While cleaning fiberglass showers is not terribly difficult, if you don’t have the right cleaning supplies, it can be daunting, which is why we’re going to talk about both in this article. After all, there are so many little things that can make your shower either dirty or look dirty, including soap scum, cleaning product left overs, mineral deposits, etc, and this guide will teach you how to remove these stubborn stains with things that you can grab from the supermarket shelves every day, leaving you with an immaculate shower.
Best Way to Clean a Fiberglass Shower a Natural Methods
What you’ll need:
- Soft sponge
- Dry cloth
- Cleaning agents like baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing liquid
- Spray bottle
Cleaning your fiberglass shower is naturally possible without the use of commercially available cleaning agents, and there are two ways to do that. One of the ways is with vinegar and baking soda. The fact that vinegar not only helps to brighten the fiberglass surface but is also an anti-bacterial is also very helpful. And this is how you should do it:
- Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle, a small amount of it
- Premix baking soda and water to form a thick and spreadable paste
- Spread the baking soda paste on the stains before spraying some vinegar on it
- Leave the paste to penetrate the stains for about 15 minutes
- Gently scrub the stain off with a soft sponge, be careful not to damage the fiberglass surface
- If the stains are stubborn, leave the paste for a while longer
- Rinse the floor with lots of water afterward
- Then, dry it with a dry cloth
N/B Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling vinegar as it is corrosive when handled with bare hands.
Removing Tough Stains with Lemon and Borax
Some stains just won’t budge, no matter how hard you try to scrub them away. Trying to scrub them off might end up damaging your fiberglass shower surface. Here, it is tougher and more challenging to remove, and so you will have to dissolve this stain with a more concentrated borax lemon solution rather than vinegar and baking soda solution. Here is how;
- The borax-lemon solution can be found in most stores, so you don’t have to premix anything
- Pour the solution on the tough stains and leave it to penetrate them for 30 minutes
- Gently scrub the stains off with a soft sponge or a bristle brush
- Rinse it with lots of water after you are satisfied with the results
- Dry with a soft cloth to leave your fiberglass shower sparkling clean
How Do You Clean Hard Water Stains?
Since hard water has excessive amounts of calcium and magnesium minerals, and is used continuously while taking a shower, it can lead to staining your shower floor surface. As hard water stains can accumulate over time, they are really difficult to clean up as they leave behind tough grime. The solution is a chemical battle with the stains. That’s why you have to clean your shower floor every week to prevent the build-up of hard water stains. Here is how you should do it;
Things you’ll need
- Paper towels
- Sponge
- White vinegar
- Clean cloths
- Baking soda
- Spray bottle
Steps
- Pour some undiluted vinegar into the spray bottle, and spray it over the fiberglass shower surface
- Let it sit for 10-15 minutes for it to penetrate the hard water stains
- Using a sponge, gently rub off the hard water stains
- When satisfied with the appearance, rinse the floor with lots of water
- Dry with the clean cloth and you’re done
How to Clean Fiberglass Tubs with Oven Cleaner?
It comes in handy when your fiberglass shower is having tough stains and grime, and cleaning agents have done all they can. Oven cleaners are able to take care of even the toughest stains and grime that have built up over the years. Using the fume-free oven cleaner is recommended because oven cleaners produce fumes when working which can be toxic. To put it all together, you should do this:
- First, open all the windows or ventilation outlets in your bathroom
- Secondly, you need to be careful when handling the oven cleaner that’s why you need to wear hand protection equipment
- Spray the oven cleaner evenly on the fiberglass surface in your shower from the bottom
- Don’t let the oven cleaner touch any metal finishing as it would corrode and damage them
- Leave the cleaner to penetrate the stains or tough grime for about an hour
- Using a soft sponge or cloth, wipe off the stains gently to remove the resulting residue of the oven cleaner and the stains
- When satisfied with the results, rinse the surface with lots of water
- Lastly, dry the surface with a dry cloth
How to Clean a Fiberglass Shower with Vinegar?
When it comes to cleaning in general, one of the best cleaning agents is vinegar, especially for cleaning fiberglass shower floors. The shower actually does a wonderful job of cleaning off harmful bacteria and with it being so cheap and easy to come by, it is also anti bacterial. Second, you can also scoop up some cream of tartar and whisk it with vinegar to further amp up the scrubbing power. It is easy to find cream of tartar in your local stores. This is how you should go about it:
- First, add a small amount of vinegar to a spray bottle
- Spray it directly on the stains and leave it to penetrate them for about 30 minutes
- Scrub the resulting residue with a soft bristle brush or a sponge
- Rinse the shower floor with lots of water
- Lastly, dry the floor when it is sparkling clean
How To Restore Shine in Your Fiberglass Shower?
Eventually, you’ll find that your fiberglass shower floor fades and turns yellow. The buildup of minerals and soap scum is what causes this to occur. It gets unattractive because it is dented. Well, there are several reagents that you can use to restore shine to your fiberglass shower floor. But here are a few;
- Baking soda mix baking soda and water till it becomes a spreadable and thick paste. Leave the paste on the discoloration or stain and let it sit for approximately 15 minutes. Use a soft cloth or sponge to gently rub the stain off.
