Shower Head Cleaner with a Sandwich Bag

Many people have a hard time cleaning the shower head. It is up high, has a lot of crevices, and sometimes has mineral clogs. You could use lime-a-way or other shower cleaner that builds up fumes and (at least for me) causes a nice head ache. On the other hand, you could use a chemical free clean. I have two ways of doing this, a regular and a deep clean, and I have both in this post. Both are very simple and easy to do with little to no effort.

Regular Clean for Weekly Cleaning

Materials

• 1 Rubber band (large enough to fit around the end of the shower head)
• 1 Sandwich bag
• Cloth

Ingredient

• Vinegar

Directions

(If you have a shower head attached to a hose, take it off the hook and let it hang. If water comes out, let it drain before going to step 1.)

1. Fill the sandwich bag 3/4 full with vinegar.
2. Put the bag around the shower head so the holes are completely covered in the vinegar.
3. Use the rubber band to seal and hold the bag on to the shower head.
4. Let it sit for one hour.
5. Remove the bag and let the shower head drain.
6. Use the cloth to wipe the head, hose and wall attachment clean.

Deep Clean for Seasonal  or Spring Cleaning

Materials

• 1 Sandwich bag
• 1 Rubber band
• 1 cloth
• 1 toothbrush

Ingredients

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Water

Directions

(If you have a shower head attached to a hose, take it off the hook and let it hang. If water comes out, let it drain before going to step 1.)

1. Wet the toothbrush with water 
2. Dip the wet toothbrush in baking soda
3. Use the toothbrush to scrub the baking soda into the crevices, making sure to pay special attention to any clogs in the holes
4. Make a paste with one part water and three parts baking soda and spread it over the holes on the end of the shower head.
5. Fill the sandwich bag 3/4 full with vinegar.
6. Put the bag around the shower head so the holes are completely covered in the vinegar.
7. Use the rubber band to seal and hold the sandwich
8. Let it sit for eight hours.
9. Remove the bag and let the shower head drain.
10. Use the cloth to wipe the head, hose and wall attachment clean.

Weekly Shower cleaner

We all know scrubbing the tub and shower can be a real pain in the rear. Especially on the lower back. I find this is doubled when you have hard water. My state in particular has a ton of calcium and lime in the water. So how do you scrub that off without breaking your back for too long or putting a few chemicals on the tile and porcelain? Baking soda and salt. Both have great scrubbing qualities that do not require a lot of muscle at all. The baking soda can also easily scrub the grout which I find is the hardest spots. This recipe I find works for me but if you do not have a shower head with a hose, I highly recommend having a regular cup ready to rinse at the end instead.

Materials

Sponge

Shower head with hose (or Cup if you do not have a hose attached to the shower head)

Bowl

Measuring cup

Tablespoon

Cloth

Ingredients

1 cup Baking soda

1 tbsp. Salt

Water as needed

First measure and mix the ingredients together in the bowl until salt is evenly distributed. Wet your sponge or cloth and dip it in the bowl on the side you intend to use for scrubbing. Rub it onto the tile and tub in circular motions. Do this until the bathing area looks and feels clean. The tub and tile should feel smooth but not slimy with the exception of the mixture being on it. Use the shower head hose to rinse off the baking soda and salt when finished. To polish wipe dry with a clean dry cloth.

Fun to Watch Homemade Sink and Drain Cleaner

So this one is a very familiar recipe. That is because it almost the same as the toilet cleaner recipe, if anything it is just simply doubled. However, its use is a bit different than just cleaning the porcelain sides. This recipe can also help clear your pipes of minor clogs and also for regular maintenance of your bathroom and kitchen pipes for both sinks and tubs.  Also much like the toilet cleaner, this recipe is fun for kids to watch as the baking soda “magically” disappears.

Materials you will need to make and use this recipe are

2 measuring cups (one for dry baking soda ONLY and the other for vinegar ONLY)

1 scrubbing sponge or cloth

Ingredients

2 cups of baking soda

4 cups of vinegar

Water (enough to wet sponge, fill sink, and check the drain)

To use

First, wet your sponge and dip it into the baking soda with scrubbing side down. Scrub the sides of the sink with it. Do not worry if you do not get everything off during this part. Every four to five scrubbing motions (whether circles or up and down is up to you) dip the sponge again. When you are done cleaning the entire area take the drain stopper out if you have one. Pour half of the baking soda (1 cup) down the drain. Slowly pour half of the vinegar (2 cups) down the drain. Let that sit for 30 minutes before going onto the next part.

Now after 30 minutes go get the kids. Put the drain stopper back in and close the drain. Fill the sink with water. Pour the rest of the baking soda into the sink. Then slowly pour the rest of the vinegar. Put the sponge in there with it as that will rinse it out and sanitize as well. Watch as the sink and sponge starts to fizz. Let that sit for about five minutes and then open the drain. If the sink is still slowly draining you can repeat the first part. Run some water once the sink has drained to rinse the porcelain and the drain. 

Bathroom cleaner that is Fun to Watch

This is one of the easiest recipes to use for cleaning the bathroom and frankly fun to watch it work. My niece (age 3) and nephew (age 5) love watching this This helps with the Iron rings I get in my toilet from my hard water. It makes the bowl look disgusting. This can also be used to clean the sink, shower, and tub using the same steps.

materials

• Spray bottle
• brush or cloth for scrubbing

ingredients

• Vinegar
• baking soda
• essential oils (optional)

First, fill the spray bottle with vinegar and essential oils (enough for your liking). Then spray the surface you want to clean with the mixture. Let it sit for about two minutes then (this is the fun part, seriously get your kids) lightly sprinkle baking soda on the area. Let it sit till it stops bubbling or fizzing. If you put it in the toilet bowl, use the brush to scrub the bowl then flush. If you put it on other surfaces use a cloth to wipe it off. Spray one last time to make sure you got all the baking soda dissolved.  Wipe again, and then you're done.