How To Clean Shower

If you don’t know how to clean a shower, you’re in good company. Many guys simply ignore this dreaded chore, and they have the bathrooms to prove it! Contrary to popular belief, cleaning a shower isn’t very difficult, or even very time consuming, if you do it regularly – or at least semi-regularly. You can even pick up new products on the market that will do most of the dirty work for you, leaving your shower in a sparkly-clean condition you’ll be proud to show off to your next overnight guest.

To clean your shower, you’ll need:

• A sponge
• A non scratching pad
• Soap scum remover
• Mildew remover (optional)
• A mild detergent
• White vinegar (about a cup)
• Water
• Daily shower spray or sprayer unit (optional)
• A washing machine (for a cloth shower curtain)

1. When you clean your shower, start at the top. Dirt, scum, and cleansers will all drip downward onto surfaces that are yet to be cleaned, and you won’t undo any of your hard work. Open the bathroom door and windows to ensure good ventilation while you’re cleaning.
2. Start by cleaning your shower curtain. If it’s cloth, remove it and clean in the washing machine using bleach and detergent on the gentle cycle with hot water. After the machine completes the spin cycle, remove the curtain and rehang it to drip dry. Any wrinkles will disappear next time you take a steamy shower. If you use a plastic curtain liner, replace it if necessary. Clean a plastic shower curtain by spraying it with soap scum remover. Allow the cleaner to work as directed, and wipe the surface with a hot, wet sponge. If you see mildew, repeat this process using a mildew-removing spray.  
3. Inspect your showerhead every few months to prevent hard water or rust deposits from causing clogs. Remove the showerhead and check the filter for deposits, then soak it in vinegar and hot water for 30 minutes and rinse it thoroughly. If your showerhead cannot be removed, spray it with a solution of vinegar and water instead. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then run hot water through the showerhead for a minute or two.
4. Remove anything that hangs in your shower – like a shelf or supply caddy. Spray it with soap scum remover, and wipe it with a sponge. If you have a built in soap dish or any kind of ledge, spray it with soap scum remover and scrub it thoroughly.
5. Check the walls of your shower for soap scum. Soap scum is white film that’s left in your shower thanks mostly to the talc in bar soap. It’s difficult to remove and can’t be simply wiped away, so spray the walls of your shower with a specially formulated cleaner, and allow it work as directed. Then, clean your shower walls with a hot sponge, and rinse them using your showerhead. To reduce the build up of soap scum, consider switching to a body wash or liquid soap.
6. Clean your shower of any mildew stains. Mildew is a living organism that shows up as black spots around the grout of your tiles. To kill it, spray your shower walls with a chlorine-based or hydrogen peroxide-based solution, and allow it to penetrate the mildew. You won’t need to scrub, but you may need to respray several times. To prevent the growth of mildew, use your bathroom fan when showering, and open the windows and doors after a steamy shower to let fresh air circulate.
7. Scrub your tub. Bathtubs are made of fiberglass, so use a mild detergent and a non-scratching pad to gently scrub away any dirt or scum. Remove bathtub rings by gently scrubbing with vinegar or baking soda. Rinse the tub thoroughly, and ta-da! You now have a clean shower.
8. To avoid cleaning your shower so often, use a daily shower cleaning spray or unit. These products are available in a spray bottle or as a push-button activated spraying unit. If you use them every day, they prevent soap scum and dirt from building up, so you’ll need to clean your shower less frequently.