The One Spot In The Shower Everyone Forgets To Clean

When cleaning the bathroom, it's easy to accidentally neglect areas that aren't of the utmost importance. While you likely clean your shower regularly, you might be forgetting about your shower curtain rod. Over time, dust can accumulate on the rod, and constant exposure to warm water could allow bacteria to grow. If you've never thought to clean your shower curtain rod before, chances are that it's dirtier than you think. Water spots and soap scum can build up on your curtain rod, and if it's made of metal, rust could begin to eat away at it. Aluminum curtain rods are also susceptible to growing mold if they have oxidized.

For a quick clean, use a cloth to wipe your shower curtain rod with hot and soapy water. Vinegar is also great for getting rid of soap scum and polishing your chrome curtain rods. Though it likely won't need to be cleaned as often as the rest of your bathroom, it's important to wipe down your shower curtain rod once in a while.

If your chrome curtain rod is tarnished, try wiping it with a cloth damp with rubbing alcohol. After cleaning the rod with soap, alcohol, or vinegar, it's best to dry it with a clean cloth when you're finished. For issues with rust, aluminum foil is surprisingly helpful. Crumple a piece of foil into a ball, get it wet, and lightly scrub the rusty spots. This will not only remove the rust but help to prevent your chrome rod from becoming rusty again. If the rust spots don't come out right away, you can use soda to wet the aluminum foil instead of water. The carbonic acid in sodas like Coca-Cola helps to remove rust.

For aluminum rods that have oxidized, scrubbing them with salt, baking soda, and a cut lemon should remove the oxidation and any mold that has grown. Once the unsightly spots are gone, you can clean the rod with vinegar and water before drying it.