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The Secret To Spending Less Time Cleaning Your Shower

dirty tub Do you know anyone who enjoys cleaning their tub or shower? I don't. It is one of those jobs that people put off as long as possible. I've been in a lot of homes, and I continue to be amazed at the lack of cleanliness when it comes to bathrooms, more specifically tubs and showers.

I've seen some showers that I wouldn't step into fully dressed with my shoes on.

If your house is not for sale and you don't mind black grout lines, that's your business. If you are selling your home then you better scrub those lines back to white.

Of all the rooms in your house, the bathroom is the most important when it comes to cleanliness and the most important when it comes to de-personalizing.

Buyers know, of course, that someone else has been using the bathroom, but buyers don't want to see evidence of that someone else. They need to see a fresh, clean room and emotionally they need to feel comfortable at the idea of making it their own.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your shower or paid a professional to clean it, here are two ways to prolong the time in between cleanings.

Switch from bar soap to liquid soap. I don't know exactly why, but the bar soap creates much more soap scum buildup. Using liquid will reduce that buildup.
Dry shower after each use. Wipe off excess water and soap residue with a squeegee and then use your bath towel to wipe down walls and floor. Keeping the shower dry prevents mold growth, which thrives in moist conditions. You won't believe how long the shower will stay clean if you get into the routine of drying it. It really doesn't take that long and it will save you a lot of elbow grease in the long run. All family members should develop this habit.

Whether you are living in a "for sale" situation where you have to keep the house in show condition, or just busy and have better things to do than spend time scrubbing the shower, a little extra effort each day can add up to a lot less time scrubbing soap scum and mold.

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Posted by Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager on 09/22/2009 09:34 AM

Comments (43)

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43 Comments on The Secret To Spending Less Time Cleaning Your Shower

SEP

Great advice Sharon! It's not my favorite job either! :)

Thanks for the tip Sharon; Now I know why my wife wants me to "squeegee" the shower each time I use it! :)

Hi Sharon: Liquid soap hun? That is an interesting idea.

Sharon, I do use a 'squeegee' as well as "Rain-X "on the shower door. But now, I may just dry the whole thing and save on cleaning later. Good tips, thanks.

Sharon, I agree it's like clean is a "feature" of a home. I'm not sure if cleaning after each use takes any less time overall, but who wants to put it off untill it takes an hour to clean the tub or shower. I'd rather spend a little time as I go.

Hi Sharon !

I religiously squeegee down the shower after every shower - it takes about 1 minute - and it ends up looking like it was freshly cleaned almost every time I step out !

Great tips ...and I love the new 'closeup' pic :o)

Cheers !

Thanks for the tips Sharon. Got to be the worst job in the house other than the windows.

Michele: It's no one's favorite job, hard work if the residue is allowed to build up. Thanks for the comment.

Robert: See your wife knows what she is talking about!

Matt: Something to do with whatever holds the soap together, it was explained to me once, but I forget the details now! It is true though!

Greg: Drying really is key. It makes such a difference. Rain X is a great idea too!

Sharon I may need some further how to...can you come over and show me "how to"...Just this once? Kidding of course, these are simple but effective ways to nudge a seller into seeing what a buyer sees, I don't know how many times I am repulsed by the way a listing is left...as clean enough. This is a signal to a buyer to be apprehensive about bigger issues.

Sharon, great idea with the liquid soap. I think the bars do pile more scum up as well...

Great post addressing the"EWWWW Factor!"

Sharon- good grief, you HAD to remind me it's time to clean my bathrooms! Just kidding. Great reminders for all of us. We've been using liquid bath gel forever; less soap scum and mess. I also love the microfiber towels for cleaning the glass and mirrors. Good post1

Sharon

Sounds like great advice, thanks for the tip.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Hi, Sharon. I agree with Steve; seeing the smallest negative thing makes a buyer start LOOKING for other negatives. If we can have a self-cleaning oven, why can't someone invent self-cleaning grout?

Did you get 1,080 points for your new HD picture?!

Sharon - I have been saying this to my own family for YEARS! My dad loves Irish Spring, and before that, Coast - and it's always been the the WORST chore to clean his shower. I've been begging for the switch to liquid (my shower is a breeze to clean) but nobody believes me. They think I'm full of it. But I know 30 minutes from five minutes, and I know it's that durned leprechaun soap.

Now, Daddy lives with my sister, and she complains about his shower.

IT'S THE SOAP, not the Dad. I'm making copies of your post. Maybe they will believe YOU!

~Michelle

Showers are a everyday part of life - but your right - who wants to be cleaning them all the time. Especially with the clear 'glass' shower doors. I agree that 'drying' the shower walls and doors can reduce the used look. Wiping off not only the walls and doors, wiping off the tub ledge where it meets the shower walls is also important. This will minimize the mould build up. A GREAT product that works to dry the shower area is NORWEX environmenal cloths. They are sold in Canada and I think that they are available in parts of the States. I think Shamwow would work as well. Hanging a clear suction hook in the shower and hanging the cloth on it - this makes it readily accessible for that 30 second job after showering. Keeping this practise up regular helps prolong the life of the shower and less work for repairs.

Another feature that works well for the shower prior to drying is the use of a hand held shower head. Giving a rinse of the walls and tub then drying it off will remove the soap residue easily.

Steve: It takes less than a minute, you just need to get into the habit. When you do need to clean, it is a much easier job.

