I think, out of all cleaning tasks, cleaning the shower is just about my least favorite.  It is such a thankless job.  For years, my solution was just to not really clean the shower much, but, since we remodeled the master bathroom and have a pretty tile shower in there now, I figure it’s a better plan to actually try to keep up with the cleaning.

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In general, following along with CleanMama’s routine for bathrooms like I shared last week has really helped to keep me thinking about at least spraying/wiping down the shower once a week, which goes a long way toward helping it stay cleaner.  (I LOVE the Method tub & tile spray for that – no rinsing necessary!)  But, one area that still seems to require special attention even with the weekly shower cleaning, is the bead of caulk between the tiled shower walls and the fiberglass tub.

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To be fair, our caulk actually isn’t in great shape and should probably be peeled out and re-done … I just haven’t gotten there.  In the meantime, I’m just worrying about trying to keep it clean.  Probably every month or so I start to notice that it doesn’t look quite as white as the tub/tile and, if I don’t do anything then, it starts to form gray/black spots (like the ones above) that are just icky.

Now, remember how I mentioned I used to not like cleaning the shower so much that I just didn’t clean it.  Well, as you can imagine, that means it needs a really heavy duty cleaning when it does come time to tackle the shower.  For the caulk, I’ve previously used the approach described on this page to clean it up relatively quickly (although I promise our shower never looked as bad as the one in the pictures – yuck).  Basically, you make a paste of baking soda and bleach, spread it over the caulk, cover it with plastic wrap (so it doesn’t dry out) and walk away.  This method does work, although it can sometimes take multiple applications (even with the baking soda, the bleach solution runs down the tub/shower walls) and the whole thing is just kind messy.  It’s fine for periodic shower cleaning, but definitely not something I’d look forward to doing on a regular basis.

So, when I saw a Clorox bleach pen in the laundry section at Target, I thought it was worth a try.  I picked one up and threw it in my bathroom cleaning caddy.  Now, when I see the caulk looking a little less than fresh, it’s a quick fix to clean it up again.

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Using the bleach pen for the shower is super simple – I just trace the caulk line with it and walk away.  I usually let it sit for at least an hour, but sometimes for the rest of the day.  Basically, I just make sure to wipe it off before the next shower/bath.

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And, once I wipe it off, the caulk is sparkly white – never fails.

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Bleach pens usually run between $2 and $3, depending on where you get them, so it is pricier than mixing up your own solution with baking soda, but the convenience is totally worth it as far as I’m concerned.  The bleach stays put (doesn’t run down the shower like the bleach solution can) and the pen is super mess-free, which is perfect considering that there’s usually a toddler right behind me inspecting my work (containers of bleach & baking soda paste are just a disaster waiting to happen).

I’ve also used it to spot clean the grout in the shower before (looking at the pictures above, it might be time to do that again!) and it does a beautiful job at that as well.  Super simple!

Anyway, this has to be just about my favorite cleaning trick, so I thought I’d share – in the hopes that I’m not the only one out there with less-than-fresh caulk (or grout!) in their shower.  (Please say I’m not.)

Filed Under: Cleaning and Organizing

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