Today We’re Taking On the Most Satisfying Part of Cleaning the Bathroom

With Spring Cleaning for Your Mood, we’re helping you get your housekeeping done no matter what state of mind you’re in. For 20 weekdays in April, we’ll focus on cleaning a new area of your space, with three different ways to get it done—so it’s easy to stay on track even when you’re busy, tired, or away from home. And to make it go even better, enter to win your Your Everything-You-Need Spring Cleaning Tool Kit from OXO at the bottom of the post.

Ah, the irony of showers (and tubs). They’re the one place at home dedicated to getting ourselves squeaky clean, but they can somehow get surprisingly…icky. Even if a daily cleansing spray or weekly scrub-down are keeping things in check, spring cleaning is a great opportunity to give this specific spot its own attention. 

Yes, we gave the bathroom its own assignment earlier this week, but bathrooms are really good at getting away with things. Wipe down the vanity and clean the toothpaste splatters off the mirror and you’re in pretty good shape. Pull back the shower curtain, though, and it’s a little more complicated. Let’s use our spring-clean energy to give this important area its due.

So what are you in the mood for today?

Scrub your shower glass or the tub like always with a non-abrasive cleaner and a good scrubber. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t love kneeling on a hard tile floor to clean with a sponge, there’s a better way to do it. OXO’s Extendable Tub and Tile Scrubber reaches floors, ceilings, and the wall all the way across the tub. Then, take on the most satisfying I-did-it shower cleaning task: scrubbing the grout. If you’re already wincing, it’s probably because you have memories of scrubbing away with an old toothbrush and not really accomplishing much. OXO makes a task-specific Grout Brush that has extra sturdy bristles and a soft, comfortable grip. Use it with a solution of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and this won’t be the chore you think of it as now. You can also use it on the tracks if you have a sliding glass door.

This is also a great time to assess whether or not it’s time to re-caulk; just make sure everything’s dry first if you decide to do so.

If you use a plastic or vinyl shower curtain liner, you don’t have to throw it out when it gets scummy. Nor do you have to spend time scrubbing it. Just toss into the wash with a load of towels and let the machine do the work. Use the regular amount of detergent and add a cup of baking soda (some people recommend vinegar instead). The extra towels will keep the machine from ripping the more delicate liner. Hang it back up to drip dry and call it a day.

Unless you have a robust line-up of karaoke hits to get through in the shower, you can probably find two minutes once a week to clean while you…clean. Mix or buy a shower spray (if you have a curtain) or a good squeegee (if you have glass doors) and leave it in the shower. Then, try to make a habit of giving it a quick wipe-down once or twice a week.

Visit the Spring Cleaning for Your Mood page to check out all the assignments so far.