Just letting you know up front that I’m going to use Amazon affiliate links to the tools that have made shower cleaning so much easier for me.
In case you didn’t know yet, my cleaning tips aren’t based upon a love of cleaning.
Really, though, they’re not based upon a hate of cleaning either.
My cleaning tips are from the perspective of someone who goes through life NEVER EVEN THINKING about cleaning until she knows the doorbell is about to ring.
I’m all about finding ways to combat my T.P.A.D. (Time Passage Awareness Disorder – a totally made-up-by-me problem) and my Slob Vision.
What works for me?
Associating tasks with things I do regularly anyway. Putting reminders IN FRONT OF MY FACE where I can’t possibly miss them. Even though I still totally miss them sometimes.
This tip fulfills all of those requirements.
Keep a dish-soap filled, non-scratch dish wand IN THE SHOWER. Use it while you’re in the shower.
Even though I figured out a while back that dish soap cleans my shower as well as anything ever did (while also not freaking me out by its chemicallyness), and even though I figured out a while later that the very best time to clean my shower is when I’m already in it, it took me an even longer while to actually act upon this solution suggested by so many of you.
There’s not too much more to say. Having a non-scratch dish wand
And the wand doubles as a pretend microphone, which is also totally useful in the shower.
You’re welcome.
--Nony
I’ve been doing this for awhile myself! I use the green Dawn, Apple scent I think it’s called, because it smells so good without being too chemical-ly smelling. I use it to clean my kitchen counters and then my kitchen smells so good!!
HAHA! That’s a funny visual – the dish soap wand as a microphone. Thanks for sharing. Good tip!
I use vinegar and dawn dish soap. Not sure if the vinegar is totally necessary but I figure it can’t hurt. I use my vinegar, water, dawn and some EO as my every day spray cleaner for table, counters, mystery sticky spills etc.
I do that as well, with the vinegar, and my tub surround is much cleaner! I also keep a squirt bottle of half vinegar, half water that I squirt on the tub floor and shower curtain after the kids get done in there. It has eliminated the athletes foot problem we had, and the shower curtain never gets moldy.
Good ideas!!
I’m trying this….we keep having recurring athletes foot in our house and i’m afraid my sons will get athletes butt in the bath.
That’s a scary thought!!!
I’ve been doing the same. My shower is all glass, and cleaning it is practically hell for me. I’ve tried all the tricks. Found this idea on pinterest with vinegar added, and it was amazing. No streaks, no excessive scrubbing. Super fast. It now has a home on the tiny corner shelf with my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I had the hubby install a removable shower head for easy rinsing. 🙂
The removable shower head is key! I rinse my shower after EVERY shower, and don’t have to scrub all that often. Dishwand is definitely the way to go!
Holy moly, I’ve had the wand in the shower for weeks now, but I didn’t know what to put in it to clean, and spraying that foaming cleaner while in the shower was a little scary to me. Now I know what to put in the wand! I have some of that dish soap downstairs!!! Clean bathroom, here you come.
Nony, just to say, you may have named it but you’re the only person to suffer from T.P.A.D., unfortunately!
I’m guessing you meant to say she is not the only person lol. Because I totally suffer from it too!!
…. Cleaning the shower… never done it. I do need to completely rip out the walls around my shower and install tile or a surround or something.
That kicks the crap out of me using scrubbing bubbles at 11 pm wishing I was in bed, but since I had not cleaned my shower for an undisclosed amount of time and giving the littlest a bath was getting dicey for ME… Anyway, adding one of those scrubbers to my list now!
OMG you make me laugh! Thanks for both the laugh and the great idea.
TPAD! Yes! I read this to my husband (a stay at home dad) and we both diagnosed him with a severe case of TPAD (which we are pronouncing T-pad). Thanks for giving us a fun way of talking about something that comes up often. I will sound a lot less naggy using the joke term!
I don’t think I’ve ever commented here before, but I can’t let it go this time. Oh my gosh, every time I think I could not possibly love you any more than I already do, you surpass those limits exponentially!
TPAD? Oh yeah, that’s a thing. You may have been the first to name it, but oh my goodness, I’ve been plagued by it my entire life! I also have a spatial awareness issue that seems very related. (This relates to how big of a Tupperware container I need for my leftovers, how much room I have to park my Suburban, approximating the height of a fence, you name it.)
I love the honesty in your humor about the $6000 TV example, the Slob Vision reference, and that somebody out there understands my lack of thinking about cleaning until the doorbell is about to ring. You and your blog are truly a gift to this world!