Sheldon: I am impressed! Teach that habit to the boys and their future wives will be very grateful! Thanks for the comment about the new picture. It is the same pic, just cropped closer. I love your new look. I think the new pictures look terrific all way around. It was a great idea to update to a more uniform size.

Lee and Carol: I know it is very strenuous on the arms and back and I don't enjoy it at all! But, I want my house clean...no mold here!

Steve: Why do men always pull that "I don't know how" ploy to get out of doing things? I bet you are very capable of keeping the shower clean and I think that should be your mission in life from this point on.

Good point: a grungy tub is a red flag to buyers that the homeowners don't take care of their stuff.

Gary: Confession, my husband and I prefer bar soap. Even though I know it builds up faster, I feel all the work with the squeegee and drying with the towel are enough to make a difference.

Jane: Maybe that should have been my title, "The EWWWW Factor"

Kathy: Sorry, but there is no getting away from it. Although some people seem to think they never have to clean and just like me, I bet you have seen your share of disgusting baths.

Lou: You are welcome! Get yourself a squeegee!

Leslie: It's funny you mentioned inventing something. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could step out of the shower and press a button and a blower blow dried the shower for you! Yes, I got my points. I love the new pictures too. I'm enjoying seeing everyone's new look.

Michelle: First of all, how wonderful you and your sister have taken such good care of your dad. Bathroom cleaning is bad enough, but having to clean the bathroom of your parent too...that is going above and beyond! I commend you and your sister! I hope my post helps your plea for a liquid soap! It is pretty hard to get those old dogs to change their ways. I wish you luck!

Susan: Thanks for the valuable input! I forgot to mention the handheld shower head. I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes rinsing after cleaning the shower so much easier.

Sharon - My wife is so going to appreciate you for this, while putting the towel in my hand! It does make perfect sense though. I just noticed the other day that the ceiling fan in my bathroom was filthy 'cause with the steam, all the dust just clings too and coats the blades. Took care of that one.

Thank you Sharon! I'm a fanatic when it comes to tubs and basins and can't believe how many scuzzy ones I've seen when touring homes. Ick! Your solution is fantastic and easy. Thanks for addressing the cleanliness issue.

Michael: Happy to make your wife happy! Good job on cleaning that ceiling fan!

Kate: You are so welcome! Thank you for your enthusiasm and for sharing it here!

Good points, Sharon. There's nothing quite like walking into a bathroom that says "Athletes foot!"

SEP

Hmmmmm. I had never heard that about liquid soap. I know my mom always used Zest because it never left a ring around the tub!

Morning Sharon, I've never hear of the liquid soap trick, where did you find that interesting speck of intel? The great things we learn here on AR!

Bathrooms are so personal if they are not super fresh and clean it's such a turn off and can be deal breaker. It really worth it to spend the extra time to clean & spruce this room up.

Patricia: Eewww! That is so nasty! I need to take my mind to a happy place now!

Janna: I remember Zest, do they still sell it? Your mother was ahead of her time!

Cynthia: A friend told me about it, don't know where she got the info from. Important thing is, it does seem to be true!

Aloha Sharon,

Thanks for a most excellent post! Nothing is more disappointing to me, than finding a nasty bathroom at a property for sale. On second thought even a slightly dirty bathroom is unpleasant.

Peace,

What a disgusting job......I hate it! Anything to make it less unpleasant is welcome advice.

Kimo: Thank you for a most excellent comment! I really appreciate it!

Ann: I hear ya! Your own is bad enough, but someone elses...even worse!

Very interesting stuff staging lady!

Debra: Thank you!

SEP

I had a client that had a really dirty shower, and he asked his agent to have it taken care of, not sure why, but anyway, the agent didn't and everything showed like a model, except for the shower!

SEP

Cindy: How could the agent let that get forgotten? If you want something done right...

Great stuff indeed, I wonder why my house keeper has not mentioned it. I love this stuff and you can share with anyone.

SEP

Great advice. We've done the drying off after every shower and liquid soap for years and it's made a huge difference.

Joyce: Maybe your housekeeper doesn't want you to not need her as much! lol!

Irene: Thanks for supporting my information with first hand experience!

Sharon,

The other Irene isn't so successful at home. In the land of ultra-hard water, my glass doors look awful far too fast in spite of squeegies.

For a listing I had with an elderly seller, I removed her shower door, laid it in the basement, coated with straight vinegar, forced her to make us lunch, and then scrubbed it down. Did look brand new...

SEP

Sharon - these are fabulous tips. There really is something to the liquid soap - acutally it has more to do with the what it is made of I think. When I used a organic liquid soap - the soap scum literally went away - even the lady who cleans for me mentioned it. Once I started using bar soap again, the tub became much harder to clean. It has convinced me to go back. Thanks for sharing all of this great knowledge with us!

I have to imagine the house in that pic will be hard to sell! The tips are great... I can't get my husband to switch to liquid soap. I think I'm going to try again.

Irene: I hadn't considered water hardness...sorry. I laughed at the visual of you forcing an old woman to make you lunch! What a great help you were to her, removing and cleaning that shower door! That is above and beyond for sure!

Sheila: Thanks for adding to the validity of my claims! Organic is even better for so many reasons!

Cathy: Actually that tub cleaned up beautifully and did sell! Had we left it in that condition, I'm sure it would have been a different story! Husbands can be difficult to convert, good luck with that! How about making the tub/shower cleaning his responsibility?

SEP

I've always been amazed that some people actually take showers in their showers or bathe in their bathtubs. Some of the places I've had to inspect are just vomit-inducing.

Russel: Aint it the truth! Turns the stomach!

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