Cleaning tips
Cleaning the shower: the best tricks and home remedies
Regularly cleaning your shower prevents limescale, dirt and mold
© chee gin tan / Getty Images
Limescale and dirt deposits are not a sign of poor hygiene, but the result of our daily personal hygiene in the bathroom. The high humidity and warmth also provide an ideal breeding ground for mold.
The fittings, joints and tiles are particularly susceptible, but the shower curtain or the shower cubicle walls also suffer from the constant irrigation of a wet cell. And since lime and dirt don’t stop at glass or plastic, our tricks apply to all materials that are in your bathroom (in the shower). The following cleaning tips reveal which home remedies achieve the best results even without aggressive cleaning agents.
1. Cleaning tip: joints
Dirty grout is best cleaned by using a mixture of baking soda (or Baking soda) and stir water. Use a toothbrush to apply the paste directly to the grout and rub it into the affected areas. The mass then has to be absorbed for a few minutes before you rinse it off again with warm water. But be careful: it is better not to clean materials containing lime (e.g. marble or granite) with an acidic household remedy. Use a mixture here soda and water in a ratio of 3: 1, which must soak into the joints for 30 minutes.
Note: You can read here how to get rid of mold in the bathroom.
2. Cleaning tip: tiles
Calcified tiles are much easier to clean. Here, too, you can stir a mixture of baking powder and water until a spreadable paste is created and apply it with an old sponge. Alternatively, you can also use a tried and tested home remedy: Vinegar essence. Dilute this with water and then use a cloth to apply the liquid to the tiles in circular movements. If possible, be careful not to rub the joints. Then rinse the solution off with warm water.
Note: For stubborn deposits, investing in one can be worth it Steam cleaner worth it. The use of hot steam should allow dirt residues to be easily removed from the tiles. The attachments and brushes supplied can be used to clean the joints.
3. Cleaning tip: drain
Hair and dirt, shampoo and shower gel residue can clog the shower drain. Instead of using an aggressive pipe cleaner, the problem is also solved differently – for example with a vinegar-soda mixture: First drizzle five tablespoons soda down the sink and pour a coffee cup of vinegar afterwards. If the mixture starts to foam, let it work for a few minutes before rinsing the drain with hot water. Important: The resulting fumes can irritate the respiratory tract, so it is better to wear a face mask and ventilate the bathroom well.
4. Cleaning tip: fittings
Here, too, a home remedy has proven itself: citric acid (Alternatively, vinegar is also possible). Dilute this with a little water before you use it to clean your shower faucets. If the deposits are particularly stubborn, you can leave the mixture on overnight and wipe it off the next day.
Note: Read here how to descale a tap.
5. Cleaning tip: shower curtain
In contrast to a shower cubicle, most shower curtains have the great advantage that they can be washed in the washing machine. You can see whether this is really the case on the sewn-in label – it also shows the maximum number of degrees that the material can withstand without any problems. But even at 30 degrees, most models are very clean again.
6. Cleaning tip: shower cubicle made of glass
If a shower cubicle is made of glass, it can be freed from limescale and dirt deposits with the following home remedies:
- Mix vinegar in a ratio of 1: 2 with water. Work the glass with the mixture as thoroughly as you can and then rinse it off with cold water.
- Use the juice of a real lemon (one shot is enough) and mix it with water. Use it to clean the glass as described above.
7. Cleaning tip: plastic shower cubicle
If, on the other hand, you have a plastic shower enclosure, you can use the following home remedies and tricks:
- Use so-called Soft soapto remove limescale. Rub this into the shower cubicle with a damp cloth, let it work for a short time and then rinse it off again.
- For stubborn stains, usually only a commercially available plastic cleaner or a can help Shower stall cleaner.
- Important: Do not use baking powder, as it can attack the plastic and damage it.
Extra tip: Do you already know this trick? Take half a (raw) potato slice and rub it into the shower cubicle – this creates a kind of lotus effect, i.e. the water rolls off the shower walls and leaves less residue on it.
8. Cleaning tip: preventive measures
Last but not least, you can prevent limescale and dirt build-up in advance by cleaning your bathroom regularly. Also, always use one after you shower Rubber pullerto carry the water off the walls. You can also dry the fittings with a towel if they have become damp.
You might also be interested in:
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.