Shower cleaning for the criminally lazy?
April 5, 2022 12:27 PM Subscribe
My shower is not okay. I am not so bad at keeping up with other household chores but I do not go in and scrub the grout nearly often enough. I mean, what even is grout and why is it so stupid? Shouldn't we have invented some sort of polymer that repels mold and mildew? Anyway, is there anything that can be done/sprayed/conjured in between showers, short of mechanical scrubbing action, to keep the shower looking somewhat presentable?
Mix a spray bottle of bleach and water. Mostly water. Spray it all over your shower. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse.
posted by gnutron at 12:38 PM on April 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by gnutron at 12:38 PM on April 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I squeegee my tiles after I take a shower. EVERY time. Takes about 30 seconds and I never have to scrub the grout. A good fan and keeping the bathroom well ventilated also help. I clean the tub about every 10 days and spray some cleaner on the tile where the water hits it. A quick rinse and it's good to go. I use Method Foaming Tub & Tile Cleaner.
posted by XtineHutch at 12:41 PM on April 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by XtineHutch at 12:41 PM on April 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
After you have scrubbed your grout to be really clean, you have to re-seal it. You can buy the sealing spray at home improvement stores on the tile installation aisles.
They do have epoxy grout, but it's relatively new so it's still relatively more expensive than traditional grout. If you have the spare bucks, you can look into a tile professional to rip your old grout out and put the epoxy stuff in. You still have to clean it, but it does repel mold and mildew and doesn't discolor with them or other life hazards..
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:44 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
They do have epoxy grout, but it's relatively new so it's still relatively more expensive than traditional grout. If you have the spare bucks, you can look into a tile professional to rip your old grout out and put the epoxy stuff in. You still have to clean it, but it does repel mold and mildew and doesn't discolor with them or other life hazards..
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:44 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'll see your questions about why grout is so stupid and raise you a "why o why would anyone tile a bathroom floor in white tile and WHITE GROUT?". Existentially stupid.
I'll suggest: try a bunch of things, including scrubbing bubbles, baking soda, bleach, grout cleaning products, brushes .... try all of it (just don't try the "mixing ammonia and bleach" part). I'm not entirely sure which one is best. You'll make some progress in there.
The more important part is after you go in and scrub the living daylights out of it, is what The Vegetables said: you MUST seal it. This stuff is good. Use very liberally. Three times. Sealing it will help enormously to keep it clean.
posted by Dashy at 12:55 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'll suggest: try a bunch of things, including scrubbing bubbles, baking soda, bleach, grout cleaning products, brushes .... try all of it (just don't try the "mixing ammonia and bleach" part). I'm not entirely sure which one is best. You'll make some progress in there.
The more important part is after you go in and scrub the living daylights out of it, is what The Vegetables said: you MUST seal it. This stuff is good. Use very liberally. Three times. Sealing it will help enormously to keep it clean.
posted by Dashy at 12:55 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
This works pretty good. The shower has to be clean first, spray this on once a week. CAUTION: slippery!
posted by H21 at 1:12 PM on April 5, 2022
posted by H21 at 1:12 PM on April 5, 2022
Tilex spray as needed. Beware, do not get it on any fabrics and avoid the fumes (spray it and leave the room).
It’s magic. Murderous magic.
posted by aramaic at 1:40 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
It’s magic. Murderous magic.
posted by aramaic at 1:40 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
I use scrubbing bubbles when the shower seems to need it. works well, low effort.
posted by theora55 at 1:59 PM on April 5, 2022
posted by theora55 at 1:59 PM on April 5, 2022
This is technically outside your question but I wanted to throw it in the ring - I keep a kitchen sponge wand (the kind with soap in the handle) filled with dawn and vinegar in my shower and give the walls a scrub every few showers. My shower is staying much cleaner than it ever did before!
posted by brilliantine at 2:38 PM on April 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by brilliantine at 2:38 PM on April 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
Mix a spray bottle of bleach and water. Mostly water. Spray it all over your shower. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse.
This is my solution too. It's very low effort and effective. Just don't breathe in the fumes - put the extraction fan on while you're using it!
posted by dg at 2:49 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is my solution too. It's very low effort and effective. Just don't breathe in the fumes - put the extraction fan on while you're using it!
posted by dg at 2:49 PM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Came to suggest exactly what brilliantine did! Buy a scrub brush with a stand and stash it in your shower. Scrub occasionally while you’re in there! Low-friction way to Do the Chore, I’ve found.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 4:35 PM on April 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by sevensnowflakes at 4:35 PM on April 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
A tool I use to make weekly cleaning go faster: after spritzing my cleaning solution of choice on all the walls and letting it sit for a bit, I scrub and wipe/rinse with a mop that has a sponge and a scrubber edge. Goes MUCH faster than with a wee hand-held sponge or scrubber brush. Those are needed sometimes! For example, inside the tub, the long edge of a mop can’t get corners. (Weekly cleaning is in and of itself a helpful tool: it’s always harder to clean if you wait longer between cleanings. Five minutes once a week is a lot easier than 30 min+ every month or so.)
Other things that might help: a detachable shower head to spritz around the tub at the end of the shower, helping ensure all soap and schmutz heads to the drain; a good hair trap that every household member commits to cleaning after every shower; a pipe cleaning to make sure things are draining well, since pooling water also leads to scummy rings around the tub.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:54 PM on April 5, 2022
Other things that might help: a detachable shower head to spritz around the tub at the end of the shower, helping ensure all soap and schmutz heads to the drain; a good hair trap that every household member commits to cleaning after every shower; a pipe cleaning to make sure things are draining well, since pooling water also leads to scummy rings around the tub.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 6:54 PM on April 5, 2022
Every time I use the shower I either wipe it down with a microfiber cloth or spray it with vinegar (that I keep in a bottle in the shower for that purpose). This keeps mold growth to basically zero, even though there is no window in the room and the ventilation fan isn't that strong.
posted by mydonkeybenjamin at 9:02 PM on April 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by mydonkeybenjamin at 9:02 PM on April 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Grout cleaning spray will get it looking new again without scrubbing. Leave it on a few hours or maybe overnight, then rinse well. If you like, reseal. I use a grout cleaner I found at Lowe’s for around $6. Also re-grouting every couple of years can’t hurt.
posted by JLovebomb at 11:25 PM on April 6, 2022
posted by JLovebomb at 11:25 PM on April 6, 2022
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posted by mekily at 12:37 PM on April 5, 2022