Not many people are happy whenever cleaning day comes around. This is especially true when dealing with the bathroom. There are tight spaces, nooks and crannies, and a wide variety of different surface materials. This means you may need more than one cleaning solution to clean your bathroom or your shower. Keeping up with a regular cleaning schedule will make your regular cleanings quicker and easier. Here are a few cleaning and maintenance tips for your shower:
Tip: If you’re leasing a home, ask the landlord what the surface materials are in your rental unit.
Prep work
Before you do anything, remove everything from your shower. This includes all your soap, shampoo, conditioner, loofas, and anything else that isn’t permanently fixed to the wall. Be sure to remove any baskets since that is often where you’ll have the most build-up. Open all the doors, window and turn on your fan to make sure the bathroom is well ventilated
Unclog the drain
There are plenty of products available that make this easy to do on your own. You can find them at your local hardware store or grocery store. If for some reason you can’t find anything nearby or you’re not in the mood to go to the store, you can straighten out a wire coathanger and that will do the trick.
You can also use chemicals to unclog your drain, but before you do that you’ll need to make sure it is safe to use with your plumbing. There are also some less harsh chemicals you can use that won’t risk causing any damage to your plumbing.
Rinse
Cover the tub and the walls with a cleaner from the store, or a homemade cleaning solution. Before using it, you’ll want to test it on a small portion of the shower to make sure it won’t do any damage to the surface. Let the cleaner sit on the walls and the tub for about 10-15 minutes to make sure it has a chance to break down all the soap scum and bacteria. If you don’t have any cleaner, you can make some with a simple solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar. After about 10 minutes, rinse the cleaning solution with warm water.
Don’t ignore the grout
Grout can take some time to become discolored and if you ignore it long enough, it makes it more difficult to clean down the road. Be sure to use a soft-bristle brush or a sponge on the grout with the cleaning solution, then rinse with warm water.
Scrub the tub
Repeat this process for the bathtub or the shower floor. If you need a little extra cleaning power, add some baking soda to the bathtub and use a sponge to scrub. After that is all done, rinse all the cleaning solution with warm water.
Don’t forget the shower door
The best way to keep a clean shower door is to use a squeegee after every shower. You can also use the same cleaning solution as the rest of the shower, depending on what you use, and you can then rinse it with water after you’re done.