Tips on how to clean your walk-in bath or shower

Cleaning your bathroom is never desirable, but it needn’t be the hassle its reputation suggests. For many who own walk-in baths or showers, the key thing to remember is safety and staying as comfortable as possible whilst cleaning; there are many tools, tips and tricks that make the whole process easier!

This guide aims to eliminate bathroom cleaning nightmares by using the right products for the job and providing easy-to-implement hints and tips.

How do you clean a walk-in bath or shower?

• Clean it regularly
• Use the right products
• Stay safe
• Don’t forget the hinges and other areas
• Consider using vinegar and baking soda
• Use dishwasher tablets

Clean it regularly

Like many household chores, prevention is better than cure when it comes to keeping your bathroom sparkling. If you make sure to clean walk in tubs and showers regularly, you will often find that you will hardly need to do a huge clean at all.

By just spraying with some mild cleaning products and limescale remover before wiping down after your shower or bath, you may find that you will never be scrubbing away soap scum and dirt on your hands and knees again!

Keep a cleaning cloth and multi-use spray nearby, and ensure that you clean your bathroom often to keep your new walk-in bath sparkling. A quick clean will only take around 10-15 minutes!

Daily cleaning of your bathtub or shower is the perfect scenario, but even if you were to just clean it weekly, it could avoid you needing to do a major clean of the bathroom.

Use the right products

If you have the right tools, the job will be much easier. This mantra can be applied to cleaning your walk-in shower or bath, as the right products for the job can make it easier.

If you take heed of tip number one, you may never need to use harsh chemicals such as bleach and sprays. There are plenty of other products out there that can be used that are as good for the environment as they are for walk-in baths and showers.

Stay safe

While hygiene is immensely important in the bathroom, staying safe and avoiding slips and falls are of equal importance. Avoid any painful mishaps by putting bath mats down and using the right tools.

There are plenty of extendable cleaning brushes and sponges available that help you reach those hard-to-get-to areas without putting yourself at risk. Just visit your local homewares shop and browse the right tools for you and your bathroom.

Don’t forget the hinges and other areas

Similarly, while it is often easy to forget about the parts of walk-in baths and showers that you don’t see as much, it is vital to ensure that you keep every area clean, particularly the hinges and joins in the door.

Hinges can be prone to rust and dirt build-up if you don’t give them the due care and attention they deserve, so be sure to keep a smaller brush at the ready and clean them often. Even if you have a wet room, the shower head itself can become dirty quite easily, but this can be easily fixed by disconnecting the showerhead and allowing it to soak in a cleaning solution.

Plugs, plug holes, and taps are other areas of walk-in baths and showers that can be forgotten about, so it is a good idea to ensure these areas are wiped down with a soft cloth and warm water when you are cleaning your bathroom.

Consider using vinegar and baking soda

Many cleaning experts recommend using white vinegar to remove stubborn dirt. By using a spray bottle, a grout brush, and plenty of hot water, you could find that the dirt which you have been struggling to remove can just be wiped away.

It is recommended that you combine equal parts of vinegar and water, then after spraying it on your walk-in bathtub or shower, wait for 20 or 30 minutes and wash the vinegar solution off with a brush and water.

If you don’t have any white vinegar, then you can use baking soda to clean your walk in shower or bath instead. It is recommended that you make a paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of water and then apply it by scrubbing in circular motions.

You can then apply some water to the paste with a brush, and after the bathtub or shower has been scrubbed, you might need to wash it several times with warm water to remove the residue.

Use dishwasher tablets

Cleaning a walk-in bathtub can take a lot of time and effort, but a hack that many people recommend is to use a tablespoon of dishwashing powder or dishwasher tablets.

It is suggested that you start filling up your bathtub with hot water, put in two or three tablespoons of dishwasher granules, and scrub it well. Once you have allowed the detergent to soak in for about 10 minutes to act as an activator, you are now ready to run the jets again for 15 minutes by draining your tub completely, filling it up with clean water, and then rinsing it with soap again.

How to clean a walk-in shower floor and shower tray?

The best way to clean a shower floor or tray is to clean it after you have just used it, as the hot air and water will loosen up any dirt.

The area around the shower doors can get dirty so you might need to put a bit of elbow grease into it when you are cleaning this area. It is best to use a sponge or even a toothbrush to access the crevices.

If you have a textured floor in your shower, then this can be slightly more difficult to clean. If the dirt is stubborn to remove, some people recommend using white vinegar to get rid of it, while others suggest using a mixture of four parts of mineral oil to one part warm water.

If you are cleaning tiles around a shower or bath, there are some cleaning products you can use to help. An extendable bathroom tile cleaner is a great tool people with limited mobility can try, as this means you don’t have to stretch for hard-to-reach places. Tools such as this make it much safer to clean your walk-in shower or bath, and they will get rid of any soap scum or dirt very easily.

How to take care of your walk-in bathtub?

If you’ve purchased a new walk-in bath, you will want to make sure it remains in good working order for years to come.

Regular cleaning is the best way to ensure the tub looks as good as new, and this means you might need to buy an appropriate surface cleaner and a jet and pump system cleaner as well. To clean the inside of the tub, you will need to grab your white vinegar solution, bathroom cleaners, a cleaning cloth and a dry towel or cloth.

As described in the shower section, it is best to clean the walk-in bath after you’ve just used it, but you should also try to do a deep clean every month. These tips should also be used if you have purchased a used walk-in bath or shower.

This article was brought to you by Handicare, working with Age Co, who provide a range of home mobility products such as stairlifts, homelifts and bathing solutions. For more information about how they can help make your home more accessible, please get in touch.