How to clean a shower including shower head, tiles and glass screen

WHILE cleaning your bathroom isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, it’s an unavoidable part of homeownership.

However, the plus side to this is when finished, a squeaky clean shower can make the whole bathroom look and feel fresher.

How to clean a shower?

First things first, clear the area of any bottles of shower gel, soaps, and flannels. Give yourself a clear space to work with.

You will need:

• Cleaning fluid (natural or chemical)
• Sponge
• Squeegee
• Plastic mesh scrubber
• Toothbrush
• Rubber gloves
• Microfibre cloth

When you're all prepped, cleaning just takes patience and elbow grease for your shower will be sparkling in no time.

Don't forget to ventilate the room as best as you can when using chemicals, take breaks and don't mix products with bleach and ammonia.

How to clean a showerhead

Cleaning the shower head is often one of the first tasks people look at when starting.

Limescale can build up around the head making it less powerful and directing your water off in odd directions.

The safest and easiest way to do this is by removing the head from the pipe, this is usually a simple unscrewing.

An expert at : " Most modern shower heads should simply screw off with little effort, though you may need to use a small spanner on stubborn older ones.

"Once unscrewed, you may find a small rubber washer within the hose connector.

"Make sure you keep this safe as without it, your shower will almost certainly leak water from this connection."

You can clean the head easily with white vinegar if the limescale isn't too bad - just leave it in a bucket of vinegar for half an hour.

Remove the head and rinse before cleaning any tough bits with vinegar and a toothbrush (we don't recommend using your current brush).

If the limescale build-up is more substantial or you don't want the vinegar smell, buy a specialist limescale cleaner.

Victorian Plumbing advised to "brush away at any remaining blockages within the nubs on the face".

An expert explained: "The white vinegar should have loosened these up, making them relatively easy to remove.

"Follow this by polishing the unit with a soft cloth to really bring it back to life."

Once this is done, you're set to rinse and reattach your head.

How to clean the shower drain

The shower drain is a dark and dank area of the shower which most of us avoid cleaning regularly.

The good thing is there are many ways to clean a drain, but they each require you to get a bit grubby.

Put your rubber gloves on and lift the drain trap, remove any hair or debris caught and clean it.

If the blockage is lower down, use a drain snake to clear the pipes before pouring your cleaner.

Use boiling water to help dissolve any soap scum and begin shifting dirt.

Follow the instructions on your drain cleaner or for a natural option mix white vinegar and baking soda, let this sit in the drain for 15 minutes and then rinse with more boiling water.

If this doesn't help improve the speed of drainage or there is still a blockage, call a plumber.

How to clean a shower glass

Glass is relatively easy to clean as the flat surface lets you move quickly over the shower.

Limescale and watermarks can quickly make your shower look dirty, so using a squeegee after each shower is a great preventative measure.

Use a soft sponge and spray your cleaner over the glass, use circular motions to break down any limescale build-up.

Once the shower is clear, rinse with water then squeeze the water away so you don't undo all your hard work.

How to clean tiles

Grime and dirt can easily cling to grout and tiling, allowing mould to grow in some cases.

According to experts at Victorian Plumbing, "the first thing you should focus your attention on is the grouting" when wanting to make your bathroom look tip-top.

One said: "This can really start to look dirty after a while and mould growth can begin to appear too which will obviously spoil the look of the room.

"Luckily giving your grout a new lease of life isn’t all that difficult, just a little bit time consuming, especially in a larger setting."

Start by spraying your tiles with hot water - as hot as the shower will go - to loosen any dirt and open the pores in the grout.

Next, get your cleaner (be it a homemade vinegar-water mix or shop-bought) and coat your tiles with it.

Leave this to sit for ten minutes before starting on the grout, scrubbing with a toothbrush but avoid the tiles themselves so you don't scratch it.

If you have a softer scrubber use this over the whole tiled area to dislodge any dirt.