Best shower cleaner 2023: Get a sparkling shower with minimal effort
Avoid hours of endless scrubbing with our guide to the best shower cleaners to keep your bathroom bright and beautiful
We’re not suggesting that cleaning the shower is the most enjoyable or exciting of tasks, but it has to be done and the best shower cleaners help to keep your bathroom germ free. Our showers get daily use, meaning there can be a build-up of mould, limescale and even bacteria if they’re not kept clean. Shower heads, for example, can contain mycobacteria that causes lung infections. Not something you want to encourage.
Fortunately, our roundup of the best shower cleaners will make cleaning a breeze. We’ve got everything from daily shower sprays to hardcore limescale removers, with products covering a range of budgets to suit everyone. You’ll also find plenty of eco-friendly options in our list as well.
Be sure to check out our handy buying guide below, with tips on what to look for when it comes to shower cleaners. Or, if you already know what you’re looking for, you can scroll straight down to our recommended products. We’ve even sub-divided them into sections to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for.
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Best shower cleaners: At a glance
- Best budget shower spray: Sainsburys Daily Shower Cleaner | £1.10
- Best heavy-duty spray for shower doors: Elbow Grease Glass Cleaner | £3.15
- Best budget tile cleaner: Elbow Grease Cream Cleaner | £2.69
- Best budget limescale remover: Ocado Limescale Remover Spray | £1.20
- Best eco limescale remover: Delphis Limescale Remover | £4
- Best heavy-duty descaler: Lakeland Showerhead Limescale Remover | £8
How to choose the best shower cleaner for you
How we test
We use each shower cleaner to clean different areas of our shower, seeing how well they deal with water streaks, soapy residue and limescale. We also note the smell of each product and whether there is any irritating irritation to the skin or eyes during use.
How many products do I need to clean my shower?
We’d recommend using a daily shower cleaner to keep shower doors clean and free of streaks. Most people will need a cleaner for their tiles and, in fact, many of these can be used on stainless steel as well.
How often you need to use a limescale remover and descaler will depend on the hardness of the water in your local area. Limescale build-up can be a big problem for many people, with it building up quickly on shower heads, attachments and even in your grouting. So a good limescale remover and descaler are essential items. Even if you live in a soft water area, you’ll probably find that you need to use a descaler from time to time.
Think about application methods
A lot of shower cleaners come in the form of a spray, but you will need good-quality cloths to wipe products off and apply water if necessary (a daily shower cleaner won’t need wiping down). Other cleaners such as cream cleaners have a nozzle and these, along with limescale remover, generally need to be left on for a few minutes to work. Descalers need to be diluted in hot water, the showerhead immersed in them and the mixture left for 30 minutes to work. Bear these things in mind when you’re working out the order in which to clean the shower.
Choose the right product for your surface
Make sure you read the labels on cleaners before using them in your shower. Depending on the materials used in your shower, some products may not be suitable – for example, powder coated fittings won’t cope with anything too abrasive.
Safety first
We’d advise opening a window before cleaning the shower and using descaler in a well-ventilated space. Most cleaning products are actually a lot gentler these days, but they still don’t always smell very pleasant. There are now a huge number of eco-friendly products on the market, with many also suitable for those with allergies.
Packaging is also far more eco-conscious, with many products using recyclable containers. You’ll also find products available via subscription or that are refillable, to help further cut down on plastic waste.
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The best shower cleaners you can buy in 2023
1. Sainsbury’s Daily Shower Cleaner: Best budget bathroom spray
Price: £1.10 | Buy now from Sainsbury’s
This budget spray does an excellent job of keeping your doors streak-free after each shower. It’s suitable for use on plastic and glass screens, as well as vinyl shower curtains. Sainsbury’s says it can also be used on tiles, enamel trays and your shower head, although we find these daily cleaners most effective on the doors.
