The Best Way To Give Your Shower Caddy A Much Needed Clean

The shower caddy, typically made out of plastic, metal, or bamboo, is an essential container that holds shampoo and body wash bottles. It can either hang from the shower head or suction cup to the wall. While a shower caddy is a genius way to double the storage space in your small shower, most people neglect this organizer. Constantly exposed to moisture, it's subject to hard water stains, soap residue, and mold. Not cleaning your caddy can lead to a buildup of bacteria and mold that could make you sick. Your bath won't feel so soothing when you learn what's lurking on your caddy. Luckily, you can clean the compartment in one evening with natural ingredients you probably already have in your home. Further, it only takes soaking and scrubbing to restore this organizer to its former glory, so this task is quite simple. 

Water, vinegar, and baking soda are all you need for tidying a metal holder. For a plastic or bamboo shower caddy, even less materials are required, as just soap and water will do the trick. Regular maintenance of this product will help reduce the chances of harmful pathogens, rust, mildew, and soap scum building up on the surface. Additionally, you should clean this organizer every time you deep clean the bathroom or at least once a month to keep it looking its best.

As stated, you can clean a plastic shower caddy with just a small amount of mild soap and water. To begin this process, remove all the items from the container, then fill a bowl with a few drops of dish detergent and water. Scrub your caddy with the solution, using an old toothbrush to get into all the tiny cracks and crevices. Once the organizer is thoroughly scrubbed, rinse it with water and dry it using a soft cloth. Ensure it is completely dry before returning your items to the shelves to prevent mold. You'd clean a bamboo shower caddy in the same manner, but once it's dry, apply a layer of coconut or olive oil to give it a shiny finish.

Your precious metal caddy will take more work and time, but the process is still fairly simple. After removing all your products from the shelves, the toiletry holder needs to soak in vinegar water. The ideal ratio is ½ a cup of white vinegar for every 1 gallon of water. The bathtub should give you enough space to soak the caddy. Leave it to bathe for 20 minutes, then scrub it with a brush and rinse with clean water. Finally, dry it thoroughly before returning it to the shower to prevent mildew growth and hard water stains.

If you have a metal shower caddy that hasn't been cleaned in a long time, you may find that it has a couple key problems, namely hard water stains and rust. Luckily, both of these issues can be easily resolved. To tackle hard water stains on the metal, this is where a baking soda cleaning hack comes in. Mix the cleaning powder with enough water to create a paste. Smooth the paste onto any stains or residue and rinse with vinegar. Once the fizzy reaction from the acid and baking soda subsides, rinse with clean water and dry thoroughly before putting it back in your shower.

If rust is a problem on your shower caddy, there are a couple of ways to remove the corrosion. Lemon and salt make an acidic exfoliant that may prove to be effective. The citrus fruit helps lift the rust from the metal, while the rough nature of the salt scrubs it away. Using equal parts lemon juice and coarse salt, apply the mixture to the rusty areas and scrub with a non-metal scour. Then, rinse the caddy with warm water and dry it completely before installing it in the shower. WD-40 can also remove rust from your caddy as well. Just spray the versatile cleaner on the caddy and let the solution sit for a minute, then wipe the organizer clean.