Many people install showers instead of bathtubs. They have many advantages: compact in size, convenient to use, and often multifunctional. It may seem that the structures do not require special care, but if simple cleaning rules are neglected, unattractive stains and separations may appear on the surface. There are store and folk ways to clean the shower cabin.

When choosing a detergent, you should take into account the type of dirt and the type of material for which it will be used. The shower cabin has plastic and glass elements, chrome parts, and the tray can be made of acrylic or enameled steel.

Shop equipment

In stores, the selection of sanitary ware and shower cabin cleaners is huge. It is better to buy a spray, gel, cream or liquid. They cope well with pollution:

  • “Cif” is a special cream composition that perfectly copes with lime, soap scum and rust, has a pleasant smell and has whitening properties.
  • “Mr. Muscle” is a spray that will help restore transparency and shine to glass doors.
  • “Akrilan” is a liquid that is applied using a sprayer and can be used to combat severe pollution and mold.
  • “Tilex” is a product that not only perfectly copes with grease stains from soap, but also has antibacterial properties, which is very important when caring for a shower cabin.

How to clean the shower cabin

The list of household chemicals that are suitable for use at home can be continued for a long time. To make sure of this, it is enough to visit the appropriate department in any store. When choosing a product, study the composition and purpose, as some gels and creams based on ammonia, alcohol and other aggressive substances are incompatible with certain materials.

Pay attention! Do not use various powders and liquid compositions containing abrasive particles to clean the shower cabin. Abrasives leave scratches in which dirt easily clogs, and it will be more and more difficult to clean them each time.

Folk remedies

If you think that household chemicals are harmful to humans, you can use folk remedies. In the treasury of experienced housewives, there are usually several recipes that help to cope with even complex and neglected pollution.

Table vinegar

Vinegar helps effectively fight lime scale. It easily destroys deposits of mineral salts contained in water, restores the shine of chrome elements and destroys most bacteria, as well as removes soap scum. It is used as follows:

  1. Prepare a solution by mixing one cup of vinegar with two cups of water.
  2. Using a spray bottle, spray the solution on the shower, paying special attention to the contaminated areas.
  3. Leave for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with clean water.

If there are strong deposits of lime on the faucet or hydromassage head, vinegar will also help to get rid of them. Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:1 and thoroughly wet a rag or napkin in the prepared solution. Put it on problem areas and leave it for several hours or all night, then rinse with clean water. If the part unscrews easily, it can be removed and dipped into a vinegar solution.

Pay attention ! Vinegar is an aggressive substance, so be sure to use rubber gloves for protection when working with it.

Citric acid

Housewives often wash the shower cabin with citric acid, because this is one of the simplest, most effective, inexpensive and safe methods. The principle of using a food additive is very similar to vinegar:

  1. Dissolve a 100-gram sachet of citric acid in 0.5 liters of warm water.
  2. Spray the prepared mixture on contaminated surfaces using a sprayer.
  3. After 10-15 minutes, you can wash it off with clean water.

To give chrome elements a special shine, additionally wipe them with a slice of fresh lemon.

You can also use citric acid in combination with baking soda. Dilute a small bag of citric acid (20-30 g) and 20 g of soda in a glass of warm water. Use the prepared solution according to the principle described above.

Vodka or alcohol

Medical alcohol or vodka will not only quickly remove dirt and impurities, but also additionally disinfect the shower cabin. To do this, mix a spoonful of strong drink with two spoons of clean water. Wet a soft napkin in the prepared mixture and wipe the problem areas. After that, wipe dry with a dry cloth. To enhance the effect, add a spoonful of vinegar.

Toothpaste or powder

If you want to restore the cleanliness of an acrylic or enamel tray, use toothpaste. Apply it in a thin layer on the treated surface. After some time, you need to remove the paste with a sponge and wash the walls with clean water.

