A common material found in showers is fiberglass, which can be tough to clean if you don’t have the right tools.
Rust can build up over time, but removing it doesn’t take as much scrubbing and abrasive cleaner as you might expect.
Follow these steps for a quick and easy way to remove rust from the shower.
How to clean fiberglass
While the stains might seem stubborn, cleaning a fiberglass shower actually requires light work and basic items. Forget stringent cleaners, household agents are no match for rust rings in the shower. To clean fiberglass:
- Use a soft, non-abrasive cleaning material (polyethylene, polyester or nylon)
- Avoid steel wool and scraping tools
- Avoid abrasive powders and sprays
- Have household products on hand to help
To clean rust, dampen the stains with water and sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the area. Wet a soft-bristle nylon brush and use circular motions to scrub the baking soda into the rust spots. The water on the brush should turn the baking soda into a paste. If it doesn’t, add more water to the brush.
Allow the paste to sit on the rust stains for an hour. Remove the baking soda from the shower with a wet cloth, being careful to not leave any residue.
Household products that remove rust
If the baking soda doesn’t completely remove the rust, try one of these cleaning solutions created from items found in your kitchen.
Salt and lemon
Completely cover the rust stain with table salt, then squeeze lemon juice over it (store bought lemon juice also works). Allow the mixture to sit on the rust stain overnight. The two products work together to absorb the rust stain into the salt. The following day, wipe the stained area with a clean, wet cloth and rinse off any remaining residue.
Vinegar and baking soda
Create a paste using vinegar and baking soda, and place it on the rusted area. Let the paste sit for several hours–up to a full day if possible–before scrubbing and rinsing.
Hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar
As with the other rust-removing solutions, pour the cream of tartar over the rust stain and pour the hydrogen peroxide over it. Let the solution sit overnight, allowing the cream of tartar to absorb the rust. Wipe clean and rinse in the morning. Be careful with this mixture, as the hydrogen peroxide has the ability to lighten fabrics on contact.
