The Best Shower Cleaner

This Old House Reviews Team

Dirt and grime can build up on your shower walls over time. To clean them, use one of the products from our review of the best shower cleaners on Amazon.

Shower cleaners come in spray or foam form to break down grime on tiles, grout, and other surfaces. To help you keep your bathroom clean, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best shower cleaners on Amazon. Here are our top recommendations.

1 Best foam cleaner
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KS9MQQ

Kaboom Foam-Tastic Bathroom Cleaner

What We Like: This Kaboom cleaner uses the power of OxiClean to reduce how much scrubbing you have to do. Once the foam turns from blue to white, it’s ready to be wiped away. It doesn’t leave a trace of grime or cleaner except for a citrus scent. 

Key Features

  • Comes in a 19-ounce can
  • Has a lemon citrus scent 
  • Made for soap scum, hard water, calcium, and lime stains

What Customers Are Saying

Customers mentioned that this cleaner was easy to use, requiring minimal or no scrubbing, even with tough stains. Those who were unsatisfied with the product said that its strong scent made them cough while they were cleaning. 



2 Best for maintenance
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075K4F555

Scrub Free Daily Shower Cleaner

What We Like: This spray is meant to maintain your shower between deep cleans. It works well on mildew, soap scum, and more. Because all you have to do is spray it and leave it to do its job, you can easily use it on a daily basis when you’re taking a shower. 

Key Features

  • Comes in two 32-ounce spray bottles
  • Has a fresh clean scent
  • Made for soap scum and hard water stains

What Customers Are Saying

Reviewers stated that this spray had a pleasant scent and was effective for both daily maintenance and deep cleaning. Those who were unsatisfied with their purchase said that it didn’t work well on hard water stains. 



3 Most versatile
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088VJHN74

The Bucko Soap Scum and Grime Cleaner

What We Like: The Bucko Soap Scum and Grime Cleaner provides a commercial-strength clean. It uses bubbles to dissolve tough stains on just about any surface in your bathroom, including glass shower doors, acrylic bathtubs, and tile and grout walls. You can also purchase it in a bottle without a sprayer, in a bottle with a sprayer, or in a gallon-size jug. 

Key Features

  • Comes in a 32-ounce bottle
  • Has a light lemon scent
  • Made for soap scum and grime

What Customers Are Saying

Customers complimented the product’s pleasant scent and scrubbing bubbles. Most agreed that it required minimal scrubbing and provided a deep clean. Those who were unsatisfied with their purchase said that it didn’t work well on bathtub stains.



4 Best for hard water
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7T3D99

Bioclean Hard Water Stain Remover

What We Like: This biodegradable cleaner works hard to get rid of hard water stains in your shower. It has a cream consistency that’s applied to doors, walls, faucets, and other bathroom surfaces that have been exposed to hard minerals. For your convenience, the product cleans and seals in one go. 

Key Features

  • Comes in a 40-ounce bottle
  • Doesn’t have a specific scent
  • Made for hard water stains

What Customers Are Saying

Customers said that this product had a pleasant scent and was easy to use. However, some unsatisfied customers said that it left a residue on their bathroom surfaces, defeating the purpose of using it. 



5 Best for glass doors
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXKZ850

Rain-X Shower Door Cleaner

What We Like: This liquid cleaner is designed to remove dirt, hard water stains, soap scum, and more for glass shower doors. For the best results, the manufacturer recommends applying the product to a damp cloth then using the cloth to rub the product on your door in a circular motion. If you want to protect your door from future grime, you can follow up with Rain-X’s Shower Door Water Repellent.

Key Features

  • Comes in a 12-ounce bottle
  • Has a lemon scent
  • Made for soap scum and hard water stains

What Customers Are Saying

Most customers complimented the product for making glass look crystal clear. Many reviewers also noted that it worked particularly well on soap scum. Those who were unsatisfied with the product said that they had to scrub a lot to get it to do its job.



 

Buyer’s Guide

Showers quickly become covered with soap scum, hard water stains, and other grime. Finding the right cleaner can help you maintain your shower. Here are four factors to consider as you’re making a selection. 

Fragrance

Some shower cleaners either smell like the chemicals in their formula or something natural, such as lavender or lemon. Other cleaners may be fragrance-free. If you’re sensitive to strong smells, search for a product that has a light scent or no scent. 

Surface

Some shower cleaners work on specific surfaces, such as tile or glass, while others work on any surface in your bathroom. When you’re searching for a product, be sure to scan the label for its recommended surfaces. 

Grime

In addition to recommended surfaces, some cleaners have certain types of grime that they can clean. For example, some work on soap scum, while others tackle tough mineral stains from hard water. All-purpose cleaners can generally remove basic grime. If your shower hasn’t been cleaned in months or you have tough stains, such as hard water or rust, choose a professional-strength, grime-specific cleaner instead.

Form

Shower cleaners can come in the form of foam, cream, or liquid. Foam cleaners tend to require the least amount of scrubbing because their bubbles break down the grime for you. On the other hand, cream and liquid cleaners have to be activated with scrubbing.

 

FAQs

 

How do I clean my shower doors?

To clean your shower doors, analyze the grime. For hard water stains, use an abrasive cleaner with a damp sponge. For soap scum, use a foam cleaner and an abrasive sponge. 

Should I use a squeegee on my shower doors?

Yes. Using a squeegee on a daily basis can reduce the buildup of soap scum. 

How often should I clean my shower?

You should clean your shower once a week. If you have other showers in your home that are used infrequently, you can clean them once every other week.

 

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations. 

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

 

The This Old House Reviews Team provides overviews of select products that are top-selling on Amazon and/or popular in consumer searches. Our team evaluates the products based on industry research, consumer reviews, pricing data, hands-on testing in select cases, and other objective criteria unique to a given product line. Unless otherwise noted, these product reviews are intended to help inform buying decisions for DIY or other non-pro users only. Editor’s picks are made by members of the This Old House Reviews Team.

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