side becomes too saturated or dirty. You may need to use more than one cloth if you are cleaning a large area. Use a scrubbing brush if necessary.
Removing mildew and mould from sealant
If the mould is on or around your tiles, you should be able to scrub or brush it away. However, if it is in your sealant, you’ll need to replace it.
Use a flat-headed screwdriver to lift the sealant away and apply a new layer. Remember to always clean the tiles sealant regularly. If your cleaning solution is bleach-based, remember that it is a toxic substance that can cause eye, lung and skin irritation. Take great care and have plenty of ventilation to remove fumes.
Removing mildew and black mould from a shower curtain
A shower curtain catches condensation from a shower, so mould can develop at the bottom where liquid collects, or over the rest of the shower curtain if moisture is left to settle.
Remember to regularly clean it in a washing machine or in a large bucket. You can soak the curtain in a mixture of warm water, bleach and washing detergent. A non-toxic option is adding baking soda - bicarbonate of soda - and vinegar into a solution of washing liquid and water.
How to clean a chrome shower head
When you buy a chrome shower head, you want it to shine and sparkle for as long as possible, which means cleaning it properly.
A tell-tale sign that your shower handset is dirty is when the water squirts out in every direction but down. This is because the holes the water flows through have become clogged with limescale. An easy, homemade solution is to clean the shower head with vinegar.
How to clean a shower head with vinegar
- Firstly, remove your shower head from the shower arm and place it in a bucket, bowl or large pan.
- Fill the container with vinegar - warm or cold will work fine - and take the shower head apart as much as possible, such as removing the front.
- If you use warm or hot vinegar, soak the shower head for 30 minutes at a time, otherwise, soak it overnight in cold vinegar.
- You should be left with a clean shower head but give a scrub with a toothbrush or fine brush to be sure that you’ve removed the limescale.
If you can’t remove your shower head, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it securely with a rubber band around the shower head, making sure it is fully immersed. Then, leave it overnight to soak and run the shower to see if the water flows smoothly and downwards.
As vinegar is citric acid, use gloves when placing and removing the shower head from the mixture.
How to clean a shower head with lemon juice
Lemon juice is a natural alternative to chemicals, like vinegar, but takes less time to clean the shower head.
The process of cleaning a shower head with lemon juice is very similar to vinegar, and is as follows:
- Firstly, remove the shower head from the shower installation and place it in a bowl, bucket or pan.
- Fill your container with warm/hot water - enough to submerge the shower head.
- Make a solution of water with lemon juice in the container - preferably from freshly squeezed lemons rather than store-bought juice.
- Place the shower head in the container, leaving it to soak in the mixture for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the shower head and rinse it in water, brushing off any leftover limescale. Your shower head should now be completely clean.
As this is citric acid, use gloves when placing and removing the shower head from the container.
For a quick chrome shower handset cleaner, cut a lemon in half and rub over the fixture as you would with a standard sponge. Then, rinse it clean with water for a sparkling finish.
How to clean a Carrara marble shower
Marble, due to its higher cost, can fill you with dread when it comes to cleaning - it can absorb chemicals found in cleaning products due to its porous qualities.
So, there are various ways of cleaning the surface, either by store-bought or homemade methods. The most straightforward is to buy a marble cleaner from the shops to spray onto the surface and leave it for the stated time. Then, wipe with a cloth or rinse it clear with clean water before drying the marble.
For homemade cleaning solutions, from the very simple and day-to-day activities to tougher stains that can seriously harm the appearance of the marble.
Regular Drying and Cleaning
The easiest way to clean marble is to always wipe down the shower and clean it with a soap solution. After every shower, use a dry towel, squeegee or microfibre towel to completely dry the marble. Chemicals in your soap can damage the stone if not removed, so this is an important but easy step to take.
If you dry your shower like this after each use, you shouldn’t need to clean the shower very often at all. If you don’t you can run the risk of mould forming.
If you can’t find a cleaner for your marble, an alternative is to mix warm water with a small amount of washing up liquid - ideally pH neutral so it doesn’t damage the marble.
Mix it together and put into an empty spray bottle. Apply the solution to the marble and rub it in with a cloth. Rinse it down with the shower, removing any leftover soap, and then completely dry the surface.
Deep Stain Cleaning
This will be needed if you don’t dry the marble walls after each shower or fail to clean the surface regularly. Deep stains can come from dirt or soap scum building up and being absorbed by the stone. For this cleaning process, you need to get mixing. You’ll need baking soda, water and to make the shower off-limits.
In a bowl, make a mixture of three parts water to one part baking - bicarbonate of - soda, forming a paste. Compensate where you need to either with more water or baking soda.
Wearing gloves, apply the paste to the stains on your marble. You can do this by using just the gloves to spread a good-sized portion to cover each stain. You’re looking for discolouration or light mould missed by standard cleaning.
Once you’ve spread the mixture, cover it up with cling film - taping it in place - so it doesn’t move or come away. Only tape the corners so the stone can breathe.
Leaving the mixture to sit on the stain for 24 hours, rinse it away the following day and wipe the walls down. Dry it completely and then you’re all done. If the stain is still there, but not as dark or obvious, repeat the process.
How to clean a glass shower door
As the modern, contemporary alternative to the shower curtain, shower doors and screens require just as much care but are easier to clean.
Always rinse your shower down after each use to remove soap scum, hair or debris and then clean it monthly with an all-purpose bathroom cleaner.
An alternative to a store-bought cleaner is to use a vinegar-based cleaning solution that you can make at home.
How to clean glass shower doors with vinegar
- Mix white vinegar together with baking soda to make a solution.
- Wearing gloves, coat the shower enclosure door with the solution and leave it for an hour.
- With a cloth or sponge, wipe the cleaning solution away - removing the cleaner and any grime on the door.
- Rinse the door with clean water until all of the cleaning solution has been removed.
- Dry the door with a cloth or microfibre towel to avoid any streaks.
If you follow these steps, you should make sure your shower enclosure stays clean and functions smoothly for years to come.
If you're looking for further cleaning inspiration, take a look at the following posts - Four natural cleaning methods for a sparkling bathroom - Kitchen Cleaning Tips - How to Clean Bathroom Tiles.
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