Vinegar is a staple in most people’s homes, but it’s typically not found in the bathroom. Instead, vinegar is mainly used in the kitchen in recipes ranging from curries to pancakes to salad dressings. But did you know that vinegar can also be a powerhouse when it comes to cleaning your shower?
If you’re looking for a new and all natural way to take care of dirt, grime, and more in your shower, vinegar may be a great solution. Vinegar contains acetic acid that can tackle through all sorts of messes while killing bacteria. It’s a win-win (and budget-friendly solution).
Get more cleaning tips for the home here.
How to Clean Your Entire Shower Using White Vinegar
Whether you have a regular bathtub-style shower or one with glass shower doors, you can clean it using distilled white vinegar.
Vinegar will cut through all of those unsightly hard water stains and mineral deposits found throughout the shower.
It can even be used to take care of a dirty shower curtain.
How to Clean the Showerhead Specifically
The showerhead is a place where plenty of hard water stains and mineral deposits build up. It isn't easy to clean.
Well, not when it comes to white vinegar.
All you need to do is pour white vinegar into a plastic bag, wrap it around the showerhead, and secure it using a rubber band or elastic tie.
Leave the plastic bag concoction overnight and remove in the morning, revealing your brand new-looking showerhead.
Get tips to clean the entire bathroom step by step here.
How to Clean a Bathtub-Style Shower
Cleaning the base of your tub shower is a bit trickier and may require a little elbow grease.
Still, it’s surprisingly simple.
The material of your bathtub will make all the difference when it comes to cleaning.
In general, though, all you need is white vinegar, water (warm water or hot water, not cold water), and a soft cloth.
To Clean a Fiberglass Tub
- Boil white vinegar
- Use paper towels to dip into the warm vinegar, and then apply it to the walls (you can also place the vinegar in an empty spray bottle)
- Continue to dampen the shower every five minutes for 30 minutes total
- Dip a microfiber cloth into the vinegar solution, then add a sprinkle of baking soda
- Rub the shower to remove hard water stains, mineral deposits, and other unsightly grime
Still dealing with some stuck-on stains or pesky water spots?
Consider making a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and placing it on top of the problem areas. Then, place a paper towel or soft cloth soaked in vinegar on top.
Let the vinegar solution sit for up to an hour. Then, use a cloth, sponge, or old toothbrush to rub the mess off of the fiberglass tub.
Rinse and enjoy!
To Clean an Acrylic Tub
Acrylic tubs are a bit more dainty and can’t handle abrasive cleaning products, which is why this homemade shower cleaner using baking soda and white vinegar is a must. To clean an acrylic tub, do the following:
- Fill a tub with two cups of white vinegar and hot water
- Let the vinegar solution sit in the tub for 15 to 20 minutes
- Drain and sprinkle baking soda on the tub, placing extra in areas with mineral deposits and hard water stains
- Use a microfiber cloth to scrub off gunk
- Rinse and enjoy
How to Clean Glass Shower Doors
If you have a bathtub-style shower, then you can stick with cleaning the base of your shower using the warm vinegar and baking soda combination.
But if you have a shower with glass shower doors, you will need to take your cleaning a step further.
To clean glass shower doors, you won’t want to rely on straight vinegar. Instead, it would be best if you used a combo of clean water and white vinegar in an empty spray bottle.
Add equal parts clean water and white vinegar and shake to combine.
Then, spray the half water, half vinegar solution onto the glass shower doors. Use a paper towel to dry off.
However, for a perfect streak-free shine, consider using a squeegee rather than a paper towel or microfiber cloth.
Learn more about getting a streak-free mirror or glass here.
How to Clean a Shower Curtain
When you’re cleaning your shower, don’t forget the shower curtain. Shower curtains notoriously pick up grime and soap scum buildup that can make the shower curtain look and feel slimy and gross.
Well, white vinegar can be used to clean your shower curtain, too.
- Place your shower curtain (plastic and/or fabric) in the washing machine
- Add your normal laundry detergent with a pinch of baking soda
- During the rinse cycle, add a half cup of white vinegar
- For fabric, let it run through the spin cycle. For plastic, remove and hang dry
Dealing with Grout
Now you know how to successfully clean shower doors, shower walls, and even the shower curtain.
But what if your shower has ceramic tiles? If your bathroom cleaning involves dealing with tough stains on grout, consider using vinegar as a natural cleaner.
To clean bathroom tiles and more importantly grout, spray white vinegar onto the dirty grout and let it sit four about 15 to 20 minutes.
Then, use an abraise object - such as an old toothbrush or scubbie - to scrub away built-up grime and mess. Keep scrubbing until you can see clean grout once more.
Unclogging a Shower Drain
For some people, unclogging a shower drain is part of the process of cleaning their bathroom. Sound like you? If so, it’s white vinegar to the rescue - again.
To create your very own shower drain unclogger, all you need to do is:
- Boil a pot of water and pour it down the drain
- Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain
- Mix two cups of white vinegar with two cups of hot water and pour down the drain
- Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the clog to clear
- Boil a pot of water and pour it down the drain one more time
How to Mask the Vinegar Smell
Whether it’s apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar, most people don’t like the smell.
Therefore, they might not consider white vinegar as a viable shower cleaning solution. The good news is, there are a few great ways to mask the smell.
- Add a few drops of essential oil. It’s up to your discretion here. Some people like lavender, while others like lemon. Still, some might consider a few drops of tea tree oil as it’s a strong scent that will mask vinegar with ease.
- Adding citrus or herbs. Not a fan of any essential oil? Instead, use natural smells like citrus or herbs (mint, coriander).
- Using dish soap. You can also use dish soap, such as dawn dish soap, with your vinegar solution. Dish soap has cleaning power and is great for grease stains, which can really up your cleaning game.
Final Words
Vinegar is a great choice for cleaning your home. It is an excellent option to clean shower glass doors, showerheads, tub-style showers, tiles, and so much more. With such great success, you might consider adding a vinegar solution in your kitchen to clean the kitchen sink or in your laundry room for tackling stains!
White vinegar is also great for cleaning your coffee maker. The cleaning uses of vinegar are endless!
More Uses of Vinegar:
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