While cleaning a shower stall is no fun for anyone, there are still ways to make it easier. Here are some tips on cleaning fiberglass shower floors, from emergency cleaning to routine tidying up.
What Are the Challenges with Fiberglass Shower Floor?
Fiberglass cover on showers and tubs is a durable and cost-effective addition to the bathroom. However, fiberglass material can quickly tarnish due to soap scum and water stains. This looks unkempt and immediately ruins the overall impression.
Worst of all if the floor shape of the shower stall is square, as all these stains tend to accumulate in the corners. The same happens where the shower walls are attached to your shower pan and around its drain.
Glass shower doors also lose their shine over time and need attention, but there are fewer problems with them. All vertical surfaces are known to collect less dirt than horizontal ones. In addition, water drips down before it dries and leaves stains.
#1 Essential warning on how NOT to scrub fiberglass shower floors
Before we delve properly into the topic, there is an important caveat. Never clean your shower floor or any other fiberglass with abrasive cleaners. They can scratch and damage the shiny fiberglass surface.
Further, never mix store-bought cleaning products. This can cause a chemical reaction! And this rule works always, not just when you need to clean a fiberglass shower.
Finally, avoid using harsh cleaners, even if there are significant mineral deposits on your shower floor. Harsh chemicals can damage the coating of fiberglass showers and furthermore be harmful to your health!
One last thing. Whichever shower floor cleaner you choose, always wear rubber gloves and keep the bathroom door wide open for ventilation! For more visit Cleaning Chemicals and Your Health by Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
What Will Help with Urgent Shower Floor Cleaning?
By urgent cleaning we do not mean when your mother is going to visit you, but if the shower pan is stained with cosmetics, dyes, medicines, children’s markers, etc. But okay, mom’s visit, too.
These are the cases when time is working against you and it’s better to clean fiberglass immediately to minimize the consequences. You better hurry before the dyes penetrate deep into the surface.
#2 Cleaning tools to clean a fiberglass shower
Here’s a list of things that would be handy to have a clean shower floor. But don’t worry if you don’t have something on hand. Not everything on this list is mandatory:
- Microfiber cloth, sponge or clean cloth
- Spray bottle
- Old toothbrush
- Mop
As in recipes, first comes the equipment, then the ingredients:
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dish soap
- Fabric softener
- Magic eraser
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Commercial cleaners
#3 Store-bought cleaning agents for shower floors
For super urgent shower cleaning, you can use any store-bought cleaning supplies that are just ready to use. You just need to make sure that the chosen cleaner is mild enough not to damage the fiberglass floor. Read the label carefully and follow the instructions!
Commercial cleaners differ from DIY tools in having a shorter sit time. Also, you won’t have to frantically search for the right supplies and measure out parts to make a homemade remedy. Among the ready-made products, you can trust these:
- Mr. Clean Clean Freak Mist
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath
- Any liquid dish soap
- Scrubbing Bubbles Buthroom aerosol
Additional tips on how to find out if the product you have is suitable for fiberglass. Just type in Amazon or Walmart tag ‘fiberglass shower cleaner’ and see if there is a match with yours.
Just apply your Magic Eraser as directed, let it work for the proper time and rinse with warm water. For difficult stains, apply more product and rub with a sponge.
Wipe down the shower stall with a microfiber towel or soft clean cloth. If you’re uncomfortable reaching or bending over to the shower floor, then adapt a mop with a microfiber head. By the way, did you know that spin mop heads are machine washable?
#4 Keeping Your Fiberglass Shower Floor Routinely Clean
To simplify your cleaning routine, check a few things. First, see if your tap, showerhead or other water connections are leaking. By fixing them, you’ll not only get rid of extra water usage, but also the source of rust and calcium buildup.
Next, check to see if there are any places in your bathroom where water always gets stuck. These could be shelves, bathtub sides, or shower door recesses. These puddles are the source of soap scum buildup. Replace the shelves with ones that have holes for water drainage, and seal any leaking seams.
Always know that your hot shower is not just for you, but for billions of bacteria and microorganisms. Don’t let mold and fungus feel at home in your bath. Use a disinfectant spray at least once a week and dry the room with proper ventilation after every shower. If this has happened already, try this – How to remove mold from silicone caulk.
