How to Clean Your Fiberglass Shower - A Foolproof Guide
A clean shower is easier than you think.
Fiberglass can be so nice and shiny and bright. But it can also be so disgusting and stained and dingy. It runs the gamut, for sure. And since it’s usually white, there’s really no hiding when it’s looking worse for the wear.
Unlike most bath and shower materials, fiberglass has a glass base. Fiberglass is actually melted sand that was blasted with extreme heat and mixed with resin. Despite that righteous process, fiberglass is just as susceptible to soap scum, mildew, limescale and rust as any other surface. Fiberglass is also particularly sensitive to stains caused by makeup, hair products, medicines, bath bombs (that’s right!), laundry detergent and the wide variety of potential damage done by kiddos (e.g., crayons, markers, scuffs from bath toys, etc.).
There are many, many ways to bake a cake—er, clean fiberglass. Read on to determine which technique is right for you based on your level of laziness (or determinedness!), how dirty your shower is and what sort of cleaning products (or DIY solutions) you’ve got in the pantry or beneath the sink. Whichever you choose, we trust your fiberglass shower will come out cleaner on the other end.
All The Cleaning Supplies You’ll need:
- Glass or all-purpose cleaner, like Mr. Clean Clean Freak Mist
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath
- White vinegar + spray bottle (if you want make a DIY cleaning agent)
- Microfiber rag, sponge or soft cloth
- Gentle dish soap, like Dawn Dish Soap
- Baking soda
- Soft bristled scrub brush
How to clean a fiberglass shower
- Prerinse your fiberglass shower floor with clean, hot water.
- Let the hot water steam up the shower, loosening any bits of dirt or grime from the fiberglass.
- Open all windows and the bathroom door. Crank on all fans for proper ventilation before you get to scrubbing.
- Don’t use super abrasive scrubbers or cleaning agents on fiberglass, since it could scratch or damage the surface.
- Don’t use bleach!
- Don’t ever mix ready-made cleaning products. Always read the labels and follow the instructions.
Ready-to-use cleaning products
There are many store-bought cleaning products available that are mild enough for cleaning fiberglass, but be sure to always read the label and follow the instructions.
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Mr. Clean Clean Freak Mist, an all-purpose cleaner that eliminates soap scum, grease and grime on everything from shower tiles and doors to handles and hardware.
- Using your microfiber towel, rub the cleaner in purposeful side-to-side strokes.
- If you work in small sections, the cleaner won’t drip, leaving streaks.
- Applying the cleaner directly to your rag—versus spraying it onto the fiberglass shower—will also help to avoid drippage.
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Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath is this amazing textured melamine sponge that cuts hard water stains and soap scum from most surfaces, plus it removes toothpaste spatters from countertops and grime from grout, too.
- To use, wet your fiberglass shower, wet the sponge, then scrub or spot clean.
- Leave a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath near the shower to remind you to do your daily shower wipe down. A quick daily once-over with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath will make your monthly deep clean a breeze.
- Pro tip: The best time to clean the shower is right when you’ve finished using it, while it’s still all warm and damp!
DIY Fiberglass Cleaning Methods
Vinegar wash
White vinegar is acidic enough to dissolve mold, mildew, grease and buildup—but it won’t hurt the fiberglass. Good for stains, smells and schmears. Create a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
- If your fiberglass shower is especially grimy, prewash it with several drops of dish soap, like Dawn, mixed with 2 cups of warm water prior to applying your vinegar wash.
- Fill a bucket with vinegar.
- Apply vinegar to the fiberglass shower by soaking a rag or sponge in the solution and wiping it directly onto the doors. You could also apply the vinegar with a spray bottle.
- Let the vinegar sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing it down the drain with clean, warm water.
Gently exfoliate with a baking soda paste
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This technique is great for caked-on gunk, soap scum buildup, pesky hard water spots and any sort of sculptural grit or grime.
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Mix a paste using 1 cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water (or more, if needed). The texture of the paste should be thick, like cake batter. If it turns out too watery, add more baking soda. (Note: You could substitute baking soda for cream of tartar, depending on what’s in your pantry.)
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Apply your DIY solution to the fiberglass shower with a soft ,damp rag, careful not to scratch the surface. Make sure to cover the area around the drain and any other discolored bits of fiberglass with a good, thick layer of the paste.
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Let the mixture sit for an hour (clean the glass shower doors in the meantime).
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Wipe off the mixture with a clean, wet rag.
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If the fiberglass is still stained or gross looking, use more baking soda paste with a soft bristled scrub brush, and apply some elbow grease to spot treat the offending areas or stains.
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Rinse the fiberglass shower with hot water until all the baking soda washes down the drain.
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Use a squeegee to scrape any remnants into the drain.
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Polish dry with a microfiber rag to eliminate any streaks.
Sprinkle + set
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This method is like the lazy version of the exfoliant, ideal for treating your basic stains, smells, stickiness and spots. Works best for fiberglass shower floors.
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Simply sprinkle baking soda all over your fiberglass shower floor.
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Using your spray bottle, wet the baking soda with warm water until it’s all covered and damp. (Note: Don’t use the showerhead for this, or it’ll just wash all the baking soda down the drain.) The water will help activate the baking soda.
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Let the baking soda sit for a couple of hours.
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Rinse fiberglass shower floors with hot water, until all of the baking soda washes down the drain.
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Use your squeegee to scrape any remnants into the drain.
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Polish dry with a microfiber rag to eliminate any streaks.
Citrus rub
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Citrus helps dissolve stains and smells yummy, too. Perfect for generic stains, smells or discoloration. Citric acid is mild yet mighty.
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Sprinkle baking soda onto the halved face of a citrus fruit. We prefer lemon, but grapefruit would work fine, too.
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Use the fruit to rub the baking soda into the fiberglass shower, specifically spot treating offending stains, such as around the drain or onto any discolored bits or mildewed areas.
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Let the baking soda sit for about 30 minutes.
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Rinse the fiberglass shower with hot water until all of the baking soda washes down the drain.
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Use your squeegee to scrape any remnants into the drain.
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Polish dry with a microfiber rag to eliminate any streaks.
More Drastic Cleaning Solutions
Hydrogen peroxide
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It’s like bleach—but better! Way less likely to ruin your surfaces, plus it doesn’t smell nearly as harshly.
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Soak a rag in a hydrogen peroxide solution (1 parts hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water), and apply liberally to the entire fiberglass shower.
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Let it sit overnight.
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Rinse the fiberglass shower with hot water.
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Use your squeegee to scrape any remaining water droplets.
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Polish dry with a microfiber rag to eliminate any streaks.
Extra credit - Easy Sanitizing
- We recommend regularly sanitizing your fiberglass shower with Microban 24 Bathroom Cleaner to keep surfaces sanitized against bacteria for up to 24 hours, even after multiple touches.* Just spray and walk away, allowing the product to air dry. Its powerful cleaning formula penetrates soap scum and greasy soiled spots, leaving your shower sparkling clean.
How often to clean your fiberglass shower
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Your fiberglass shower ought to be cleaned weekly, as to avoid soap scum buildup, mineral deposits, hard water spots and mold or mildew. If that sounds like a lot of work, scroll up. Remember when we said all you have to do was literally sprinkle baking soda on the floor, dampen it and let it sit overnight before rinsing it down the drain? That’s the least you can do. We’ve got faith in you.
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Add cleaning your fiberglass shower to your bathroom cleaning checklist as a weekly chore. And while you’re at it, clean the showerhead and the bathroom walls, too.
*When used as directed, effective for 24 hours against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter aerogenes bacteria. Microban 24 does not provide 24-hour residual virus protection.