To use, simply turn the nozzle on and spray a light mist over wet surfaces from 20cm away, then walk away. The spray has a very slight chemical smell but it’s not particularly offensive and does a great job – no streaks with this product. Our only bugbear is the spray nozzle, which can be a bit hit and miss with spritzing and dribbling. Nonetheless, every part of the bottle and trigger is recyclable and the price is hard to beat.
Key details – Size: 750ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: All areas of the shower
2. Method Shower Cleaner: Best eco-friendly bathroom spray
Price: £2.70 | Buy now from Amazon
This plant-based, non-toxic spray is made from biodegradable ingredients and comes in a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. The passionfruit fragrance is absolutely lovely and the bottle has one of the best spray actions we’ve seen, producing a fine mist every time.
Again, all you need to do with this cleaner is spray it on your wet shower and then leave. We noticed that the spray did an excellent job of removing water droplets, but a few online customer reviews have said that they noticed a few smears as the cleaner dried out; we didn’t come across this, though.
Key details – Size: 826ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: All areas of the shower
3. Elbow Grease Glass Cleaner: Best heavy-duty bathroom spray
Price: £3.15 | Buy now from Amazon
Elbow Grease glass cleaner is aptly named, as it really does do all the heavy lifting for you. The added vinegar in this cleaner produces a sparkling finish on shower doors, with minimal effort from you. Simply spray on the doors and wipe with a soft cloth – and don’t worry, the cleaner doesn’t smell of vinegar.
This product is great for removing any tough water marks or soap scum from your shower doors and it always leaves a sparkling finish. It may cost a little more than some glass cleaners, but it’s worth every penny for the streak-free finish you’ll be left with. Some customers also say it’s brilliant on shower tiles, but we would recommend a patch test first.
Key details – Size: 500ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: Shower doors, some tiles (patch test first), other areas of the house such as windows and mirrors
4. Beldray Window Vacuum: Best budget window vac
Price: £30 | Buy now from Amazon
Don’t fancy scrubbing away with cloths to remove stubborn marks? The Beldray window vacuum collects dirt and grime without any effort at all on your part. This small, 10W vacuum is incredibly easy to use. Simply spray your shower doors with your preferred cleaner and warm water, then use the vac to suck up the liquid. The suction, combined with the squeegee attached to the vac, helps remove grime, dirt and grease from surfaces.
The charge lasts for around 30 minutes and the 60ml water tank is simple to empty when it gets full. As well as shower doors, it’s also suitable to use on tiles, windows around the house and your car windows. It’s worth noting it does take up to three hours to charge. You’ll also need a spray bottle to hold the mix of cleaning products and warm water, or will need to buy a diluted cleaner suitable to use with a window vac. However, it’s a handy little tool for showers and more.
Key details – Size: 31.5 x 28 x 18cm; Type: Window vac; Suitable for: Shower doors, tiles, other areas of the house such as windows, car windows
The best shower cleaners for bathroom tiles
1. Delphis Bathroom Cleaner: Best eco-friendly tile cleaner
Price: £4 | Buy now from Waitrose
Delphis’ products are all eco-friendly, vegan and free from chemicals. We’re big fans of its products, which are designed for professional use but available to consumers as well. The bathroom cleaner has a low pH, which is designed to prevent limescale build-up and can be safely used on tiles, along with sinks, taps, baths, showers, toilers, mirrors, shower doors and tiled floors. In short, one product could do your entire bathroom. Delphis also produces a daily shower cleaner for quick maintenance.
The bathroom cleaner comes with a spray but produces a slight foam when spritzed out. There’s absolutely no chemical odour and it cleans well with minimal scrubbing. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the packaging is made from 100% recycled plastic and is, of course, recyclable. We really don’t have a bad word to say about it.
Key details – Size: 700ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: All areas of the bathroom
2. Elbow Grease Cream Cleaner: Best budget bathroom tile cleaner
Price: £2.69 | Buy now from Amazon
Elbow Grease’s cream cleaner is extremely reasonably priced considering how effective it is. The cream is infused with tiny micro crystals, which produce a mildly abrasive action that makes it effortless to clean tiles. It also does an excellent job on grouting but is mild enough not to cause any damage to surfaces.
