ajfries Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Let's say...hypothetically... that I have a friend ;) who doesn't stay on top of keeping her shower clean. She lets it go for too long & then when she does (finally!) get around to it she spends a long very time scrubbing only to have the shower still fall short of *sparkling*. And then she procrastinates cleaning it the NEXT time because well, the results just aren't worth it. :001_unsure: What would you recommend to said friend to 1) Get the shower nice & clean and 2) Use on a daily? weekly? basis to *keep* it clean? She's used Kaboom foam shower cleaner, Vinegar & Dawn dishsoap, baking soda, etc. It's a fiberglass shower stall with a textured bottom & it's proven especially difficult to get the grime out between the little texture granular knobbie things. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Someone here posted about using oven cleaner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 If it's fiberglass get it totally clean then do a treatment of gel-gloss every 6 months. That keeps the knobbie things from getting icky in the first place. Then scrubbing bubbles and a white pad are all you need in the mean time. A white pad with gel gloss can get some of the ick off if the scrubbing bubbles can't. Home Depot has it. If it's not in the cleaning section it'll be near the granite/kitchen Sink section. Edited because of autocorrect woes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2hunangirls Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I can not believe you just posted that about me. 😉 28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 With a cleaner on there (I use vinegar and Dawn) I sprinkle borax and washing soda and scrub with a cloth ( on the smooth walls) or a scrub brush ( for the bumpy floors). This has not failed me yet. Ideally it should be done every week , so you won't have to scrub much, but yeah, I'm kinda sporadic in cleaning the tubs. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2hunangirls Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 How do you get it totally clean to start with?? Oh how I'd love a totally clean shower. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Don't even read this if you are an all-natural type person. We live in a very dirty area and the only thing that I have found that really cleans our shower is the Zep Shower, Tub & Tile Cleaner that I get from Home Depot. I use that and also the Mr. Clean erasers on the textured floor. These are NOT for anyone wanting to be eco-friendly, or no chemicals. It's nasty stuff and every time I use it, I think I should probably where a mask when using the Zep. :/ It does work, though. I have been having a house cleaner come and one of the things that drove me nuts was that our shower was always filthy a week after she cleaned it. With the Zep it always looked nice for a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 This works really well for keeping up a shower: http://smile.amazon.com/Wet-Forget-801064-Gallon-Vanilla/dp/B009QCP7XI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435002167&sr=8-4&keywords=shower+cleaner#Ask 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 This works really well for keeping up a shower: http://smile.amazon.com/Wet-Forget-801064-Gallon-Vanilla/dp/B009QCP7XI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435002167&sr=8-4&keywords=shower+cleaner#Ask Warning when you check on this do not read the suggestions to buy with this when you are chugging water. The suggestions for my shiney hiney got me. Especially, the one with brighteners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Based on this review, I tried Bar Keepers Friend. It worked really well, but I used up an entire (small) bottle on just part of my shower. I wish it came in a larger, spray bottle... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I think this varies a lot based on where you are and the ph & mineral content of your water. So what works for me might not work for you.... general prevention tips: don't use soap, use liquid body washes. Soap mucks things up more. rinse well squeegee the walls and door after use clean it weekly. It really does help & once it's clean it really isn't such a big job. Be really careful with abrasives on acrylic and fiberglass surfaces. If you end up putting on tons of micro scratches, they each become dirt / mildew magnets. my acrylic shower base and bathtub came with what I call 'baby bum care' instructions: wash with mild cleanser and buff dry with soft cloth. :001_rolleyes: Yeah, cause that will get it clean! fwiw, the Kohler site lists a bunch of products as suggested to try on their acrylic showers: Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner Fantastik Antibacterial Heavy Duty Green Works All-Purpose Green Works Bathroom Cleaner Lysol Bathroom Cleaner Mr. Clean Disinfecting Bath Cleaner with Febreze Freshness Tilex Bathroom Cleaner For rust removal:Super Iron Out Rust Stain Remover 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Comet Cleanser - the powder - is the only thing that works on my shower floor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Based on this review, I tried Bar Keepers Friend. It worked really well, but I used up an entire (small) bottle on just part of my shower. I wish it came in a larger, spray bottle... Barkeeper's Friend is the bomb. I find it is both more effective and less abrasive than Comet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Easy off fume free oven cleaner (blue can) Spray it on, leave it for 1 or more hours, depending on build up.... Then