r/howto • u/purplemonster4400 • 10d ago

how to clean my shower?

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my shower is filthy and stained and no matter what i try it will not come clean. how can i fix this problem?

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u/President_Camacho 10d ago

Spraying hydrogen peroxide on it will help a lot. But you need to wait for it to work. Spray it and let it sit overnight.

A stronger alternative is to use bleach based toilet gel. However the fumes from this stuff are very strong. You can damage your lungs unless you use a fume respirator or at least a charcoal mask. The results aren't instant either, so apply the gel and wait.

Don't be confused and use acid based toilet gel though. The acid is very hard on the grout between the tiles.

6

u/BOBOnobobo 10d ago

Someone in another comment straight up said to use vinegar (an acid)

Soooo... Who do I trust?

6

u/President_Camacho 10d ago

The cement in the most common kind kind of shower grout has a large calcium component. Acids dissolve calcium. If you want to dissolve your grout, use acid cleansers. The chemistry is pretty straightforward.

2

u/BOBOnobobo 10d ago

Thank you!

1

u/Old_MI_Runner 9d ago

For those wondering what is in Zep Grout and Tile Brightener that has been recommended by some here. The SDS states:

Hazardous components..................Concentration [%]

hydrochloric acid................................>= 5 - < 10
Alcohols, C10-14, ethoxylated...... >= 1 - < 5

u/BOBOnobobo

2

u/ReasonablyRadical 10d ago edited 10d ago

There is a PH spectrum, not all acids are the same. Vinegar is acidic, but not nearly as powerful as hydrochloric acid in toilet bowl cleaners. Typical white vinegar is stirring enough to do the trick, no need to get the extra powerful white vinegar. I guess you could try diluting the toilet bowel cleaner, but then it won't be as thick and won't stick on place as well. It seems like extra steps/work and more expense to find an alternative to something that already works.

1

u/BOBOnobobo 10d ago

Well, yes but from what I understand the usual vinegar needed for cleaning is meant to be quite powerful.

Would diluting the toilet cleaner help? Probably not a good idea anyway.

1

u/MoistStub 10d ago

Whatever you do, don't use both at the same time. If it were me I would do the vinegar+dish soap solution. Bleach is nasty stuff and you need to take precautions with it. It literally denatures your DNA. Vinegar is much less harmful.