Shower Cabin and Steam Shower Cleaning Guide

Who would want to enter an unsightly bathroom anyway?

It is necessary to keep good airflow in your bathroom. Its moist, damp environment has an effect on chrome-plated parts of your shower and sooner or later it will deteriorate and it will be difficult to get its shine back.

So, open the door and windows after every use or try to install an air extractor fan/exhaust fan vented outside if it’s needed to help clear the moist air. Maintain humidity level of between 40-60% in your bathroom. But even if it’s well ventilated, you still have to clean your shower enclosure regularly.

Keeping a Healthy Shower Environment

Along with a moist environment, bacteria and viruses grow. Moulds according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contains health risk issues.

While most of us are resistant to its risk, there’s still a small percentile of people who are sensitive and prone to diseases it brings such as allergies or lung illnesses that is to be considered serious and should fully avoid mould environments.

Some symptoms of such illnesses include difficulty in breathing, sneezing, coughing, nasal stuffiness, wheezing, eye, throat and skin irritation.

Sparkling Shower Glass

After some time, Limescale deposit remains in shower glasses, especially for those who live in hard water areas. Shampoo and soap residues collected overtime also take away the shower glass’s gloss and clear finish. Here listed below are some of the most effective tips on cleaning shower glasses:

- After each use, you should make an effort to remove excess water and soap scum from the glass so it won’t dry on itself and leave hard residues.

- When cleaning the glass, you must use a standard glass cleaner instead of ordinary cleaning soap. Remember to leave the solution for a minute or two for it to take effect before wiping it out.

- Using a circular motion, rub a clean paper towel against the glass but when it comes to stubborn limescale, exceed more strength to eliminate the marks or you could just apply another splash of glass cleaner before wiping it off again.

- Keep on top of the task. Clean the glass as often as you can so it’ll be easier and quicker to maintain a fresh and clean looking shower glass.

 Clean, Shiny and Flowing Shower Head

The showerhead can easily be clogged when you live in hard water areas. Limescale and mould was always the culprit and when ignored, it will cause the shower to be blocked up. Here are the ways to clean and unclog your shower head:

- Unscrew the showerhead and the rest of its parts. From here it will be easier to clean and brush off thoroughly the unwanted dirt without having to reach out and stand inside the shower enclosure.

- Put all the parts in a basin of white vinegar for 15 minutes to loosen the limescale and dirt on it.

- Using an old toothbrush rid of the dirt by scrubbing the showerhead and clearing up the nozzle holes. But for stubborn dirt, get a thin wire that will fit into the hole of the nozzle and poke in each hole. You may repeat this process if necessary.

- After the nozzles are clear and without a trace of debris, just simply screw it back together and place it back onto the shower hose. Run the water through to check if you now have a smooth flowing stream of water.

Mould Free Steam Shower

Since mould has a negative effect on one’s health. Many specialists recommend using mould treatment products such as HG mould spray to directly eliminate fungus, algae, moss and moulds but like most chemicals, it should be used cautiously by following guidelines from its manufacturers. Start by spraying the affected area and leave for the time instructed.

Clean afterwards. If persistent moulds still appear, re-apply the product. On the other hand, you may just reach for a simple mixture of bleach and water to kill the moulds.

First, create an equal part of bleach and water. Pour or spray onto the affected area and leave it there. After 15 minutes, rinse it off with just water. You may repeat the process as necessary. Follow these guidelines when cleaning mould affected areas:

- Put on a non-porous glove to protect your hands from the harsh chemicals.

- Wear a goggle and a mask to protect your eyes from bleach spray and for you to not be able to inhale the dangerous fumes.

- Don’t forget the ventilation. Open the door and windows for the air to flow outside of the room. Don’t stay long inside or you might get suffocated.

- Under no circumstances, mix bleach with any other different type of household cleaners for this may result to poisoning if toxic fumes were inhaled.

- Read the product’s label and carefully follow the guidelines.

Unblock the Shower Trap

After each shower, we lose some of our bodily hairs that may result to shower drain blockage. In addition to that soap, scums are also to be blamed. Over time, it will build up in waste pipes and will cause a blocked shower drain.

To avoid so, Make sure to take out the debris or loosen hairs collected on trap after every use. But if you already have blocked shower drains here are the things to do:

- The first step would be to remove the cover. Some may need to be unscrewed and some can just be lifted up. Once it is out, you may now check the problem.

- If hair is present inside the shower drain, remove it using a metal coat hanger that’s been bent and hook it out.

- If you can’t clearly see the blockage, you could try and use a drain rod or plunger to extricate the debris. Push the rod down until you feel the blockage and move it side to side to loosen it up.

- Using a plunger, place it over the hole and try to dislodge the shower drain by creating an airtight seal around it covering any air openings then start to pump the plunger up and down until the blockage disappear. If these steps still don’t work only then you can consider trying a chemical solution.

- Most supermarkets sell drain-blocking solutions, But if you want to try a more eco-friendly solution you may want to use baking soda and vinegar solution.

Firstly, let the shower enclosure to dry out and wait for the shower drain to be free of water. Then, with just half a cup of baking soda, pour it into the drain and follow it with 2 cups of white vinegar. It will now create a mixture that causes a mild reaction that can dislodge hairs and debris inside the drain.

Observe it until the bubbling of the solution stops.

When it stops, run-down water into the drain to wash away remaining debris or hair.  You may regularly do this to be sure that you will always have an unblocked shower drain.

- For much difficult drainage problems, you may consider hiring a professional plumber and have it checked.

There is a possibility that if you have trees surrounding your house, its roots could be causing cracks under the ground, pushing through further into your drains.

Why Regular Shower Cleaning is Required

Both bacteria and mould breed easily in a moist environment and where can they get it better than in a bathroom or showering enclosure.

Since everyone needs a shower daily, it becomes imperative that a little attention should be given frequently to that area.

If you don’t then mould or bacteria will seep in quietly and before you know it your new chrome-plated fixtures will be ruined beyond repair and don’t even get me started on what it will do to your shower curtain (if you have any.)

So if you are a busy person, keep the cleaning for the weekends, but for the rest of the days, the least that you can do is to keep your bathroom well ventilated either by opening the window so the air crosses through or by turning on the exhaust fan till the time your bathroom has dried up after the shower.

Andrew Ellis( Spa expert & Webmaster )

Sauna and spa expert with years of experience in the field. You can see me featured in many leading publications as well as my own published research papers. Fitness, health, home improvement and Psychology are my main interests. I’ve worked in many roles from product designer to purchaser for spa products, garden furniture and tech to a hands-on webmaster.