How Do You Clean a Walk-In Shower Floor?
The answer is: carefully. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, it’s important to understand that the make, material, and model of your shower pan will largely influence how you clean it. Here’s a quick refresh on shower anatomy: A shower pan—or simply, a shower floor—is the base of the shower, where you stand. Traditionally, this part of a walk-in shower consists of ceramic or porcelain tile that’s built directly into the bathroom floor. Modern shower pans, however, are prefabricated units that are fastened to the bathroom floor during the installation process.
Shower pans can be engineered out of many different types of material—such as fiberglass, acrylic, tile, and composite—but, acrylic is the most popular material because it’s incredibly durable and nonporous. While these acrylic shower pans don’t need to be regularly maintained, to retain their like-new luster, they should still be cleaned every once in a while.
Below is a simple step-by-step guide to cleaning your acrylic walk-in shower floor:
- Squirt about ½ teaspoon of non-alkaline liquid dish detergent into a bucket and then add about one gallon of warm water to create a soap solution.
- Fill a second bucket with warm water (no soap).
- Take a clean rag and dip it into the soap solution. Using the rag, wipe the shower floor to remove grime and discoloration.
- Continue to wipe the entire shower floor with the soap solution until the acrylic comes completely clean, rinsing the rag in the clean water bucket after each wipe.
- Wipe the shower floor thoroughly with a clean towel to dry it.
Important Notes
Homeowners are choosing to install shower pans made from acrylic because they are long-lasting and require minimal maintenance. While extremely durable, this plastic material blend can react poorly to certain cleaning agents with harsh chemical profiles. In short, you shouldn’t grab just any off-the-shelf solution when the time comes for a quick clean. To avoid leaving behind chemical stains, scratches, or other damage caused by a chemical reaction, follow these tips:
- Don’t use hard scrubs. Certain scrubs can scratch your acrylic shower pan. We suggest using a microfiber soft cloth when cleaning.
- Don’t leave a cleaning product on for long periods. Try to avoid leaving active cleaning agents on your shower pan for an extended amount of time. Wait 10 minutes for the product to work its magic, then wipe with a clean cloth.
- Do use an acrylic-safe cleaning agent. When cleaning acrylic, stay away from cleansers with acetone—these solutions can do more harm than good. You can try to make your own acrylic-safe cleaning products, but your favorite dish soap can likely clean just as well.
- Do rinse all of the product off. It’s important to rinse all of the cleaning agents off your shower pan to avoid creating a slippery surface, and to protect your skin from potential irritation caused by any products.
While acrylic shower pans are known for their durability and low-maintenance qualities, it’s still important to clean them regularly to prevent excess dirt and grime from building up over time. If the floor of your walk-in shower simply won’t come clean and you’d like to have a new shower pan installed, click here to locate a BathWraps dealer in your area.
