Why You Should Try Cleaning Your Shower With A Dryer Sheet

Can you guess what household chore Americans hate the most? It's not washing dishes, sweeping the floors, or taking out the trash. It's cleaning the bathroom and shower, according to a poll by Lombardo Homes. Cleaning the shower is one of the most annoying chores because it requires us to actually climb in the shower and scrub with harsh cleaners, often on our hands and knees. You'll inevitably get wet when cleaning the shower, and you may even accidentally stain your clothes with bleach or shower cleaner. When all is said and done, there still might be streaks on the shower glass.

Some people resort to keeping cleaners in the shower so they can wipe down the walls every morning, but there's another hack that can simplify your bathroom cleaning routine. If you want perfectly polished and smudge-free shower glass, all you need is one unexpected household item: a dryer sheet.

According to Corrosionpedia, soap scum is much more than just soap residue. It can also be made up of mineral deposits, body oils, dead skin cells, and even algae or mold. Soap scum is the biggest enemy of a clean shower, but it's no match for the humble dryer sheet. To scrub your shower with a dryer sheet, start by filling your bathroom sink or a small container with warm water, then add a few dryer sheets. Depending on the size of your shower and the severity of the soap scum, you may need to use more than one dryer sheet. Stir the dryer sheets in the water until they are thoroughly soaked, then gently remove them and squeeze out all of the water. Scrubbing with a damp dryer sheet on dry shower walls will give you the best results. 

With a dryer sheet in hand, begin rubbing in small circles to magically buff away soap scum, dirt, and finger smudges. The dryer sheet's woven texture gives it a gentle grip that won't scratch or scuff your glass. Once you've removed all the visible stains, use a spray bottle filled with water to rinse away the gunk and any residue leftover from the dryer sheet. Follow up with a dry microfiber cloth to give your shower a flawless, dust-free shine (via CHC Glass & Mirror).  

This shower-cleaning hack works best with a new dryer sheet, but you can also use old, used dryer sheets from the laundry — a great way to recycle them and give them a second purpose. Keep a box of dryer sheets in the bathroom to make it easy to maintain clean, spot-free glass. Of course, dryer sheets won't remove bacteria from your shower floors and walls, so it's still best to disinfect your shower about once per week, according to Self. 

Dryer sheets can be used for so much more than the dryer. In addition to cleaning your shower walls, you can also use dryer sheets to clean and polish any smooth, hard surface in your home. Try using the dryer sheet hack on your bathroom sinks and bathtubs, too (via CHC Glass & Mirror). Their woven texture is perfect for gently picking up makeup fallout, old toothpaste, and loose beard trimmings. No more endless spraying, soaking, and scrubbing!