Here’s Every Little Detail On How To Deep Clean The Bathtub & Shower

Inside: Do you struggle with the proper way to deep clean the bathtub and shower? Learn the techniques on how to deep clean the bathtub and shower if you’re tired of it looking like it’s never been cleaned.

Back in the seventies, when Hippies roamed free, life was B-O-R-I-N-G. There was no internet, smartphones, or tablets. Heck, the only video game was called pong, and there were 4 channels on TV; ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS.

If you didn’t like to read Nancy Drew mysteries or hang out at the mall suffocating from cigarette smoke and the faint scent of marijuana from the Hippies, there really wasn’t anything else to do but to get in trouble or help your mom clean the house. 

When I was 14, my best friend Meryl and I decided to clean the bathroom. Not knowing what we were doing, we decided to start cleaning the bathtub. We sprinkled an entire container of Comet in the tub and scrubbed it with a sponge until the porcelain sparkled like it did when the tub was new in the showroom. 

We were so proud of ourselves. I called my mother up to the bathroom for her to see what a great job we did, but when she didn’t come upstairs quick enough, we decided to scrub the walls that surrounded the tub before she arrived. 

When my mother finally came upstairs, she stopped dead in her tracks, pointed at our feet, rolled her eyes, and said, “Girls, you’ve both defeated the purpose of cleaning the bathtub”. 

It seems, after cleaning the bathtub and making it shine, the two of us stepped into the freshly cleaned tub wearing our dirty Dr. Scholl’s “original” wooden sandals.

And that my friends, is how I began my journey of learning how to properly deep clean the bathtub and shower. 

Supplies needed to deep clean the bathtub and shower

Supplies are a necessity with every task you perform, but having the right supplies before you begin to deep clean the bathtub and shower will speed up your efficiency. 

• Rubber gloves
• Clean paper towel
• Magic Eraser
• Sponge, rag, or microfiber cloth  
• Glass cleaner 
• Acidic cleaners – such as white vinegar or Lime-Away
• Mild abrasive cleaner – (ie. Soft Scrub or Bon Ami)
• Baking soda
• Plastic-bristle scrubbing brush
• Toothbrush
• Dishwashing soap
• Household bleach
• Plastic bags (optional)
• Plastic bucket (optional)
• Drain snake (optional)

Deep cleaning a bathtub and shower don’t mean you need to use harsh chemicals as found in most store-bought cleaning products. You can make your own cleaners by using household products. You can download the best  DIY cleaning recipe book by visiting the Bloomingful Peach printable shop. Use coupon code BPBP20 to get 20% off your entire order.

When you’re cleaning the bathtub and shower, you’ll want to keep in mind, that you’ll never be able to disinfect them both entirely. As antibacterial household cleaners have been born, some of the bacteria we find in our bathrooms have become “resistant” to the antibacterial properties in some household cleaners. 

Bathtub

Here’s a tip you may not know. Never use harsh abrasives while cleaning the bathtub. Most bathtubs are prone to crack and chip (yes, even the most expensive ones). By using a harsh abrasive, you can make small scratches on the finish. Some cleaners that contain ammonia, bleach, or hydrochloric acid may eat away at the finish allowing bacteria to find a hiding spot. 

How to clean the bathtub after every use

1. Rinse the entire tub, surrounding wall, and faucet with clean fresh water from the faucet. 
2. Wipe the tub and faucet dry with a clean paper towel, rag, or microfiber cloth after each use. 

By doing this after each use, you’ll eliminate water spots, mineral deposits, and soap scum residue, and you’ll save yourself a ton of time the next time you clean the bathtub. 

Weekly bathtub cleaning

1. Once a week you’ll want to use a mild abrasive with a sponge to clean the inside of the bathtub, the faucet, drain, and showerhead; if your bathtub comes equipped with one.
2. Clean any hair out of and around the drain. You may want to use long tweezers to remove any hair that may be trapped in the drain. 
3. If your bathtub comes with a rubber plunger and/or stopper, clean it thoroughly with mild dishwashing soap and a soft-bristled toothbrush. (A used toothbrush works perfectly for this). 

Monthly bathtub cleaning

1. If there are signs of visible mold or mildew in the grout or rubber seal that connects the bathtub to the wall, clean it with a mild abrasive and soft-bristled brush. 

If you need to use a mold and mildew product such as Tilex, please use it sparingly as it can damage the rubber seal and grout. Your best bet would be to mix 1 part bleach with 10 parts water, let sit for 10 minutes then rinse with tepid water.

2. Clean the entire tub using a mildly abrasive sponge. Rinse with clean tepid water.
3. You’ll want to clean the drain on a monthly basis. Pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup white vinegar. Once the chemical reaction of fizzing stops run warm or hot water down the drain. 

How to remove soap scum from the bathtub

If you have all the time in the world and you want to scrub, you’ll need to use an alkaline product such as white vinegar or  Lime Away, but to make this job 100-times easier,  you can just wet a Magic Eraser and scrub the soap scum away in a matter of minutes. 

If you’ve never used a Magic Eraser, you need to. Sure, they’re rather expensive, but they’re worth every stinking penny. 

The dollar stores sell “knock-offs” and they work just as well as the real deal. You’ll want to make sure you add these to your next shopping list. 

Shower

How to clean the shower after every use

If you take daily showers (no judgment if you don’t), you’ll want to wipe down the entire shower from top to bottom, with either the towel you used to dry your body or a clean microfiber rag you designate for this purpose only. 

Weekly shower cleaning

1. If there is a film of soap scum present, you can use your Magic Eraser to buff it off. Then Clean the floor of the shower first, using a mild abrasive. If there is no soap scum on the floor of the shower, proceed with cleaning the shower floor with a mild abrasive.