I’ve been using the Dawn + vinegar cleaner in my shower for a few years (read: probably about 5 times total), which is amazing at getting out the gunk, but I have been thinking that there’s probably a better way to get this accomplished on a regular basis. My husband likes keeping a squeegie in the shower, but I never use it and I really think the cleaner in the dish wand thing is genius. If I’m doing it regularly, it won’t have all the gunk and Dawn all by itself will work perfectly. I think I even have an old dishwand with a new sponge that I saved because it wasn’t great for the way we use it for dishes, but it was expensive and I thought it should be useful for something else. Win-win!
Oh how I love this comment!!!
I to am affected with T.P.A.D. I’m happy to now have a name for it. My brother and his wife made a quick visit over the weekend and when do I run around cleaning…why yes, the night before they are due to arrive and I will not be home for 1 second come morning until AFTER they are at my house. My husband just shakes his head and started cleaning the guest room as soon as he got home from work because he knew I was loosing my mind.
Hi I’m from Scotland and love this idea…is Dawn a regular washing up liquid? Or is it something particularly special?
I too suffer from TPAD….
Love you posts
X
Yes. It’s just a regular dish washing liquid for hand washing dishes.
I tried this once, with vinegar. The sponge ended up growing mold. Is there a way that I could keep it from doing that? Do I just need to find a drier spot to keep it between showers?
Yes, that would help I think. Mine hasn’t been in there for a very long time, but it’s up in a spot where air circulates so hopefully that will prevent mold.
You could find a suction-cup holder to hold the wand upright so the sponge can dry between uses. It also helps to leave the shower door open to encourage air flow. (This will prevent mold in the whole shower area.) When I had an actual shower curtain, I would close it and spread out the folds to dry when I got out of the tub, then open the curtain fully the next time I was in the bathroom to let air circulate around the rest. It took a little practice to get in the habit, but it sure beat having to scrub mold out!
Since I also suffer from TPAD (thanks for that term, Dana! 🙂 ), I’m going to buy extra sponge pads when I buy the wand so that I can change it as soon as it starts to smell off, with no excuses about how I have to actually remember to go get refills.
I have an enamel tub which I could never keep clean. Apparently you have to use certain cleaners (that don’t work well) or it could scratch. Once while I was waiting for my hubby in a hardware store, I picked up a bag of super fine steel wool (0000) and inadvertently discovered it could be used to clean my tub. No scratches at all and it does (most of) the work for you. I just squirt a little Dawn on the steel wool and go after it. I’ve also heard it won’t scratch glass, however I’ve not tried that for myself.
When I was in the army we used 0000 steel wool to shine our boots (back when soldiers had to do that) so I’m sure it would be fine on glass.
How about the glass doors? Mine look. like there in a fog…. totally have TPAP
Yes, I use it on the glass door. With a little muscle power, it works great!
I see your awesome idea (and I use a half and half vinegar/Dawn mix in the same little thinger you do) and raise you an even greater idea! Next time you need a new shower head, get a hand held one (like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Water-Pik-ETC-441T-Showerhead-4-Setting-Handheld-White/40964607). Makes the job you made easy even easier!
Sorry, that was supposed to be a comment, not a reply! however, if you use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and Dawn it WILL do wonders on those darn glass doors!
I always use a squeegee after I shower on my glass. That helps to prevent deposits.
I love reading your posts and blog. While TPAD may be made up, “time blindness” is a real thing related to ADD/ADHD. http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/29/10188.html
I love this! My standup shower is such a pain to clean and I hate breathing in the smell of bathroom cleaners while standing in there to clean. Thank you.
I see your awesome idea (and I use a half and half vinegar/Dawn mix in the same little thinger you do) and raise you an even greater idea! Next time you need a new shower head, get a hand held one (like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Water-Pik-ETC-441T-Showerhead-4-Setting-Handheld-White/40964607). Makes the job you made easy even easier!
Another slob-brain thing: don’t forget to tighten the knob on your scrubber when you fill it. SOMEONE forgot to do this and didn’t realize it was not quite tight enough, and ALL the soap drained out onto what became a very slippery tub floor! It took 2 days for it to drain and for me to figure it out. Sheesh!
once you get your shower clean, you can keep it that way by drying it out after the last person showers. I use a squeegee to get most of the water off the doors and walls, followed up with a microfiber towel.
To get the soap scum off, a plain razor, at a shallow angle like you’d do to scrape a sticker off a car window, works beautifully. No chemicals, hardly any elbow grease.
