Having a clean shower floor is essential for good hygiene. The last thing you want is to take a shower on a bacteria-infested floor. So, how do you restore a dirty fiberglass shower floor and make it bright white once again?
Use store-bought cleaners or DIY methods to keep your fiberglass shower floor clean and white. Rinse the shower floor with hot water first to help loosen dirt and then apply your preferred cleaning solution. Let it sit, then rinse the floor with cold water and dry it with a clean towel.
Let’s take a closer look at the best options for cleaning your fiberglass shower floor, as well as some tips for keeping the floor clean over time.
Cleaning Your Fiberglass Shower Floor
Most shower floors are made of fiberglass because it’s easy to install, lightweight, and has a sleek and modern finish. However, fiberglass can look pretty gross when it collects residue buildup, dirt, and water stains.
Cleaning a fiberglass shower floor can be very frustrating because you can’t simply scrub the stains away. Avoid rapid scrubbing as it can damage the floor rather than cleaning it.
Fortunately, there’s no need to worry; there are several easy ways by which you can clean your fiberglass shower floor to make it look as good as new.
Let’s take a look at ready-to-use options as well as some DIY mixtures that’ll get the job done.
Ready-To-Use Fiberglass-Friendly Products
If you’re looking for ready-to-use cleaners, look for high-quality products that aren’t so strong that they damage the floor, nor too weak that they won’t remove the stains. Also make sure you buy products that don’t release irritating fumes.
Here are a couple of the best fiberglass-friendly products on Amazon:
- Bioclean Hard Water Stain Remover 20.3 oz (on Amazon): This top-selling fiberglass cleanser is capable of removing years of unwanted stains, water, and mineral marks.
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (on Amazon): This is a top-selling multi-purpose cleaner that removes stains, dirt, grime, and water marks from the toughest areas of your bathroom.
Make sure that you read the instructions on these products properly to prevent damaging your shower floor.
DIY Methods for Cleaning Your Fiberglass Shower Floor
If you don’t want to use commercial or chemical products, then you can use homemade solutions for cleaning your fiberglass shower floor. However, for a homemade cleaner, you have to make sure that it doesn’t contain ingredients that can damage the fiberglass surface.
Here are some natural materials that you can use to clean your shower floor:
Vinegar Solution
Dilute 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water to clean your shower floor. This vinegar solution is strong enough to remove water marks, dirt, and grime residue. However, avoid using undiluted vinegar or it may cause the shower floor to become faded.
Baking Soda Paste
To make a baking soda cleaner, dilute a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. After that mix the solution to create a thick, pasty solution. This solution is best for removing dark stains and hard dirt or grime residue.
Citrus Fruit Rub
Citrus fruit is also surprisingly effective at removing stains. You can use a half-cut lemon or orange and use it to apply baking soda on light stains, grime, or watermarks. You can also use lime, especially if the stains are more stubborn.
The Cleaning Process
Once you’ve selected your preferred cleaning product, it’s time to get started. Follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Remove Bath Products Out Of Your Shower
Before you start cleaning your fiberglass shower floor, you need to remove all the accessories such as soap, face wash, shampoos, conditioners, razors, and towels.
As part of your cleaning procedure, make sure that you also wipe the dirt off your showering accessories. Use lukewarm water to clean the bottom of your bottles.
2. Use Hot Water to Rinse the Shower
It’s always a good idea to pre-rinse the shower floor to make sure that all the loose dirt, grime, or other debris stuck on the surface washes away. If you skip this step, you might accidentally scrub the debris into the fiberglass base, which can result in scratches.
Sometimes, even the best ready-to-use shower cleaners don’t work if there’s debris stuck on the surface. If you use certain products without rinsing the surface first, you’ll be wasting the product you just bought.
So, set your shower water at the hottest temperature possible and let it run for about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Ventilate Your Bathroom or Shower Cabinet
Turn off the hot water tap and open the door to your bathroom or shower cabinet. Doing so prevents moisture from building up in the space.
If you have any windows in your bathroom, you should open them up before using any cleaning products. This is important because it ventilates the fumes that result from cleaning the shower floor.
Keep in mind that you also need to wear gloves when cleaning the fiberglass shower floor to prevent skin burns.
3. Apply Your Cleaner and Use a Soft Cloth for Scrubbing
Apply the cleansing product to the fiberglass and let it blend with the floor for a while so that it can peel off the stain on its own. After that, you can scrub the stain, dirt, or grime off.
Don’t scrub it too forcefully because doing so can scratch the surface or cause other damage. Use a good-quality, soft cloth to scrub the surface gently. You can also use a fiberglass-friendly sponge (on Amazon) or brush for cleaning.
Keep in mind that some stains might need some time to be removed properly, so be patient.
4. Rinse and Dry the Shower Floor
When all the dirt, grime, and stains are removed, make sure that you wipe off the cleaning products from the fiberglass shower floor properly. Don’t make the mistake of leaving the product residue behind or all your effort will go to waste.
When clearing away the product residue, use cold water so that no steam is produced. After rinsing the floor with cold water, wipe it with a clean towel. Also, dry the floor and the shower cabinet evenly to avoid any steam or watermarks.
What’s the Best Way to Remove Stains From Fiberglass?
The best method to remove stains from fiberglass is using baking soda paste since it doesn’t damage the surface. When you apply the diluted mixture to the stain, let it bond with it and cover the stain with a vinegar-soaked towel for about an hour.
However, both ready-to-use products and DIY methods are good for cleaning stains, dirt, grime, hard water spots, and other residues from your fiberglass shower floor. You can try both methods to figure out which one is ideal for you.
Fiberglass Shower Floor Maintenance
Having a proper shower cleaning routine is essential to prevent dirt buildup. If you clean your shower only once a month, it’ll take a lot of effort and sometimes it won’t do the trick because a large amount of grime is stuck on the shower surface.
You therefore need to develop a more frequent routine for maintaining your fiberglass shower floor.
Here’s how you can do it:
Clean Your Shower Floor Every Week
You should clean your fiberglass shower floor once a week so you don’t have to deal with water stains, dirt, or grime deposits.
Furthermore, cleaning your shower floor every week saves you a lot of time as it requires very little effort when compared to cleaning once a month.
Remove Stains Immediately
If you notice stains or dirty marks on your shower floor, you should remove them as soon as possible. If you let the stain or mark stay for a long time, it’ll be very tough to remove afterward.
Cleaning the stain immediately helps to maintain your fiberglass surface and maintains its longevity.
Polish the Shower Floor
Fiberglass surfaces look great when they’re new and shiny. However, over time, this shine can fade away. To maintain the sleek look of your floor surface, you can use fiberglass-friendly polish (on Amazon).