The Bizarre Shower Cleaning Hack That's Hiding In Your Pantry

Keeping the bathroom clean can sometimes feel like a full-time job. The shower alone can take up a huge amount of time when scrubbing to prevent mildew. Using harsh chemical cleaners can leave an overpowering smell and could impact the healthy air in the room. But luckily, there is a natural product that can help spruce up your shower. You can find it in your food pantry.

Surprisingly, a simple potato can be a huge help when cleaning the bathroom! That's right — spuds can be added to your maintenance routine to keep your shower squeaky clean. This is due to the type of organic components found in potatoes such as oxalic, citric, malic, fumaric, and ascorbic acids. It makes the potatoes capable of cleaning, shining, and polishing. The combination of the potato's oxide acid and starchy composition make a powerful cleaning pair. Their rough texture means they will not go easy on water stains and will not let up until your shower is spotless. Make sure this becomes a regular occurrence as you may not be cleaning your shower as often as you should.

Potatoes are especially useful for removing smudges and fingerprints, which will keep glass fixtures looking new. To use a potato for cleaning, simply slice the spud in two. Place the inside of the potato onto your shower door and begin to scrub lightly in small circles. (For extra cleaning power, add some baking soda to the potato's surface.) Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse the surface with lukewarm water and wipe it dry. Do not to overlook stubborn corners, a mistake you have to stop making when cleaning glass shower doors.

This potato hack can keep water stains from discoloring the shower glass since potatoes are apt for removing stains. It also prevents glass from getting too foggy as a potato will create a film which keeps condensation from forming. This will improve the health and longevity of your glass and means potatoes are an appropriate tool for cleaning windows as well. The potato's ability to remove rust could be exactly what your shower needs to abolish built up grime on tile grout and areas that see the most water. Or perhaps your bathroom mirror could use some shining, and potatoes can deliver on that too. 

While potatoes have qualities that are helpful when cleaning glass, the potato itself is not typically used to clean ceramic or porcelain tile surfaces. Instead, a liquid that includes potato's cleaning properties can be used to remove grease. Boil some potatoes on the stove but do not throw out the water once they are done. Pour the leftover water in a spray bottle and squirt it on the shower tiles before wiping dry.

Remember that cleaning is far from the potato's primary purpose, so do not be surprised if it does not work miracles on the first try. Potatoes can fall apart in different temperatures, meaning small pieces could break off as you are cleaning. In some cases, rubbing a potato on a glass surface can result in streaks forming. To keep the glass from sporting potato residue, make sure to properly wipe and dry the surface before packing up your cleaning supplies.