spray and wipe clean. Best. Ever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 https://www.tilex.com/mold-and-mildew-remover/ Tilex is the bomb. Actually, if you combine it with window cleaner it may be actual bomb material - don't do that! Dangerous to your health and safety! But it does a great job cleaning a shower for you. We have lived in all sorts of houses with all sorts of (sometimes scary) showers (military moves), and Tilex cleans all of them - without really scrubbing, because I'm lazy. Magic Eraser can help if scrubbing is needed. If you are a crunchy, green, earthy sort of person, this is not the cleaner for you. But it will clean your shower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Bar Keeper's Friend liquid Soft Cleanser for heavy duty cleaning. For maintenance, just dry the shower after every use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapy Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Easy off fume free oven cleaner (blue can) Spray it on, leave it for 1 or more hours, depending on build up.... Then spray and wipe clean. Best. Ever. Yup... did this on our tub and surround for the foreclosure we bought. It was naaaaasty. I didn't even have to wait that long and it all wiped up easy peasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Awesome! Lots of things to try!! Thanks for all the recommendations! To be completely honest, I was a little worried that I would get a lot of "Vinegar works wonders!!!" I'm all for "natural" cleaners if we're just talking about upkeep, but I'm thinking this job calls for chemicals. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagel270 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I use the Barkeepers Friend powder. When I have a kid clean it, I have them use baking powder with a scrub brush. Works almost as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Bar Keeper's Friend liquid Soft Cleanser for heavy duty cleaning. For maintenance, just dry the shower after every use. I've heard you are supposed to dry your shower after use. Sounds crazy to me, but I'm sure it would stay cleaner that way, especially given that I can see the drippy water marks on the sides of the shower... But, what do you dry it with? A bath towel? Do you keep a cloth in your bathroom specifically meant for drying the shower? And do you just dry the walls, or the tub too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I need to bookmark this thread for any friends who might need it!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I once bought a house that was a foreclosure and not cleaned for... I don't know, years? It was gross. I tried everything on the shower, so many caustic chemicals, if it was labeled for bathroom use I tried it - Tilex, Ajax, Comet, Bar Keeper's Friend, straight bleach, CLR... The only thing that worked was a stack of Magic Erasers. So, the good thing is, I learned that Magic Erasers are awesome. Now I keep one in the shower and spend 30-60 seconds wiping down the tile and tub with the Magic Eraser just about every time I'm in there and it's absolutely sparkly clean. It's worked on both tile and tub surrounds and is the perfect lazy cleaning for me. (I note that I did not try the oven cleaner, though. Maybe that would have worked with less elbow grease than the initial scrubbing with Magic Erasers!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Let's say...hypothetically... that I have a friend ;) who doesn't stay on top of keeping her shower clean. She lets it go for too long & then when she does (finally!) get around to it she spends a long very time scrubbing only to have the shower still fall short of *sparkling*. And then she procrastinates cleaning it the NEXT time because well, the results just aren't worth it. :001_unsure: What would you recommend to said friend to 1) Get the shower nice & clean and 2) Use on a daily? weekly? basis to *keep* it clean? She's used Kaboom foam shower cleaner, Vinegar & Dawn dishsoap, baking soda, etc. It's a fiberglass shower stall with a textured bottom & it's proven especially difficult to get the grime out between the little texture granular knobbie things. Tell your 'friend' that just this once, she can spray her shower with a fume-free cold oven cleaner. The next morning the stubborn film will be a slimy sludge that washes down the drain. Once it's clean, she can go back to the all natural vinegar stuff to stay on top of it, but just this once, if she needs to use a nuke, nobody will ever know. I keep one of those sponges that stores soap in it's handle in the shower. It contains half blue dawn and half white vinegar. I try to wash a wall/side of the tub each time I shower. It works really well if you're consistent. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer132 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 You won't believe it until you've tried it. But it's true--baking soda and vinager. Pour the baking soda on the black spots, pat it down, and then pour a bit of vinager on the baking soda and give it a gentle scrub. Your shower will sparkle in no time at all. We used harsh cleaners and tons of elbow grease for years until we discovered this! 😀 it really works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I use clorox cleanup... twice a week..nothing can survive bleach. :p 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I use the vinegar and Dawn combo, and if the textured bottom needs extra scrubbing I use Barkeeper's friend on it. Not the whole can though! Just a little bit and a nylon scrubby pad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Once it is cleaned well, try waxing the doors and sides with Rain X or similar just like a car. Doing this ever so often keeps the shower spotless. