How to clean a shower: tile, glass, tub and drain

To clean a shower, clear out the bottles, spray the walls, the tub or floor and the fixtures, and let the cleaner sit for a few minutes. Scrub top to bottom with a non-scratch sponge and a grout brush, rinse everything, then squeegee the glass and dry the fixtures. Do the showerhead and the drain once a month, and squeegee after every shower in between.

Letting the cleaner sit does a lot of the scrubbing for you.

What do you need?

• A bathroom cleaner made for soap scum, or warm water and dish soap
• White vinegar, for mineral spots (not on natural stone)
• A non-scratch scrub sponge
• A long-handled scrub brush for the walls and tub
• A grout brush or old toothbrush
• A squeegee
• Microfiber cloths
• Rubber gloves
• A drain hair tool

How do you clean a tile shower, step by step?

1. Clear it out. Bottles, razors and the caddy go on the floor outside.
2. Run the hot water for a minute with the door closed. A little steam loosens soap scum.
3. Spray. Walls, tub or floor, the fixtures, the inside of the door. Start at the top.
4. Wait. Give it the time on the label, often five to ten minutes.
5. Scrub top down. The long-handled brush on the walls, the sponge around the fixtures, then the tub or floor last.
6. Grout lines. A grout brush along the lines, especially at the bottom of the walls where water sits. Our grout guide covers stains.
7. Rinse. All of it, top down. Leftover cleaner leaves a film.
8. Squeegee and dry. Glass and tile, then dry the faucet and the showerhead with a cloth.

How do you clean glass shower doors?

Spray, let it sit, scrub with the non-scratch sponge, rinse, and squeegee. For cloudy mineral spots, wipe the glass with white vinegar, leave it ten minutes, and rinse. Don't forget the track at the bottom of a sliding door: an old toothbrush gets the gunk out of the corners.

How do you clean the showerhead?

If the spray is uneven, mineral deposits may be blocking the nozzles. Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, tie it over the head so the nozzles are covered, and leave it for an hour or more. Take it off, run the water for a minute, and scrub the nozzles with a toothbrush. Check the finish first: vinegar can damage some brass, gold-tone and matte black finishes.

How do you clean the drain?

Pull the hair out with a drain hair tool, then flush with hot water. A drain cover catches hair before it gets in. If the water still drains slowly after that, it's a plumbing job.

What about fiberglass, acrylic or stone?

• Fiberglass and acrylic tubs and surrounds: no abrasive powders or scouring pads, which scratch. Use a soft sponge and a cleaner the maker allows.
• Natural stone (marble, travertine, granite): no vinegar, lemon or acidic cleaners, which etch. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner.
• Older tubs and tile: go gently on chipped enamel, and test any new product on a small spot.

What about the shower curtain?

Wash the fabric curtain and the plastic liner in the washing machine on a warm, gentle cycle with a couple of towels to help scrub, if the labels allow. Hang them back up to dry. Replace a liner that stays spotted.

How do you keep the shower clean longer?

• Squeegee the glass and walls after every shower.
• Run the fan during the shower and for about 20 minutes after. See how to clean a bathroom exhaust fan.
• Leave the door or curtain open a little so it dries.
• Fewer bottles on the ledges means fewer soap rings.

For the rest of the room, see how to clean a bathroom, top to bottom.

Want the bathroom done for you?

Book House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, and put your bathroom priorities in your booking notes.

FAQ

How do you remove soap scum from a shower? Spray a bathroom cleaner made for soap scum, or a mix of warm water and dish soap, and let it sit for several minutes. Scrub with a non-scratch sponge, rinse well, and dry. On glass, a squeegee after every shower keeps scum from building back up.

How do you clean glass shower doors? Spray them, let the cleaner sit, scrub with a non-scratch sponge, then rinse and squeegee. For mineral spots, wipe with white vinegar, let it sit, and rinse. Squeegee after each shower to keep them clear.

How do you clean a showerhead without removing it? Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, tie it over the showerhead so the nozzles are covered, and leave it for an hour or more. Remove the bag, run the water, and scrub the nozzles with an old toothbrush. Check the finish first; vinegar can harm some.

How often should you clean a shower? Scrub it once a week and squeegee it after every shower. Do the grout, the showerhead and the drain once a month.

Book a cleaning

Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.