7 Ways to Clean Your Shower on the Cheap
Ablang
Stephanie Dray
Published August 31, 2006 by:
Stephanie Dray
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/55091/7_ways_to_clean_your_shower_on_the.html
Including Homemade Recipes for Making Your Own Daily Shower Spray
Cleaner
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By now, you must have heard about Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower
Cleaner—a battery operated device that you hang in your shower to
automatically spray very expensive cleaning solution on your shower
walls. It can run you as much as $50, and the refills of this daily
shower spray aren’t cheap. You’ve probably also tried the daily shower
spray made by companies such as Tilex and Arm & Hammer. If keeping
your shower sparkly is important to you, you might be wondering if
there are any daily shower spray alternatives that you can make
yourself. Here are seven methods you can use to clean your shower on
the cheap.
1. Pledge or Furniture Polish.
Using a dry cloth on a completely dry shower, you can buff the tiled
portions of your shower. This, in effect, pre-treats your shower walls
to repel dirt and water.
Pros: The use of this waxy polish on the tiled portion of your shower
will keep the tiles clean and shiny, as if you just scrubbed them this
morning.
Cons: You can only do this on a shower that’s completely clean, and it
will not protect your glass. Moreover, if you get this on the shower
floor, you might cause someone to slip and fall.
2. A Squeegee.
If the last person to use the shower is willing to use a squeegee on
the walls, excess moisture should vanish down the drain.
Pros: A squeegee is a one-time investment and a dry environment will
allow for less mildew to build up in your shower. If you have
allergies and object to using harsh chemicals, the squeegee might be
the right choice for you.
Cons: It’s more work than the spray solutions.
3. Tea-Tree Oil & Water.
You can mix this essential oil with water in a spray bottle, shake and
use as a daily shower spray.
Pros: The same anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that make tea-
tree oil useful for medicinal purposes will also allow it to help keep
your shower clean. Plus, you’ll avoid using harsh chemicals in your
daily shower spray and keep it natural.
Cons: Unfortunately, using tea-tree oil and water as a daily shower
spray can lead to an oily build up that you’ll need to remove with
another cleaner.
4. Vinegar & Water.
Mix 1 cup plain white vinegar with 3 cups water in a spray bottle,
shake and use as a daily shower spray after each shower.
Pros: Vinegar is an excellent and inexpensive household cleaner you
can find anywhere. It helps kill mildew on the spot. If you can’t
stand the scent of vinegar, consider adding a little lavender oil to
the mix.
Cons: This combination spray seems to do an adequate job keeping an
already clean shower clean, but a less effective job in cleaning a
shower that has any trace of dirt already. And it doesn’t seem to keep
the glass shower door clear and sparkly.
5. Bleach & Water.
Fill your spray bottle ¼ of the way with bleach and the rest with
water to make a daily shower spray mix.
Pros: A bleach and water mix is probably the most effective cleaner
you’ll find. It instantly kills mildew and bacteria, as well as
keeping your grout and caulk clean and white.
Cons: Some of the downsides are obvious. You’ll have to close the
bathroom door to escape the fumes, and you’ll have to be careful not
to get it on your skin, clothes, or towels. What’s less obvious is
that bleach is not very good at preventing the build up of soap scum
on glass walls, and you may need to use Windex from time to time.
6. Vinegar & Dawn.
Fill a Spray Bottle ¼ of the way full with vinegar, add two really
good squirts of Dawn Original Dish Soap, and fill the rest with water.
Shake, and you’re ready to go. Spray after each shower.
Pros: Dawn’s grease cutting agents, and the way it makes water bead up
and run off of dishes is put to good use as a daily shower spray.
Cons: Sometimes it seems as if a little rinsing is called for, and
that you can’t simply spray and forget it.
7. Jet-Dry & Water.
Mix 3tbsp of Jet-Dry with water in a spray bottle to make a daily
shower spray.
Pros: This method takes advantage of the sheeting action that we use
in our dish-washer and puts it to use on the shower walls. It’s like a
chemical squeegee without the elbow-grease.
Cons: It doesn’t seem as if much actual cleaning gets done with this
method. It’s more of a way of keeping your shower dry.
The Henchman
"Ablang" <ron...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7497e94f-60c6-4861...@b9g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
> 7 Ways to Clean Your Shower on the Cheap
> Stephanie Dray
> Published August 31, 2006 by:
> Stephanie Dray
>
> http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/55091/7_ways_to_clean_your_shower_on_the.html
We use a squeegee. Two adult home. It's the least amount of effort to use
everyday and is effective are taking care of soap scum etc. We have a bath
fitter insert type shower stall. Horrible stuff unless you are elderly.
We'll be tiling the stall next year and putting in a proper tub, and will
stick with the squeegee method.