Cleaning the Shower

Can you really feel clean after stepping out of a dirty shower? Even if your shower doesn't appear that dirty, look closely. There's probably soap scum, oils, and water deposits on the sides and bottom. There's probably some hair in the drain, and water deposits building up in the shower head and surrounding the door. There might even be some mold or mildew. Yuck! Your shower experience will be much more refreshing with a clean shower, guaranteed. Whether you have a shower with a door or a tub and curtain, you'll find great cleaning methods among the tips below. You'll also read some tips for maintaining a clean shower.

• Use this method for routine cleaning right after the shower has been used. Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it all over the shower surfaces, including plastic curtains. After a half hour, use a brush or sponge to scrub these surfaces. Rinse with warm water.
• If your shower needs a little more abrasive cleaning, mix equal parts water and baking soda to form a paste. Use a sponge to apply this paste to the shower surfaces and scrub. When finished scrubbing, spray white vinegar over the area. Wait a few minutes for it to fizz, which will dissolve any oils. Use warm water to rinse it all off. (For glass shower doors, use a non-abrasive product such as Comet Bathroom Cleaner.)
• To clean the showerhead, remove it and soak it overnight in a container of white vinegar. This cleans off the water deposits.
• Don't forget to clean the drain and around the shower door. Use an old toothbrush and vinegar to scrub deposits off these areas. Also remove any hair stuck in the drain.

To keep that shower clean, try one or more of the following tips:

• Spray a daily shower cleaner like Tilex on shower surfaces after each use. This makes the water flow off instead of evaporating on the surfaces, thus slowing the buildup of soap scum and water deposits.
• Use a squeegee to clean the water off shower walls after use, which also keeps stuff from building up.
• Wipe down shower walls and doors or plastic curtains with lemon oil so that soap scum won't stick.
• If you use solid bar soap, switch to a liquid variety to cut down on the amount of talc and thus decrease soap scum.
• To prevent mold, ventilate the bathroom during and after showering. Pull your shower curtain closed so that it will air out. Open any window curtains because light discourages mildew growth.