There exists a razor blade made of plastic that would be perfect! I found one at the fancy art supply store, but can be found at auto supply stores, boat supplies, and online, of course.
I use to use a squeegee, but now after I’ve cleaned my shower and the doors, I put Rain X on the inside of the shower doors. Don’t need to squeegee anymore.
RainX has a new ceramic product that I used on my house windows; it is amazing how it has helped keep them clean and without spots. I have not tried on my shower doors yet. The product is great on the vehicle windows and windshield.
This didn’t work for me. I use a mildew cleaner and magic eraser. It is painful.
Just an FYI, they sell a shower version of the dish wand that is basically the same thing, only a lot larger. I bought mine at Meijer, but I know those stores aren’t everywhere. It also has an on/off switch on the back so it doesn’t leak the soap when not in use. I keep this and a squeegee in the shower and it has made a big difference! 🙂
Oh cool!!
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Extendable-Scrubber/dp/B00L9X4WCE/ref=pd_sbs_201_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00L9X4WCE&pd_rd_r=YABH5QYM78D9V5KP3MCY&pd_rd_w=slizN&pd_rd_wg=92Wp6&psc=1&refRID=YABH5QYM78D9V5KP3MCY
I know this is an old post, but I just happened on it, and while I never comment on anything and was already familiar with this technique, I have to thank you for making me laugh before I even got out of bed yesterday morning! I even shared the post with several people and bookmarked your site. I am now perusing the rest of your site. Thanks for keeping it real, and keeping a sense of humor about it. You can accomplish anything (even cleaning) as long as you can still laugh!
Oh yay! This makes me happy!
…doubles as a microphone…still chuckling…;)
Wait, a shower microphone that also helps you clean? I’m in!
Thanks for a great tip.
Doesn’t it leave a film on the tiles (I don’t have a fiberglass surround, but mine is subway tiles)?
Correct me if I’m wrong, it looks like you have a fiberglass or laminate type of shower wall? Do you have any tips on scrubbing grout and, … you know … mold build up? Thanks!
I am totally TPAD – oh my goodness! 🤣
Love this idea –
I’ve been cleaning when in the shower for ever – cuts time and I don’t have to worry about getting wet – me and everything else. I’m already wet in the shower. LOL
I discovered peroxide kills mold and mildew so i spray that all over after every shower. A while back I had to spray the basement and it worked great there (years later and no regrowth of any mold or mildew – caught it in time. Whew!)
My question is how much of which type of vinegar do you add to the Dawn in that scrubber??
Thank you so much for your blog and your books. I listened to your 2nd one at least 6 times. You made me feel less obscure and much more like a ‘normal’ person. I laughed as I felt like you were talking about me (the slob parts). You inspire and encourage without cutting anyone down. Thank you!!!
Instead of scrubbing every day with soap, which requires rinsing and can leave the shower floor slippery, I use a daily shower spray made by Method. After your shower you just mist the walls, faucet and knobs, curtain, etc with this and leave it there. No rinsing. Sometimes I use a shower squeegy to get the water off before I use the spray. This stuff keeps the shower amazingly clean and shiny, and then I only have to scrub and rinse occasionally. (I hate rinsing the walls furthest from the faucet.) And I keep this spray and squeegy, and a scrubber like Dana’s (for the occasional scrub, when I remove all the shampoo bottles, etc) right where I can see them, to remind me.
If you can’t find the Method spray, you can make your own with 1 Cup white vinegar to 1/2 C water, with some essential oil drops, if you wish. I haven’t tried the homemade, but the Method stuff changed my life! That reminds me, I need to go make some!
I just started using this trick to clean the shower/tub. What a back saver for me!!! I have a bad back and leaning into the tub/shower is tough for me. However, standing in the shower and using the wand doesn’t hurt my back as much. Some days I can only clean part of the tub/shower, but I finish it the next time I’m showering.
I also started cleaning our garbage cans in the shower with this wand filled with 1/2 vinegar 1/2 dish detergent. It’s easier for me to clean them there than in the yard with the garden hose. And the garbage cans are cleaner!!! Thanks for the tip.
THANK YOU!!! I read your post on Friday about using a dish wand to clean the shower. I went to Amazon and ordered an adjustable long handled wand recommended by a reader AND the short dishwashig wand. I bought a spritzer bottle and filled it with vinegar, water and Dawn dish soap (recommended by another reader). The wands arrived yesterday and today I easily cleaned my shower and glass doors that FINALLY shine without all that soap scum. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!