The cleaner has a fresh lemon scent and can also be used on the bath, as well as on kitchen hobs and ovens. We’d recommend using the cleaner with Elbow Grease’s power cloths, which have small scrub dots on them to aid the cleaning process. The cream is a little thinner than some, but it still does an excellent job.
Key details – Size: 550ml; Type: Nozzle; Suitable for: Tiles, bath, kitchen hob and oven
The best shower cleaners for limescale and descaling
1. Ocado Limescale Remover Spray: Best for those on a budget
Price: £1.20 | Buy now from Ocado
Ocado’s limescale remover is incredibly cheap at 95p, but the price certainly doesn’t match the quality. This is a really decent product that removes limescale easily, without the need for a lot of scrubbing.
Another bonus point is that there’s no strong odour, meaning it’s a great option for those who are sensitive to strong chemical smells. It couldn’t be simpler to use – simply turn the spray nozzle to on, spray directly onto the surface and then leave for one minute before wiping with a clean cloth. Rinse at the end to remove any residue and you’ll be left with sparkling clean showers and bathroom taps.
Key details – Size: 750ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: Shower, taps
2. Delphis Eco Limescale Remover: Best eco limescale remover
Price: £4 | Buy now from Waitrose
Another excellent product from Delphis that makes light work of limescale. Plant-based and vegan-friendly, the limescale remover has no chemicals and no strong odour when you use it.
To use, simply spray on and wait a few moments before wiping with a damp cloth and rinsing. The Delphis spray foams up instantly and has a viscous, clinging formula that really penetrates the limescale and helps it to dissolve instantly. It’s safe to use on showers, shower heads and even the shower screen, as well as sinks, taps and baths.
Key details – Size: 700ml; Type: Spray; Suitable for: Shower, shower heads, shower screen, sinks, taps, baths.
3. Oust All Purpose Descaler (3 pack): Best budget descaler
Price: £1.60 | Buy now from Tesco
Oust descalers have been around for a while and there’s a reason they remain so popular – they work. A simple sachet of powder will do a fantastic job of descaling even the most limescale-riddled shower head, and they’re powerful enough to deal with hard water areas as well.
At £1.60 for three sachets, this descaler is an absolute bargain. It’s also extremely simple to use – unscrew your shower head and place in a jug, empty in a sachet and hot water, then leave for 10 minutes before pouring the solution away and rinsing. Do be careful with descalers as they are pretty toxic and, as it’s a powder, it could be harder to contain.
Key details – Size: 3 x 25ml; Type: Powder sachet; Suitable for: Shower heads, kettles, coffee machines, steam irons
4. Lakeland Showerhead Nozzle Limescale Remover: Best heavy-duty descaler
Price: £8 | Buy now from Lakeland
Lakeland’s descaler isn’t the cheapest but it does an excellent job of descaling shower heads in hard water areas, without damaging the head itself. It’s simple to use – immerse your shower head in a bowl or jug of the solution for 20 minutes, follow up with a quick scrub to remove any stubborn particles and rinse well.
You’ll probably only get two treatments out of a bottle, but as it works well with extremely hard water, it’s well worth the money for some.
Key details – Size: 1l; Type: Liquid; Suitable for: Shower heads
5. Ocado Appliance Descaler: Best natural descaler
Price: £2.65 | Buy now from Ocado
This reasonably priced descaler is another excellent choice for removing the dreaded limescale from your shower head. Simply add 50ml of descaler to a jug of hot water and make sure the shower head is fully immersed. Leave for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
We think this is the best “natural” descaler, as it has fewer chemicals than many of its rivals and the main ingredient is citric acid. It’s not quite an eco-friendly product, but it’s less caustic than some and might be a better option for those who are sensitive to cleaning products.
Key details – Size: 500ml; Type: Liquid; Suitable for: Shower heads, kettles, coffee machines, steam irons