Domestic Goddess's Please - Shower Cleaning Advice

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toadfish, Jul 21, 9:33pm
I guess what I am after is techniques.
Spoilt brat that I am grew up with a cleaner coming twice a week, so i never learnt the art of cleaning ,or ironing for that matter. subsequently I am not very good.
My cleaner got a full time job about 2 months ago. and while I am thrilled for her. Its fallen back on me and my family.The girls are an excellant help and we split it 3 ways, Miss 18 Vaccums the whole house, Miss 19 does the bathrooms and kitchen surfaces, while I have the joys of the 2 showers, 2 toilets and the lino.

My question is, in the past I have sprayed it with shower power or Bam Soap scum remover (both very good) scrubbed it while I am in it and used the shower nozzle on the hose to rinse it all down or scrub it while I am in it with the water running. now my dilema.

We are now on tank water so i have to conserve water, and my shower heads are fixed.So I have been doing similiar but using a jug to rinse off.

My question is. How do people clean showers without the need to get in it. Do people do it dry! and if so what products do you use.The good thing is with tank water the build up is minimal.

Sorry of this sounds petty. just looking for a better way than having to get in the shower and wet. twice lol

Any techniques greatfully apreciated.

margyr, Jul 21, 9:58pm
your cleaner probably never undressed when she cleaned your shower, haha the mind boggles at all the naked cleaners. Now to answer your question yes you can clean the shower and stay dry, I use jiff on the floor part, damp cloth and elbow grease, the walls should not need cleaning every time, does your shower have a door or curtain! If a door clean and then wipe and dry after each shower, then you just have to give it a good clean when you do the walls. Then chuck buckets of water around to rinse off cleaning products, or if you have one handy put a hose through the window and hose down walls.

toadfish, Jul 21, 10:03pm
lolI know my family often laugh and tell me I can never get a job as a cleaner as I go from one shower to the other wrapped in nothing but a towel carrying cleaning products.

PS My shower is a unit with a glass door.

autumnwinds, Jul 21, 10:06pm
Get a rubber squeegee from the $2 Shop - a handle, with a t-bar with a rubber blade.Excellent for running down the walls (solid and glass) to remove excess water and avoid streaks, after you've cleaned - stops that "spotty" look.

camper18, Jul 21, 11:03pm
Yes toadfish , do what autumnwinds said with the sqeegee blade after each shower. My daughter is in a rental in Aus and does this after EVERY shower and her showers are spotless.There is also a product called Shower Witch wich is pretty good also as you just spray it on after your shower and leave it. It doesn't need rinsing off.

sunnyflower, Jul 22, 12:35am
I spray with clorox and then scrub it while outside of it with one of those window cleaning brushes shorter handle than a broom and has a brush and foam in the centre. then rinse with my shower head, you could scrub first just before you have a shower then rinse while in the shower to save water, the clorox has teflon so noting sticks, I dont use soap in the shower as thats animal fat and you will get soap scum I use shower gel never causes that.

elsielaurie1, Jul 22, 12:48am
Google Wendyl Nissen's site - the Green Goddess.she has a heap of good, non-chemical cleaners.

daleaway, Jul 22, 4:01am
I agree with sunnyflower - if you can get your family to switch to NON-CREAMY shower gels, and to swish the shower around with a jug of warm water after they get out, it will need to be hard-cleaned only half as often, if that.

It's soap (and creamy shampoos, conditioners and gels) that causes most of the scumming problem.

kiwiscrapper1, Jul 22, 9:15am
I had mine vitroglazed, no need for any scrubbing just hose them off, once a week or fortnight I do use the spray they give you just to sanitize them, oh and we always use soap free shower liquid shower wash. After 6years they still look like new, no foggyness at all :-)

elliehen, Jul 22, 9:43am
My shower became a self-cleaning one when I made everyone stop using soap.think 'tallow' - a hard fatty substance made from rendered animal fat. Not surprising that there's scum.

kinna54, Jul 22, 10:10am
Shower power is still one of the best products on the market.although I hate the smell, nearly chokes me (make sure area is well vented.)
Okay what you have to do is the jug method, stand back, throw, let it drip, then stand on a towel inside the bottom of the shower and squeegeethe walls down, then quick rub with a chamois or "blot cloth.
Then step out and kneel down and buff the bottom dry with the chamois or old towel. Bit of effort but it works.or if you can still buy those old push on hair wash hose attachments use one of those on the tap.

