If there’s one thing you would love to change about your shower, it’s how difficult it is to clean. Are you stuck with the same old wall materials and the same old cleaning routine? You absolutely don’t have to be.ZINTEX Remodeling Group has completed thousands of new shower installations and tub to shower conversions. We’ve talked to countless homeowners about their shower maintenance pain points, especially ease of cleaning. Read on so you can find out the cleaning basics for popular shower wall materials and our ranking of these materials from hardest to clean to easiest to clean.
Table of Contents
- How to Clean Shower Tile and Grout
- How to Clean Natural Stone Showers
- How to Clean Fiberglass Showers
- How to Clean Acrylic Showers
- Which Shower Wall Materials Win the Prize for Easiest to Clean?
- Is ZINTEX the Right Shower Remodel Partner?
How to Clean Shower Tile and Grout
Let’s start by talking about one of the most classic shower wall combinations in recent history: tile and grout. Tile and grout are a popular choice not only because of the design versatility, but also because for a good portion of the 20th century, it was one of the most waterproof options available.
By today’s standards, tile and grout are arguably some of the least waterproof shower wall materials. Unless you stay on top of resealing your grout as needed, you’ll find that it’s a very porous material, and that’s where the cleaning trouble starts. While keeping individual tiles can be as simple as spraying them with the right solution and wiping them down, grout requires a lot more attention.
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If you stay on a preventative maintenance schedule, lightly scrubbing your grout with a hard-bristled brush two or three times a month should keep most problems at bay. If you start to notice grime or the early signs of mold growth, you may need to spend a few hours scrubbing a specialized cleaning product into each individual grout line.
How to Clean Natural Stone Showers
Natural stone is another popular choice for showers, particularly in luxury bathrooms. Natural stone can be cut and installed like tile, raising similar cleaning concerns as the ones listed above thanks to the exposed grout. However, there are also solid surface natural stone showers, which are generally more expensive to install but also much easier to clean.
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With solid surface natural stone, the biggest hurdle is making sure you’re using a cleaning product designed for the particular stone you’re cleaning. Beyond that, however, you typically just need to spray your cleaning detergent onto the tile, allow it to sit based on the product instructions, and wipe it down. You may also need to have the stone resealed a few times a year to maintain waterproofing and prevent rapid wear and tear.
How to Clean Fiberglass Showers
Fiberglass is a popular material that you see most often in tub and shower combinations, although there are fiberglass walk in showers, as well. If you live in a rental property or purchased a recently flipped home, there’s a good chance that your shower is made of fiberglass because it’s one of the most inexpensive materials on the market.
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On a weekly or biweekly basis, spray your fiberglass shower walls with your cleaning solution and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Then, wipe it down with your microfiber cloth. If you notice any tough soap scum or hard water stains, make a paste using baking soda and warm water and apply it to the walls before scrubbing it with your medium-bristled brush.
Some fiberglass showers will have exposed caulking that can grow mold over time. You can try to kill the mold using a vinegar or bleach solution, but you may find it more effective to remove it and recaulk.
How to Clean Acrylic Showers
Last on the list, we have acrylic shower walls. Made from high-tech polymer, acrylic is a 100% waterproof material. Like solid surface natural stone, acrylic showers have very few seams, and the chances of mold growth taking hold are pretty low.
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Acrylic showers are generally considered easy to clean, requiring very little elbow grease. As long as you wipe down the walls with a vinegar and dish soap mixture or cleaning product about once a week, you’ll be able to keep your acrylic shower wall panels in like-new condition for several years. The most important thing is to avoid abrasive scrubs and caustic chemicals like bleach, which can cause irreparable damage to the surface of the acrylic.
Which Shower Wall Materials Win the Prize for Easiest to Clean?
You now have a checklist of supplies, pros, cons, and basic cleaning instructions for four of the most popular shower wall materials on the market. Now, it’s time to rank these materials from hardest to clean to easiest to clean.
Fourth place: tile and grout. While it’s hard not to love that timeless look, it’s harder to get excited about diligently scrubbing grout lines several times a month.
Third place: fiberglass. Cleaning fiberglass isn’t too different from cleaning acrylic panels, but there’s one major distinction: fiberglass doesn’t last as long. Even if you’re a master of chores, you probably won’t get more than ten years in before seeing the signs of wear and tear.
Second place: natural stone. As long as you’re working with the right cleaning supplies for your specific stone, you should have a breeze keeping these showers clean. That said, natural stone does come at the highest price point and may not be a realistic choice for most homeowners.
First place: acrylic shower wall panels. Not only do acrylic walls come at a great price point and last up to 20 years, but they’re also 100% waterproof, nearly seamless, and easy to spray and wipe down three or four times a month.
Is ZINTEX the Right Shower Remodel Partner?
There’s no need to use the same materials you’re used to in your new shower, especially if you’re tired of your current cleaning routine. With this guide, you can pick from the most popular shower wall materials based on their cleaning requirements, with tile and grout posing the biggest problem and acrylic providing the most ease.
ZINTEX Remodeling Group is a certified seller and installer of BCI Acrylic products. Not only do we believe that acrylic is the best mid-range shower material, but we believe that BCI is one of the best acrylic manufacturers in the industry. Discover the top five BCI Acrylic shower wall colors and get one step closer to deciding if ZINTEX is the right shower remodeler for you.
FAQs About Shower Remodels
Q: When is it time to remodel my shower?
There are a few major signs that it’s time to upgrade your shower, and they fall into three loose categories: functionality, condition, and desire. Maybe your current shower doesn’t work for your mobility needs and is no longer functional for you. Maybe your current shower is starting to show signs of wear or water damage. Maybe you simply want a more modern, attractive, or spacious shower. These are all great reasons to remodel.
Q: Are acrylic showers more affordable than other types of showers?
Acrylic wall panels are considered a more affordable option, but they aren’t the cheapest on the market. For example, you can find very cheap fiberglass shower inserts, but they aren’t designed to last, and they aren’t customizable. Generally speaking, acrylic showers are available at a pretty wide price range. It all depends on things like the color or pattern you choose, the size of your shower, and the accessories and features you incorporate into the design.
Q: Is acrylic the right choice for every shower?
No material is the right choice every time, and every material has its pros and cons. What you choose should reflect your top priorities. For example, tile and grout may be the toughest to maintain, but you’re also going to see the widest variety of design options with tile. Natural stone is an excellent choice that yields stunning results, but it’s also typically the most expensive. Acrylic is great for homeowners who want quality, waterproofing, customization, and durability at a reasonably affordable price.
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