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I live in an area with high mineral water. The iron makes things look bad quickly. I stumbled across Norwex Resolve and it works great. I spray it on and let it sit a bit and then it just comes clean. So far it is the only thing I have found that works. I have heard the cleaning stuff for dentures works well too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 For the textured knobby floors, Magic Eraser or knock-off brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 With a cleaner on there (I use vinegar and Dawn) I sprinkle borax and washing soda and scrub with a cloth ( on the smooth walls) or a scrub brush ( for the bumpy floors). This has not failed me yet. Ideally it should be done every week , so you won't have to scrub much, but yeah, I'm kinda sporadic in cleaning the tubs. Good luck! I'm also a fan of the 1:1 mix of vinegar and original blue Dawn! I will use a magic eraser for tough stuff, but leaving that mixture on for 10 min. or so usually makes it easy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I second using Gel-Gloss--- it is available at Home Depot-- you spray it on, let it dry and bluff off the stuff---then it leaves a coating that makes the new stuff slide off-- like waxing your car--- I don't clean my shower that often-- last weekend I had DH bring the doors outside and I scrubbed them, did the gel gloss thing, and they are good to go-- We use Dove soap because that doesn't make as much soap scum (almost none, in fact) and I use the Gel Gloss--- I scrub the shower once a year, I spray it with scrubbing bubbles twice a month and gel gloss 4 times a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Every month or so, spray down with the Dawn/Vinegar solution. Let it sit for a few hours. When you take a shower next, get in there with sponge and toothbrush or whatever other scrubbers you wish and give it a good cleaning. Just be careful not to slip. In between monthly big cleanings, keep a toothbrush in there to catch small areas, and scrub the floor with Comet as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I second using Gel-Gloss--- it is available at Home Depot-- you spray it on, let it dry and bluff off the stuff---then it leaves a coating that makes the new stuff slide off-- like waxing your car--- I don't clean my shower that often-- last weekend I had DH bring the doors outside and I scrubbed them, did the gel gloss thing, and they are good to go-- We use Dove soap because that doesn't make as much soap scum (almost none, in fact) and I use the Gel Gloss--- I scrub the shower once a year, I spray it with scrubbing bubbles twice a month and gel gloss 4 times a year. Does Gel-Gloss make the floor slippery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I haven't used it on the floor, just the doors, walls, and handles I would think that using it on the floor would be unwise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I've had really good luck with a combo of coffee pot cleaning powder and a magic eraser. We have super hard water, bright orange clay instead of dirt and use bar soap so we end up with bright pink soap suck and it is awful and impossible to clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Barkeeper's Friend is the bomb. I find it is both more effective and less abrasive than Comet. I use the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I've heard you are supposed to dry your shower after use. Sounds crazy to me, but I'm sure it would stay cleaner that way, especially given that I can see the drippy water marks on the sides of the shower... But, what do you dry it with? A bath towel? Do you keep a cloth in your bathroom specifically meant for drying the shower? And do you just dry the walls, or the tub too? When my friend has a sporadic burst of shower cleaning she uses one of those squeegee window wiper things Also running the exhaust fan for 20 minutes or so after showering helps to stop the mould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Tell your 'friend' that just this once, she can spray her shower with a fume-free cold oven cleaner. The next morning the stubborn film will be a slimy sludge that washes down the drain. Once it's clean, she can go back to the all natural vinegar stuff to stay on top of it, but just this once, if she needs to use a nuke, nobody will ever know. I keep one of those sponges that stores soap in it's handle in the shower. It contains half blue dawn and half white vinegar. I try to wash a wall/side of the tub each time I shower. It works really well if you're consistent. I do the sponge with handle filled with dish soap and vinegar too and it works great. I've found that Mr. Clean magic erasers work really well on the textured floor and everything else for that matter. I do a weekly or couple times a week clean with scrubbing bubbles, use the sponge w/ vinegar/soap daily and the mr. clean whenever I remember. Tub battles.....it's amazing how quickly it can look grimy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I can not believe you just posted that about me. 😉 I was going to say that too, but add that she must be confused because my shower is tile and grout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Having no fan in the bathroom is one of our biggest problems. And all the windows are painted shut. Talk about a disaster. Wow that is annoying! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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