#5 How to clean a shower floor with vinegar
Vinegar is a great bathroom cleaning product, while being environmentally friendly and inexpensive. The acetic acid in its formula dissolves dirt, grease, grime and kills bacteria. For quick cleanup, you can wipe surfaces and shower floors with a damp rag soaked in vinegar.
When choosing between dark and white vinegars, always take the white one. This distilled product contains no color and is actually completely transparent, so it will never leave a stain.
In most cases, you can mix vinegar with water to a 1 to 1 ratio. This will reduce the amount of product used and is enough to deal with most simple soiling.
If there is significant soap scum, spray it on the glass walls and floor and let the vinegar sit for 10 minutes to half an hour. Then rinse with warm water to see your shower enclosure perfectly clean.
#6 Clean your shower floor with baking soda
It is amazing what wonders regular baking soda works when it comes to cleaning a shower. It is amazing what wonders regular baking soda works when it comes to cleaning a shower. It is a mild alkali, so it can make dirt and grease dissolve in water.
All you need to do is sprinkle baking soda over the wet shower floor. Once it reacts with the water, the dry powder will become a paste. Then, it is safe to scrub with this paste without the risk of scratching the fiberglass coating of your shower floor. You can leave the baking soda to work for half an hour.
And when you come back, remember to re-moisten the powder with hot water if you intend to go over it with a brush. And at the end, just wash everything down with warm water, as it’s completely safe for your pipes.
#7 Super combo against stubborn stains
For the toughest stains, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Prepare the mixture in a spray bottle. Mix together 3 cups of water, 1 cup of vinegar, half a cup of baking soda, and a couple tablespoons of dish soap (Dawn, for example).
- Fizz will be stronger if hot water is used.
- Spray on the shower floor.
- Leave it on for 5-10 minutes.
- Use a sponge or brush and lightly scrub the floor.
- Rinse with warm water.
- Dry completely with a clean cloth.
#8 How to remove soap scum with softener
Another way for cleaning fiberglass shower floor is to use factory-made fabric softener to wash clothes. Just as it handles the hard water in washing, it can also help remove its effects – soap scum and mineral buildup.
Slightly dilute the softener with water so it will spray out of the bottle more easily. Treat the floor surface and leave it for some time, depending on how grimy it is. After a while, apply some elbow grease in corners and hard-to-reach areas.
Rinse the softener thoroughly with hot or warm water, otherwise the shower floor will be dangerously slippery.
FAQ about Cleaning Fiberglass Shower Floors
What is the best cleaner for a fiberglass shower floor?
Among the best products for cleaning shower floor and walls, we would mention white vinegar. It has enough acidity to work wonders for mold, fungus, grease and mineral deposits, but is gentle enough not to damage fiberglass. And of course it is also ideal for fighting stains, odors and soap scum.
How do you clean a textured fiberglass shower floor?
One of the best ways to clean a textured shower floor is a baking soda and vinegar combination. Let the baking soda work first. Rinse the shower base with hot water and spread the baking soda in a fairly thick layer on the floor.
Let the baking soda work first. Rinse your shower base with hot water and sprinkle baking soda in a fairly thick layer on the floor. You will form a baking soda paste, which can be further diluted by using hot water from a spray bottle.
After half an hour, it’s time for the white vinegar. In the same plastic spray bottle, mix two cups of vinegar and two tablespoons of dish soap. Spray the mixture over and rub in a circular motion with a sponge. For hard-to-reach areas, use an old toothbrush.
This wonderful DIY cleaner is good for most surfaces in the house.
What cleaner can I use on fiberglass shower?
For regular cleaning, hot water, melamine magic erasers and white vinegar will suffice. These cleaning products can easily cope with hard water stains and soap scum. If you have to scrub specific stains, use baking soda paste in addition.
Can you use Scrubbing Bubbles on fiberglass shower?
Yes, aerosol Scrubbing Bubbles is approved for cleaning fiberglass in a bathroom. But don’t use the bleach-based toilet bowl cleaning gel of the same brand on fiberglass! It is too strong for delicate surfaces such as plastic and fiberglass shower pan.
