Bathroom cleaning can seem to be an endless task. While wiping down the sinks and toilet may only take a few minutes, cleaning the shower can be a much more difficult chore. It’s important to know where to start and how to keep your shower clean in the most efficient way
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1. Wipe Down your Shower After Every Use
Deep cleaning a shower can be a lot of hard work. Grime, mold, and mildew build up in a bathroom faster than in any other room in a house, so it’s important to stay on top of bathroom cleaning. Wiping down your shower after every use goes a long way towards keeping your shower clean. It only takes a few minutes, but it will save you a lot of time later.
2. Invest in a Squeegee
A squeegee is a must-have tool for anyone with a glass shower door. It helps to leave a streak-free shine, and means that you can quickly clear away condensation after a shower. It’s also ideal for using on windows and mirrors.
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3. Soaking Clogged Shower Heads
Grime and limescale can quickly build up on shower heads. Aside from looking unpleasant, this can also clog the shower head. You can deal with this by removing the shower head (be careful, and make sure you can reassemble it!) and leaving it to soak in a bowl of white vinegar and baking soda for one hour. When you reattach the shower head, be sure to let the shower run for a few minutes to rinse away any residue.
If you don’t want to remove your shower head, you can fill a plastic bag with the same mixture and carefully attach the bag to the shower head. Make sure the limescale area is submerged. Leave it for an hour, then remove the bag.
You can stay on top of limescale by dipping a toothbrush or cloth in vinegar and scrubbing the shower head. Rinse well.
4. Using Vinegar as a Daily Shower Spray
You can make a simple DIY shower spray by combining a cup of vinegar, two cups of warm water, and a squirt of dish soap. Feel free to add a few drops of essential oil in the scent of your choice. The beauty of this spray is that you can use it every day, and you won’t need to worry too much about toxic chemicals coming into contact with children’s bath toys. After you’ve spritzed your shower with the spray, use a sponge or clean, damp cloth to wipe down the shower. Finish with a dry cloth, towel, or squeegee.
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5. Washing Mildewed Shower Curtains
Mildew and soap scum can build up quickly on shower curtains. Some shower curtains can be machine washed, in which case it’s a good idea to add in some towels too. If you need to hand wash your shower curtain, you can do this with warm water, baking soda, and a microfiber cloth.
It’s important to read the label before you wash your shower curtain. If in doubt, spot test any products you intend to use.
6. Avoid Messy Soap Dishes
Dried-on soap scum can be difficult to remove. It’s best to rinse out your soap dish every time you use the shower. Or, to avoid having to clean a soap dish at all, place the bar of soap in a mesh bag and attach it to the shower head. This means water won’t collect around the soap and pool in a dish, and saves you some valuable time.
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7. Vinegar and Baking Soda to Unclog Drains
To keep your shower drain hair-free and smelling fresh, pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow it with half a cup of white vinegar. This will cause an audible bubbling and fizzling, and should melt away any hair or accumulated gunk.
However, if you’re dealing with severely clogged drains, you might need to consider using a commercial drain cleaner or some other method.
8. Cleaning Nooks and Crannies
You can get into the corners of your shower by using a bleach pen, cotton swab, or an old toothbrush. This is especially useful for cleaning the grout between shower tiles, and the bottom corners of your shower. These areas can quickly become moldy, and may get missed during a daily spray-and-wipe routine.
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9. Airing Out the Bathroom
Many bathrooms include extractor fans, to remove any humidity after a shower. This is important because letting water mists hang around in the shower will cause mold and mildew to build up more quickly.
If you don’t have a working extractor fan, simply open the bathroom window during or after your shower, and quickly dry down the shower with a cloth or towel.
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10. Using Vinegar Sprays on Glass
You can use your DIY cleaning spray of vinegar, water, and dish soap to clean glass shower doors, mirrors, and windows. Vinegar is known for giving a streak-free finish to glass surfaces, and this also means your after-shower clean doesn’t need to take too long. Use a squeegee to dry, and for an extra shiny finish, use a soft, clean cloth to buff up glass surfaces afterward.