rainrain1, Jul 22, 7:11pm
I assume you have access to taps in the same room!Get a hose made that reaches from a tap to your shower especially for cleaning.I have an outside hose that reaches.

lythande1, Jul 22, 7:51pm
LOL. Can't not get in mine, it's a shower over a spa bath, can't reach it without being in it, so I tend to do it after my shower.

rainrain1, Jul 22, 8:40pm
yes, or clean it while you're in it on hair wash days

rarogal, Jul 22, 10:02pm
Lol, my nieces grew up with maids, cleaners etc, just went with their father's job, but their mother did not (my sister) so she made sure they learnt how to do it in case they did not marry as well as she did. Lol, they did! Good luck with the cleaning, 2 jobs I hate, the shower and the oven.

cookessentials, Jul 22, 10:11pm
I use that yellow shower spray ( Australian i think) and have used it when on tank water. Spray it on when shower is wet, rub all over with a sponge or nylon scourer and rinse. To be honest, you wont empty your tank by doing this once a week, I can assure you.

toadfish, Jul 23, 6:11pm
I have come to the conclusion its not the soap that causes me the grief as once you spray on the product, it comes off.I think its town water supply and calcium/lime that causes the long term damage. When we moved in and on tank/rain water I assumed that they had replaced the showers recently as they looked new.They hadn't. they are 18 year old Engelfield showers that look sparkling new.My 8 year old showers in town had a film I couldn't seem to remove and the build up was double and harder to remove.
Thanks for everyones input. I guess I am on the right track. just need a bucket . I find the purpose made shower cleaning sponge with a non scratching scourer excellant, I also have used successfully a tulle type ball that was really good.
After I did it this weekend, I went back later when dry and spray and wiped it. this seem to bring back the sparkle and remove the missed bits.
Mmmmmm think the answer really is to find a new cleaner lol.

lynja, Jul 23, 7:09pm
Homebrand bathroom spray cleaner is wonderful. Cheap too. still needs to be washed of though. We only use dove 'soap' and this really helps avoid any build up of soap scrum. I think the secret is to do it every week really well.

rainrain1, Jul 23, 7:33pm
Wash yourself in the bucket. clean shower, problem solved !

pr_chch2, Jul 23, 9:50pm
Those silver lady mitts from New World are good.$3.99.seem expensive but last ages.don't use with any bleach though. Non scratch and great on shower walls etc.I quite like Handy Andy.but can't use with above cloth. I know seems obvious and has been said before, but don't let it build it then it isn't just a huge task. Each time you shower tackle one wall.then won't seem so arduous.

jude343, Jul 29, 8:21am
i put x5 caps of handy andy in a spray bottle with similar ammount of white vinegar, top up bottle with water, spray as you get out of shower, leave the bottle and the cleaning cloth stood in the bottom.it reminds the next person in the shower to run the cloth around.always clean.
i do this x1 or x2 times a week

co-creations, Jul 29, 10:40am
yes Sunnyflower I'm with you I have cleaned for about 4 years and it was my job to do the wet cleaning in about 4 houses a day and with all the products I've used over the years in peoples houses Clorox is the best I've found yet beats all the others on the market I buy mine in Pak n Save. Just spray on and let it do its job you may have to follow up with a green scourer the first couple of times until the soap scum is removed but then its just spray and rinse off really.

kuaka, Jul 29, 11:00am
Just a thought, if you are on tank water, are you also on septic tank!If so, be careful what you use as it could interfere with the friendly bugs in your septic tank.I tend to agree that it's probably the chemicals in the town water which causes the problems rather than the soap as the problem doesn't seem as bad with fresh rain/tank water.

rozke, Jul 29, 12:15pm
dont use JIF on plastic showers it takes off the coatinglearned the hard way

alewis, Jul 29, 12:22pm
Have you tried the magic sponges they are white they take off everything, circular motions on your shower door they get off all fat buildup,mdont look too closely at the white magic foam when you have finished yuck, you just keep finishing it with water, after that you want a silicone film on your glass walls so the water just beads off - groupon have a pack occasionally. Good luck.