- White vinegar: Soak the stains with undiluted white vinegar for one hour. Wipe the stains off with a soft damp cloth and rinse with lots of water. Dishwashing liquid You only need about an ounce of this liquid per gallon. Wet a sponge in this mixture and scrub off the stains gently.
- Acetone: If the stains are caused by pigments or dyes, then you can’t use the above cleaning agents, what you need is turpentine or acetone. They help dissolve tough stains from dyes and paints. Pour a small amount of acetone on a cloth and wipe the pigment or the dye off gently. This solvent restores and whitens your shower.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice contains considerable amounts of citric acids that dissolve the stains caused by minerals and soap scum. Scrub off the stains gently with a damp cloth and rinse with lots of water.
- Automotive wax and cream: When your fiberglass shower becomes faded due to aging, you can restore its shine by applying automotive polish or wax and polishing its surface with automotive cream. This polish penetrates the porous holes in the fiberglass and helps restore it.
The Best Product to Clean a Fiberglass Shower?
The main cause of stains in most fiberglass showers is mineral deposits due to hard water in addition to soap scum. That’s why in this guide we highly recommend the Bring it on Cleaner and Stain Remover which is more effective at removing hard water stains, stubborn soap scum, and rust stains. One of the reasons why this stain remover stands out is because it contains oxygen bleach, which is non-toxic and more powerful than chlorine bleach. It’s safe to use around pets and kids, plus it removes even the toughest grime and stains found on your bathroom floor. Plus it makes your bathroom smell fresh and nice because it is mint-scented.
Suggested Reading: Our analysis on 10 Best Fiberglass Shower Cleaners
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use bleach on a fiberglass shower?
Bleach is especially useful for controlling mold, mildew and some bacteria because bleach is a disinfectant, as bleach is in most commercial cleaning products. If you are using bleach to get rid of tough stains on your fiberglass shower floor, follow these steps.
- Step 1; Bleach produces fumes during the mode of action, that’s why you need to ventilate the shower by opening all windows.
- Step 2; Fill a gallon of water then add one cup of bleach. You must wear protective clothing like safety eyeglasses and rubber gloves to protect yourself.
- Step 3; Wet a sponge or brush with the mixture and scrub the fiberglass surface gently.
- Step 4; you may leave the solution on the surface for about 15 minutes for it to kill all the molds and bacteria.
- Step 4; lastly, rinse your shower surface with water and dry with a towel.
Can you use a magic eraser on fiberglass?
The magic eraser comes in handy to remove tough grime, and mineral and rust stains. Once it starts to bubble, you need to pre-mix it with water and then squeeze about three to four and pour it on your fiberglass shower floor, and scrub gently. Plus it has three scent options meadows, rain, and freeze for a fresh and nice smelling shower. However there were speculations that magic eraser consists of some harmful toxins and chemicals. None of these allegations were disproven, and all are not conclusive. We believe that it will be ideal if we stick to the natural means above.
How do I get rid of shower grime?
The grime stain is a tough one to remove and won’t budge until you use the right cleaning agent. In this case, white vinegar will be the best cleaning agent. Here is what you need to do;
- Pre-mix ½ cup of hot water and ½ cup of white vinegar
- Wet a soft sponge in the solution and rub it gently on the fiberglass surface
- Leave the solution on the surface for a few minutes then scrub gently
- Rinse the surface with lots of water before drying it with a towel because leaving the surface wet may cause mildew and mold to form, further staining your fiberglass surface
How do I get rid of black mold in my fiberglass shower?
Normally, mold will only be in the drain/plug hole and removing it is an easy task. Follow these steps;
- Pre-mix a solution of 2 parts water and one part bleach
- Pour this solution into a spray bottle
- Spray the bleach on mold-infested areas
- Leave the solution to act for 10 minutes
- Using a coarse brush, scrub the infested areas gently to remove the mold residue
- Rinse the surface with lots of clean water before drying with a towel
You can also use baking soda in substituting bleach. Here is how to go about it;
- Mix water and baking soda to form a thick paste
- Spread the paste on the mold-infested surface like the drain pipe
- Leave the paste for about 10 minutes before scrubbing it gently with a nylon brush
- Lastly, rinse with lots of water
How do you clean a yellow fiberglass shower?
Soap scum is the main culprit that yellows your fiberglass bathroom floor. If allowed to accumulate they can build up and get stuck. Luckily, you can mix hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar to remove the yellow stains on your fiberglass bathroom floor effectively. Here is how;
- Pre-mix 3 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with an equal measurement of water, and add 6 ounces of cream of tartar
- Pour the mixture on the yellowish stains on your fiberglass shower floor
- Leave the mixture to dry, and then use a non-abrasive brush to remove the residue
- Rinse the surface thoroughly with lots of warm water and you are done
Final Verdict
The best way to clean and restore your fiberglass shower floor is by using natural methods, if the stains are persistent, you may use conventional cleaning agents like Bring it on Stain Remover. We highly recommend the use of white vinegar and borax, because borax forms a paste that sticks on the floor surface to effectively clean your fiberglass surface.
