Cleaning a shower.

Drez

So, I'm trying to clean my extremely grimy secondary shower in this house. It's in a mostly-disused bathroom that we've been storing various objects for quite some time, like laundry, my Calvin & Hobbes collection, and an oversized plastic telephone. I'm going to throw all that crap out and get the bathroom into a clean, working condition again.

The walls of the shower are made out of plastic and it has a glass door. At least I think it's glass. It might be some alien transparent material that looks like glass. The point I'm trying to get across here is that I'm ignorant to materials and the cleansers you should or should not use on them.

Anyway, I have these "Good & Clean"-brand disinfecting wipes. They are similar, I believe, to the Lysol or Chlorox kind of disinfecting wipes. I was thinking about using them.

I'm trying to figure out the best and safest way to clean it. What I mean by safest is: (a) won't damage the shower walls and (b) won't damage my internal organs.

Any advice? Are the disinfecting wipes safe? What about Brillo/SOS or steel wool (probably too abraisive, right)? Or...how about Swiffer pads?

And how long should I let it "sit" before washing the cleanser off? Or should I wipe and then immediately wash it off?

Bleh I feel like an idiot asking all this but the day of cleaning has finally come after a very long millennium.

mts

scrubbing bubbles

Iruka

Does the bathroom have a good vent/window? If not consider that the fumes are going to build up, and there's no harm in doing it in stages. For a large job, a few stiff bristled brushes (like toilet brushes, but they make them for all tasks) with various handle lengths, and some rubber gloves will help protect your skin and your back.

I usually go with a spray foam and just get to scrubbing, other than for quick touch ups, I never liked wipes. For rust/calcium you want CLR, and just read the bottle for that.

Drez

Iruka wrote: »

Does the bathroom have a good vent/window? If not consider that the fumes are going to build up, and there's no harm in doing it in stages. For a large job, a few stiff bristled brushes (like toilet brushes, but they make them for all tasks) with various handle lengths, and some rubber gloves will help protect your skin and your back.

I usually go with a spray foam and just get to scrubbing, other than for quick touch ups, I never liked wipes. For rust/calcium you want CLR, and just read the bottle for that.

The bathroom is very small. Sink, toilet, and shower but not much else. It has an overhead vent/fan which does seem to work even though it is a bit weedy.

Really the shower is very small. Barely room to sit in if you wanted to. It resembles a gym shower, maybe even smaller. The surface area is small enough for me to think wipes might be okay - if it was a bathtub situation I wouldn't have even considered it.

When you say spray foam, you mean soap or something else?

@mts: Is scrubbing bubbles a specific brand product?

bowen

Yeah scrubbing bubbles works wonders, get a couple of bottles because you go through it quick. A little CLR wouldn't hurt either. If your showerhead just drains, pick a $2 one up at home depot or something.

Iruka

http://www.amazon.com/Scrubbing-Bubbles-Powerful-Fresh-Clean/dp/B000GCPZCA

Scrubbing bubbles. I think tilex makes a spray foam too.

Even with a small bathroom I would probably get a bristle brush for scrubbing over wipes. If the bathroom is small dont shut yourself in there with the fumes, even with the okay vent.

zilo

Maybe this goes without saying but if you go the raw-chemicals route, don't mix ammonia and bleach. One of my roommates did this in college and got a faceful of chlorine gas.

Scrubbing Bubbles + bristle brush + elbow grease should get the job done. Wipes probably won't do it if it's particularly filthy or neglected. Just read the labels on anything you use and take breaks periodically.

Drez

Oh wow, I just looked it up. Is Scrubbing Bubbles that Mr. Bubbles product from the 80s?

I remember my mom always loved the Bubbles arcade game, which I always associated with this product.

Kendeathwalker

just finished a project very similiar to this. use scrubbing bubbles.

Drez

Thanks all. I think I'll pick that up tonight or tomorrow. Is that common enough that I might find it in, say, a small (non-super) market or maybe even a 7-11?

Another question: Throwing away old cleaning products and shampoos and gels and even a aerosol spray can of old air deodorant...can I just toss them in the trash or is there some special method? I don't want to get sued for having the garbage truck explode, but I'd also rather not dump this stuff down my drain or on my lawn.

mts

just dump in the trash. there are other sorts of spray on foaam cleaners s o you should be able to find something. o would spray , then hit tough spots with a brush then rinse

ShimSham

The Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work wonderfully.

MichaelLC

Drez wrote: »

Thanks all. I think I'll pick that up tonight or tomorrow. Is that common enough that I might find it in, say, a small (non-super) market or maybe even a 7-11?

Possibility, but you'll pay a lot more for them. Wal-Mart, Target, et al. would be better.

Drez

Thanks all. I'm all set I think

WildEEP

I'm gonna go the cheap route . . . a dollar bottle of bleach and a couple rags. Bleach is amazing, just make sure to mix with hot water. It don't take as much as you would think.
Open a window for some ventilation and as you start to make clean spots, the dirty areas will pop out at you.

Drez

The deli right here had scrubbing bubbles, so I think I'm all set for the shower walls and door.

Can I use that on the floor too? The floor is a grimy mess. If not, what do you all recommend for the floor?

WildEEP

Is the floor tile?

Drez

Yeah, I guess. Hundreds of tiny brown and beige squares.

LewieP's Mummy

Buy a couple of exfoliating mitts, wear them, then scrub everywhere - they shouldn't damage the shower walls, and are a really easy way of getting old soap scum off surfaces. Then, make sure your hands are thoroughly clean, and moisturise them like crazy, cos they'll be very dry!

Drez

Thanks, Mummy!

I actually used Scrubbing Bubbles on the shower walls, which was more or less magical, but I still need something for the floor. I will look into those mitts.

Spoony

Comet and a brush will get most things clean. They make no-scratch scrubbing pads and sponges.

zilo

For the floor, Comet + a brush will get the tile clean but the grout is going to look like crap (probably literally). You'll have to get some grout cleaner and a couple of cheap toothbrushes and go to town on it. It is tedious and exhausting work.

Loathing

I'll second (third?) Comet. What's the best product to use for the grout in between tiles though, while were on the subject.

Foolproof

a cheap and easy solution I can offer is to go to the dollar store and buy cheap shampoo. spread a layer on all surfaces and let it sit for a few hours and then rinse and maybe scrub it off. the soap solvents that keep the shampoo liquid will soften all the soap scum and that is what holds onto most the dirt in a shower.

mildew and hard water stains are another bucket of fish but you can get really good results for very little work and money by using my tip.