Shower Cleaner!

We are very fortunate to have access to aquifer water.  It’s fantastic!!  But, it is very hard water at our place!!  Luckily for our marriage, my husband and I are both in agreement that we DO NOT like the feeling of soft water on our skin.  Unluckily for our shower, the tiles take a beating without having softened water.  We basically have to stay on top of it daily to keep it from building up, especially with 5/6 people in our house using the shower.  And, well, during the prairie summer, who wants to spend their days scrubbing shower tiles?? 

So…..this is what I was up against over the weekend after a wee bit of shameful neglect.

 

I decided to make cleaning fun and try a little experiment!  Who would be the winner?  Foaming store bought cleaner (left)?  Or a simple mix of 50% warm water, 50% vinegar and a few drops of essential oils (right)?

After leaving the foam to sit for five minutes and then scrubbing the tile and then scrubbing the tile on the right with the vinegar solution, (equal scrubbing time, equal pressure, and all that jazz) THE WINNER IS…..

Huh!  No one?  They both came out pretty much the same!  The grout around the vinegar solution tile did seem a bit cleaner, but the tiles themselves were about the same level of clean!

Now, price wise, vinegar and water is a pretty inexpensive option AND better for the environment AND as the days have gone by this week, the vinegar/water/essential oil tiles seem to be repelling water!  It is beading off the tile! 

Try it out!  Everyone’s water (and scum) is different of course!  But it is worth testing in your shower or tub surround.  I’d love to hear how the experiment goes for you!