We LOVE reading comments on Expert Home Tips - it's great to hear from our visitors! Recently one of our posters said that they hate cleaning the shower and any tips were welcome. Elizabeth, this post is for you!
Today we're sharing our top tips to get your shower clean in no time at all, and with minimal effort!
Let's get into it...
1. Rinse first
First things first, get rid of all that excess grime and hair by giving your tiles a quick rinse. This is easy if you have a detachable showerhead but, if not, use a bucket full of clean water. Start from the top so all the loose dirt and scum washes away.
2. Wash the shower curtain
Chuck your plastic curtain in a washing machine with a few old towels. The towels will help to scrub away any build-up of mildew and grime. Never put your shower curtain in the tumble dryer as this may damage it. Instead, hang your curtain to air-dry.
3. Clean it naturally
If you prefer natural cleaning, go get yourself a grapefruit! Together with a quarter cup of salt, you can give the shower a good clean.
Cut the fruit in half and sprinkle the salt generously onto the flesh. Use the half to scrub away at any grime. It'll be sparkling in no time!
4. Make your shower doors shine
From limescale to smearing, shower doors are a nightmare to clean! Grab a can of trusty WD-40 and spray it on your shower door. Leave it for 20 minutes then wipe it off with a paper towel to achieve a crystal clear shine. It's a good idea to replace the sealant on your shower if it's more than 5-10 years old, or showing signs of wear.
5. Help prevent mildew
Leave your freshly cleaned shower curtain to soak in a bowl of water and salt. This will help prevent mildew from growing. You can do this to new shower curtains too. Every little helps!
6. Dishwashing sponge
You may have seen these little beauties in kitchens, but they can be used in the shower too. You can pour a cleaning mixture inside and leave it hanging in the shower. The brush will make light work of cleaning!
TOP TIP: Use it at the end of your shower to keep the tiles in clean.
7. Showerhead in a sandwich bag
If your shower head is stubborn, grab a sandwich bag and fill it with 2 teaspoons of baking soda, along with half a cup of vinegar. Attach it to your showerhead with an elastic band and turn on the water to fill it up a little. Leave it to rest all night and then the shower scum will fall off easily!
8. Get a plug guard
If your hair gets everywhere then get yourself a plug guard. It sits over your shower or bath plughole and catches all those bits that might clog your drain. You'll be surprised how much it catches and it means you won't have to unblock the drain at a later date.
If it's too late, read our guide on how to remove hair from drains.
9. Install a second curtain rail
Put up a second rod underneath your curtain rail and hang up little baskets for all your shampoo and shower gel to sit in. This will help you keep your shower cleaner in future as all your surface areas will be empty. All your bits and bobs will be nicely organised and out of sight!
10. Get a squeegee
You can buy yourself a squeegee from a local DIY store or Amazon. They're not just for windows and car windshields, you can use them to remove all that excess water from your shower door. The glass will be clear and free of smudges!
11. Vinegar
As well as using it to clean your shower head, mix up one part water with one part vinegar, one part water and keep it in a spray bottle in your shower. Use it to remove soap scum from your shower walls.
12. Shake it off
If you have a shower curtain then give it a good shake after you've finished showering to get rid of excess water. It should dry pretty quickly and keep that mould at bay.
13. Teach your family
If you share a house with others then make sure they know how to clean the shower too. At the very least, get family members to rinse the shower walls down. The more everyone else does, the less effort it will take to clean!
14. Make chrome fittings shine
Use a lemon to help make your fittings sparkle! Cut it in half and rub it over, as if you were using a sponge. To finish, rinse with some cold water.
15. Steam
Use the power of steam to loosen all the dirt and grime from inside the shower before you begin cleaning it. You can either clean while you're in the shower, or just after you've finished. Did you know, you can also hang up wrinkled shirts and the steam will help to smooth them out?
16. Trim your curtain liner
Use a pair of pinking shears to cut the bottom edge of your shower curtain liner. This will reduce the chances of mould and encourage water to drip off. What a great tip!
17. Microfibre cloth
Dry off your shower walls and tub with a trusty microfibre cloth. If it's dry, you won't get any watermarks that you'll have to clean at a later date. This won't take you long to do and you'll be pleased with the results.
18. Switch the fans on
You don't want to have to clean up mould and mildew from your shower. Help prevent this future task by turning on the fan while you are showering or if you don't like that, leave it on for up to 15 minutes afterwards to help dry the room out.
Looking for more bathroom tips? Read about the weird and wonderful shower onions.
If you've got any tips you'd like to share, please comment below
One of the first things I do when moving to a new home check if it has hard or soft water. If in a hard water area put in a water softener, it will save you hours of scrubbing, and reduces how much shampoo/washing powder that you need to use.
That's a brilliant tip, thank you Christine. I live in a hard water area, I will have a look for water softener later!
Great ideas but good luck with trying to get your family involved!
Lizzie - that's a whole other kettle of fish isn't it!
great tips - I'll try the WD40 one later!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the post Esme!
Amazing tips , it works wonder. Thanks all that the information.
Thank you Jennifer, hope you enjoyed the post. Don't forget to share it with your friends!
Sorry a tad disappointed. Was hoping to read a tip or two on how to clean grubby glass surrounds of a shower.
Hi Marianne! Thanks for your feedback. We'll definitely look at adding that in a future update.
It is very helpful post. Follow the instruction and clean the bathroom. Thank you for the post.
You're welcome, Amelia!
Bathroom cleaning tips and technique is marvelous and effective. This is very useful technique. Thank you fort he post.
You're welcome, Amelia!