An alternative can be tooth powder, which copes even better with various types of contamination. Sprinkle them on problem areas and lightly rub with a damp cloth, then rinse. Tooth powder has a mild effect, so it cannot damage acrylic or enamel.

Ammonia

If you want the glass to sparkle cleanly, use ammonia:

  1. Dilute a tablespoon of the substance in a liter of cold water.
  2. Soak a soft cloth in the solution.
  3. Wipe glass surfaces with it.

The solution can also be used for cleaning walls. If you add a little glycerin to the mixture, it will not only cope with pollution of various origins, but will also leave an invisible film on the surface that will repel water.

Pay attention ! When working with ammonia, a strong unpleasant smell will appear in the room, so before starting work, open the window.

Hydrogen peroxide

Another remedy from the home first aid kit – hydrogen peroxide – can get rid of lime scale. It is excellent and in just a few minutes will soften, or even completely dissolve, deposits of mineral salts on the walls, mixer and other parts. It is enough to soak a soft cloth in peroxide and wipe the problem areas with it. If the plaque cannot be removed immediately, a napkin soaked in antiseptic can be left for a while.

Daily care

Soap and lime scale is quite difficult to remove, but its appearance can be prevented. To do this, you should regularly (daily or once every few days) perform simple actions:

  1. After taking a shower, wash the walls with hot and then cold water.
  2. Wash off foam and soap traces well, paying special attention to corners and hard-to-reach places, from which it will be much more difficult to wash off dirt and deposits. For these purposes, it is best to use a shower with a hose.
  3. Wipe the walls and other elements of the shower cabin dry. Do not leave splashes of water, as salt deposits may appear after them.

Simple manipulations that take no more than 15 minutes will significantly simplify the care of the structure in the future and help preserve its attractive appearance.

how to clean the shower

Spring cleaning

Once every 10-14 days, the shower cabin should be thoroughly cleaned of various contaminants. You should also carry out general cleaning in cases where the structure has not been used for a long time, for example, you were away.

General cleaning is carried out in several main stages:

  • Cleaning of walls and plastic elements. Get rid of lime deposits and other types of pollution. To do this, apply the selected product to the surface, leave it for a while and wash it off with clean water. When cleaning the walls, pay special attention to the seams between the tiles, as this is a favorite place for mold.
  • Washing glass doors. Thoroughly wash the glass from soap bubbles. Special sprays for windows and glass will cope well with this task. A solution of vinegar, citric acid or ammonia is also suitable. Use the product according to the instructions, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.
  • Cleaning chrome elements. Thoroughly clean the mixer, hydromassage head and other elements from mineral salts. With the help of purchased or folk remedies, return them to an attractive shine.
  • Tray washer. At the last stage, it is necessary to wash the tray. When choosing a detergent, consider the material from which it is made. For example, for acrylic pallets, it is strictly forbidden to use formulations with formaldehydes and formic acid. Enameled pallets are more resistant to chemicals, but it is better to avoid abrasives.

When going to do general cleaning in the shower cabin, arm yourself with the following tools and devices:

  • soft rags and microfiber;
  • sprayer;
  • rubber scraper;
  • foam sponge;
  • toothbrush.

It is forbidden to use hard brushes and metal scrapers, as they can leave scratches.

Advice ! If old stains cannot be dealt with by traditional methods, use a steam cleaner. No dirt can withstand the pressure of hot steam.

Fight against mold

It is easy to wash a plastic or glass shower cabin, but it is much more difficult to deal with fungus. If you notice black spots in the corners, seams and hard-to-reach places, immediately use special antifungal compounds. Use them according to the instructions. An alternative can be a mixture of soda, ammonia and vinegar.

Mix half a cup of vinegar and ammonia solution, add 0.25 cup of soda. Clean problem areas with the prepared mixture. They can be slightly rubbed with a toothbrush. Leave it on for a while and then wash it off.

Timely clean the shower cabin, wash the soap dispensers and wipe the walls dry, then it will be much easier to keep it clean.

How to clean the shower cabin – 10 methods