Peachy Tip.  It’s best to keep up with this task as the longer you let the soap scum sit on the floor of the shower, the more elbow grease you’ll need to enlist while scrubbing. Not to mention, you’ll cause the Magic Eraser to start crumbling before your eyes; which will give you one more thing to clean up. 

2. Wipe down the shower door and enclosures with a glass cleaner and a soft microfiber cloth. (If you have a shower curtain, see below).  If your shower door has soap scum on it, buff it clean with your Magic Eraser.  
3. Wipe down the metal frames around the doors with mild dish detergent and a microfiber cloth. Try not to get bleach on the frames, as that can cause the metal to corrode and discolor. 
4. If there are any mold or mildew spores on the caulking, spray them with Tilex or mix 1 part bleach with 10 parts water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then scrub gently with a soft-bristled brush. 
5. Rinse and dry with a clean cloth.

Monthly shower cleaning

1. You’ll want to follow the same protocol as listed in the weekly shower cleaning plan mentioned above. 
2. Scrub the grout (if you have tiled walls)with a soft-bristled brush and a mild abrasive cleaner or dishwashing soap. If your grout has mildew on it, you’ll want to use either Tilex or mix 1 part bleach with 10 parts water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then scrub gently with a soft-bristled brush. 
3. Clean the soap scum out of the soap dishes using a mild abrasive.

How to clean a shower curtain

1. If your shower curtain is plastic or nylon
2. and/or has a plastic or nylon, you’ll want to shake the shower curtain until most of the water is repealed. You’ll want to do this same procedure for the shower liner. You can either let it air-dry or wipe it dry with a microfiber towel. 
3. If your shower curtain is cloth, whether it’s made from cotton or any other natural fibers, you can put it in the gentle cycle of your washing machine. Follow the laundering guidelines that are provided by the manufacturers. 
4. If there isn’t a care label on your shower curtain that doesn’t recommend machine washing, you can soak the liner and/or shower curtain by hand by using 1 part bleach with 10 parts water. Then rehang. 

How to clean a showerhead

Regardless of what type of showerhead you have, you’ll want to clean it on a monthly basis, or sooner if you start to see a brown gunky film around the spray holes. 

1. If your shower head is affixed to the wall, fill a plastic bag with undiluted white vinegar and secure it to the showerhead. You’ll want to make sure the vinegar covers the entire head. Using a zip-tie works best for securing purposes. If you can let it soak overnight that would be ideal, but if you’re unable to do that, let it sit for a few hours before removing the bag and running hot water through the showerhead. 
2. If your showerhead is removable, follow the same protocol as mentioned above, but instead of a plastic bag, you can soak it in a bucket. 
3. Using a soft-bristled brush, wipe off any residue that may reside on the showerhead, then rinse. 

Peachy Tip: It’s not necessary to use baking soda and vinegar when cleaning the showerhead. The baking soda will only cause a chemical reaction of fizzing. It will not make the vinegar work better as each chemical will neutralize the cleaning power in both products. 

Clogged Drains

Clogged drains can be fixed in a matter of minutes.

1. Remove the shower drain cap.
2. Insert the drain snake as far as you can. When it doesn’t go down any further, bring it up. You’ll pull out a lot of hair and soap residue.
3. To flush the drain, pour down 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar.
4. Once the fizzing stops, run hot water down the drain for 5 minutes.

Faucets

How to clean a faucet after every use

Rinse with clean water and blot dry. 

Weekly faucet cleaning

1. Clean the seams and crevices with a toothbrush.
2. Wipe down the faucet with mild dishwashing liquid and water on a clean cloth, or spray glass cleaner onto a cloth and wipe down all areas of the faucet. 

Monthly faucet cleaning

1. Clean the seams and crevices with a toothbrush.
2. To remove the buildup of soap scum or mineral deposits, wipe the faucet down with vinegar.
3. Wipe down the faucet with mild dishwashing liquid and water on a clean cloth, or spray glass cleaner onto a cloth and wipe down all areas of the faucet. 
4. If you’re able to remove the air-rater from the faucet, soak it in white vinegar for 10 minutes. If the air-rater is stationary, place vinegar in a bag and zip-tie it to the faucet.  Using a soft-bristled brush, wipe off any residue that may reside on the showerhead, then rinse. 

Ceramic & Porcelain wall tile

How to clean bathroom ceramic & porcelain tile

1. Spray the tile walls with a mixture of 1 part dishwashing detergent and 1 cup vinegar.
2. Turn the shower on hot until steam fills the shower, tub, or bathroom. This should take approximately five minutes.
3. Once you turn off the hot water, let the dishwashing detergent and vinegar mixture sit on the walls for 10 minutes.
4. Wipe off with a clean microfiber towel.

How to clean bathroom tile grout

There are two methods when it comes to cleaning ceramic tile grout. There’s the easy way and the hard grueling way.

The easy way to clean bathroom tile grout

1. Spray with Tilex. Let it sit per the package instructions in a properly vented room.
2. Rinse with water and dry.

The hard & grueling way to clean bathroom tile grout

1. Spray white vinegar on the stained and dirty grout.
2. Let it sit for five minutes.
3. Rinse with warm water.
4. Make a paste out of baking soda and water.
5. Dip your toothbrush into the paste and work it into the grout. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse and dry.

If that doesn’t work, wait a few days and try again with the Tilex.

How do you deep clean the bathroom and shower?

Do you use any of these methods when it comes time to clean your bathroom and shower? Share with a comment.

Stay Peachy!

Recommended reading: 

• How To Clean A Toilet Like a Professional Cleaner
• This Is How You Unclog A Toilet Quickly
• 4 Easy Tips How To Clean Baby Poop From The Tub
• The Most Effective Way How To Mop A Floor Correctly
• Natural Cleaners, Are They The Best Solution For You?