How to Keep Your Shower Looking New

Quick and Dirty Tips
by Quick and Dirty Tips
Want your shower to last as long as you live in your home? Use these 4 tips from Domestic CEO to keep your shower looking great for years to come!
Flickr//Lena Kroupnik
I’m going to let you in on a little secret today.


As you probably already know, I own a home care business in Phoenix, Arizona. Moxie Girl has been in operation for 6 years, which means I’ve been cleaning homes and teaching my team how to clean homes for a while now. I have no issues cleaning 95% of a house. Grimy kitchens, messy bedrooms, and even super dirty toilets don’t bother me. The part of the home that I secretly get grossed out by is the shower. If the shower is in good condition, I get squeamish. If it’s in poor condition, I get flat out queasy.


What I’ve come to realize about showers is that the actual age of the shower doesn’t affect how the shower looks. The thing that really makes a difference is how well the shower is cared for. You can have two homes that are both 10 years old, and one could have a shower that looks brand new while the other's shower looks like it’s from a horror movie.


If you want to keep your shower looking new, this episode will give you my top 4 tips from years of experience cleaning other people’s icky showers.
Flickr//MyHixsonHome
Tip Prevent Hard Water Stains


The first tip for how to keep a shower looking new is to not let hard water build up. Hard water stains are one of the easiest things to prevent, yet most people overlook their importance in keeping a nice looking shower. Oftentimes when a new client shows me their bathroom and the glass shower door that is supposed to be clear is actually white, I have to have a talk with them to set their expectations.


I would love to tell clients that we will be able to get that shower door back to like-new condition, but the truth is that it is probably damaged beyond repair. See, all those water spots can actually cause damage to glass by etching it. While strong cleaning solutions and some elbow grease may be able to take off the residue, there’s not a lot that can be done once the glass is etched.


Luckily, there are a few things you can do to prevent hard water stains in your shower. The first is to invest in a cheap squeegee and use it after every shower. By squeegeeing the water from the glass walls, you will remove any chance that hard water stains will form. If you don’t like using a squeegee, you can also simply use a microfiber towel to wipe down the glass walls and door. If the towel gets too much water in it, just wring it out and continue to wipe.


Finally, if you don’t have time for either of these options, you can use a daily shower cleaner to spray down the walls. No matter which option you choose, you will still want to wipe down your shower walls with a shower cleaner and rag every few weeks to give it an extra clean boost.


The next tip is to watch out for filthy feet!
Flickr//norwex usa
Tip Watch for Filthy Feet


Now that your shower’s glass walls are clean, it’s time to make sure the floor of your shower doesn’t get nasty. The biggest culprit of a black shower floor is filthy feet. If you walk around barefoot or wear flip flops, chances are your feet become a lovely shade of brown or black on the bottom. When you step into your nice, clean, white shower, all that grime gets transferred to your shower floor. Unless that grime is cleaned up relatively quickly, it will end up staining your shower floor and making it look permanently dirty.


You can prevent this grime from accumulating by taking a few small steps. The first would be to take a wet washcloth and wipe your feet clean before you get into your shower. If you are thinking to yourself, “That’s silly! Why would I clean my feet before getting into the shower?” you can also use that washcloth to stand on while you are in the shower. That way all the dirt and grime goes into the cloth instead of the shower floor. A bathmat will also work well for this if you don’t want to dirty up all your washcloths and small towels.


If you usually forget to clean your feet before you get into the shower, just keep a small scrub brush in the corner. Before you get out, turn the water off, dribble a little shampoo on the floor, and give it a really quick scrub with the brush. When you turn the water back on, your shower floor will be clean again. Super simple and will save you tons of scrubbing down the road.
Flickr//fenlandsnapper
Tip Use Liquids Only


The third tip to keeping your shower looking like new has to do with my personal pet peeve: Bar soap. It goes hand in hand with the yucky feeling I get when cleaning showers. I totally get it if you like to use bar soap. It’s economical and most of us grew up using it. The things I have a problem with are the soap chunks and drips that it leaves all over showers.


If you are going to use bar soap, you can still enjoy the benefits of a nice, pretty, clean shower, but it takes a little extra work. When you are done showering, use a washcloth to wipe the ledge below your bar soap. If there’s anything stuck to the ledge, scrub it off so it doesn’t accumulate. If you do this on a regular basis, you’ll never have to scrape soap scum drips from nooks and crannies and walls of your shower.


Or, if you want the super simple way to prevent this, simply switch to liquid body wash. As long as you keep your bottles tipped upright so they don’t leak all over, liquid body soap will help you keep your shower free of globs of soapy messes. Trust me, your house cleaner will appreciate you making the switch.
Flickr//Stormraven24
Tip Keep Your Caulk Fresh


The final tip on how to keep your shower looking new has to do with preventing mold. Most times, if a shower has mold growing in the corners, it’s because the caulking is old. Caulking is what’s used to seal all the seams in your shower tile. Typically it’s white, is in the corners, and squishes a little if you stick your fingernail into it. It creates a watertight seal to keep moisture from getting behind the tiles or walls of your shower.


When caulk dries up or starts to peel away, small amounts of water can get behind the caulk and start to grow mold. Caulking is not hard to replace, but if you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself, you can usually hire a handyman for a small fee to complete the job. Just make sure you can spare your shower for a few days because the process requires time to remove the caulk, allow the wall behind to dry out, then apply the new caulk and let it dry for 24 hours. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be done often if it’s done correctly. Most showers can get away with around 5 years of use before needing to replace their caulking.
Flickr//Allison and Paul Hoffman
So those are my 4 tips on how to keep your shower always looking new. As you can see, 3 of the 4 can be done in less than 30 seconds before or after your shower. These are little changes to make in your routine, but they will make a big difference in how well your shower ages.


How does your shower look? Does it look younger than its years, or older than it should? Tweet me a picture of your shower @thedomesticceo and we’ll find the best and the worst among us!


Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.
Originally posted here: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/house-home/housekeeping/how-to-keep-your-shower-looking-new
Quick and Dirty Tips
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 4 questions
  • Kathy Kathy on Mar 07, 2016
    Fiberglass showers - no tile, but any hints on keeping it clean? I have noticed a light gray "ring" around the bottom of the shower. I've tried baking soda and bleach which helped some but it didn't entirely remove it. I wipe down the shower after each use. Any ideas? Thanks so much. K J
  • Brenda Brenda on Mar 07, 2016
    has anyone had any luck using car wax on shower walls to prevent spotting?
  • Kim Kim on Mar 07, 2016
    How do we keep rust off the walls?...we have a water softner..a filter on the shower head...wipe down with towel after each shower immediately....not sure what else we can do???
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 19 comments
  • Ann Ann on Mar 08, 2016
    Cleaning the bottom of your feet is as easy as mixing sea salt and coconut oil and maybe an essence. Exfoliates and smells good (put down a wash cloth since it can make the floor in the shower slippery. Keeps my 70 year old feet in good shape.
  • Suella Kirkham Suella Kirkham on Apr 12, 2016
    If your glass shower door isn't etched, try rubbing on cheap hair conditioner. It softens the mineral build-up to the point that it can be wiped away.
Next