4 DIY Shower Cleaners for Every Shower Problem

Shower cleaners make cleaning a shower faster and easier, with less rubbing and scrubbing. They can also help fight mold and mildew stains and keep glass and chrome shiny. Even better, you can make your own shower cleaners at home. Learn the 4 DIY shower cleaners for every shower problem.

DIY shower cleaners are more affordable than their commercial counterparts and have lots of other benefits as well. When making your own shower cleaner, you can reduce harsh chemicals that are bad for the environment, choose your own fragrance (or avoid fragrances altogether), and avoid any ingredients that may trigger allergies or sensitivities.

It’s a great way to keep your shower, and your home, clean and healthy. Here are some great recipes for DIY shower cleaners:

DIY Shower Cleaner Supplies

Before making and using your own shower cleaner, you will need a few simple supplies:

A Spray Bottle

This is a great opportunity to re-use a spray bottle from your home, but make sure you have cleaned the bottle thoroughly. If there is residue of old cleaning chemicals in the bottle, there is a possibility of an unwanted chemical reaction when you add your own cleaning solution. If you don’t have an old, clean spray bottle around, you might pick up a set like these bottles from Tolco.

Having multiple colors is a great way to keep your shower cleaner separate from a DIY glass cleaner, a plant mister, or other things you may use a spray bottle for. If you will be using essential oils in your household cleaning, it’s a great idea to invest in spray bottles like these because the amber glass protects the potency and purity of your oils.

A Squeegee

Not only is a squeegee an extremely effective tool keeping a shower clean, but they are so fast that you can use one after every shower without slowing down your day. This squeegee from Value-Top comes with a flexible hook that makes it easy to store conveniently in the bathroom, and may help the whole family get in the habit of squeegeeing down the shower.

1. DIY Basic Shower Cleaner

There couldn’t be anything easier or more affordable than this basic shower cleaner, and you have the ingredients at home already.

DIY Basic Shower Cleaner Ingredients

• White vinegar
• Water

To Make This Shower Cleaner

• Fill a spray bottle about ½ full with white vinegar
• Fill it the rest of the way with water
• Shake well

Vinegar is a natural ingredient that fights odors, reduces soap scum and water spots, and can even help to prevent bacteria in the shower.

To Use This Basic Shower Cleaner

1. After every shower, squeegee the water droplets off of the shower enclosure.
2. Spray down the shower with the vinegar-and-water shower cleaner.

That’s it!

While it may have a strong vinegar smell when first used, the smell dissipates fairly quickly. Giving the vinegar time to work on odors, bacteria, and water spots without rinsing it away allows it to work more effectively. This shower cleaner won’t cause spots and will rinse clean away.

2. DIY Shower Cleaner for Mold and Mildew

While the acetic acid in vinegar can kill mold and mildew, it’s slow-acting, and usually will run down shower walls or dry up before it can be as effective as possible. If you have to fight mold and mildew, here’s a DIY shower cleaner for that tough job.

DIY Mold and Mildew Shower Cleaner Ingredients

• Borax
• White vinegar
• Tea tree essential oil

To Make This Mold and Mildew Killer

1. Add ½ cup vinegar to a spray bottle
2. Add 2 teaspoons borax
3. Add 4 drops tea tree oil
4. Shake well

Borax is a powerful cleaner and anti-fungal agent. It not only kills mold and mildew, but it actually converts some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide, naturally disinfecting and whitening surfaces.

The acids in vinegar kill mold and mildew, and tea tree oil is yet another natural disinfectant and fungicide. This powerful cleaner is also non-toxic and environmentally friendly, with naturally-occurring compounds that break down easily in the environment.

To Use This DIY Mold and Mildew Shower Cleaner

Spray the affected area and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Rinse clean with water. Scrubbing is usually not necessary.

3. DIY Shower Cleaner for Hard Water

If you have hard water, it makes cleaning everything in the home that much more difficult. The minerals in hard water naturally reduce the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, making it harder to get things clean, and leaving soap scum and hard water spots in the shower. Here’s the solution:

DIY Hard Water Shower Cleaner Ingredients

• Water
• White vinegar
• Rubbing alcohol
• Liquid dish soap
• Tea tree oil

To Make This Shower Cleaner

1. Add 1½ cups of water to a spray bottle
2. Add 1 cup white vinegar
3. Add ½ cup rubbing alcohol
4. Add 1 tsp liquid dish soap
5. Add 15 drops tea tree oil
6. Shake well

This shower cleaner will fight hard water spots, soap scum, film, and daily grime.

To Use This Shower Cleaner

Clean your shower in your usual way. Afterward, use this spray after every shower to prevent scum and dirt from accumulating in the shower.

Incidentally, if you have hard water in your shower, it can also make it more difficult to get your body clean, even with scrubbing. Hard water can also be very drying on the hair and skin and may contain other unhealthy impurities.

One option is to install a shower filter like this one, that softens water and reduces chlorine, chemicals, and other impurities in your shower water. These filters are fast and easy to install, and solve hard water problems at the source, making your body and your shower cleaner and healthier.

4. DIY Aromatherapy Shower Cleaner

For people with sensitive noses, many commercial shower cleaners can be simply overpowering with scent. If you want to avoid overly strong, artificially perfumed cleaners, but want a bathroom with the light, pleasant scent of your choice, try this aromatherapy shower cleaner.

Ingredients

• Unscented castile liquid soap
• Baking soda
• Essential oil(s)
• Water

Good Essential Oils for the Bathroom

• Energy-boosting citrus scents of all kinds, from delicate grapefruit or orange to fresh lemon and uplifting bergamot
• Calming scents like lavender, chamomile, or clary sage
• Mood lifting fragrances like jasmine, ylang-ylang, and frankincense

You can also blend a couple of oils to create your own signature scent

To Make a DIY Aromatherapy Shower Cleaner

1. Put 2 tablespoons castile soap in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
3. Add 30-40 drops of your favorite essential oil.
4. Mix well with a spoon or your hands until the mixture is well blended.
5. Add 2 cups of water.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Add to a spray bottle and shake well before every use.

To Use This Shower Cleaner

1. Spray down the shower with this solution after every use.
2. You can also boost the aromatherapeutic benefits of every shower by making a DIY shower spray. Simply use a perfume-style spray bottle with a fine mister, mix 4 ounces of distilled water, 2 ounces of witch hazel, and 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oils. To use this spray, wait until the shower is running and the room is steamy. Spray a couple pumps of the shower spray into the rising shower steam and enjoy as the fragrance fills the room.

Conclusion

DIY household cleaners are a fantastic way to make your home cleaner and healthier, without spending a lot of money on unnecessary chemicals, additives, and fragrances you don’t need.

These DIY shower cleaners will keep your shower clean, shiny, healthy, and looking great every day, and there’s a great recipe for any shower problem you may have. Make up your own healthy, natural DIY shower cleaner and enjoy fresher showers every day.