I Tried the Broom Hack to Clean My Shower, and Now I’ll Use It Forever

Broom shower in use.
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

If you want a good belly laugh, watch me attempt to use a broom and dustpan. You’ll see quickly why I prefer a vacuum for cleaning up any household messes. But in one of the ultimate “TikTok made me do it” moments, I bought a broom to clean my shower. Hear me out.

In this TikTok video, @homewithleanne recommends cleaning your shower with dishwashing liquid and scrubbing with a broom. Faith Durand learned this “weird tip” from a previous landlord (albeit a terrible one) and shared how well it works on Apartment Therapy as well.

Unlike sweeping up a pile of dust or dirt that never fully makes it into the dustpan, the hard bristles of the push broom loosen up grime that gets washed down the drain. Sure, I could get down and scrub with a sponge or brush, but my back and knees are far less angry with me when working with the long-handled broom.

Broom shower in use.
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

How I Tried Using a Broom to Clean My Shower

While dish soap is recommended, I prefer using Soft Scrub to deep clean the grout and tile. I used the shower head to wet the floor and walls and followed up with a few squirts of cleaner all over the floor. Then, I started scrubbing. The bristles do much of the work for me, and while the Soft Scrub doesn’t get super sudsy like dish soap would, there’s enough product on the bristles for me to continue up the side of the walls.

I admit during past cleaning sessions that I’ve knocked the broom handle into the side of the toilet and almost took myself out at one point. But don’t let that stop you; I’m just super clumsy with a broom. Still, I was masterful enough to use a broom to scrub down my tile shower — because, in just a few minutes, I was rinsing off the walls and floor and sending the dirt and grime down the drain.

It’s worth noting that any type of broom will likely work for this hack, but I suggest something you can use to push rather than the traditional sweeping motion. The push broom I had on hand — I used it once in my basement — is rather large and unwieldy for the shower, plus it doesn’t get into the corners without a fight.

I recently purchased a large scrub brush with a telescoping handle, and I like that its angled head can take on corners much better. That said, it only covers half the surface area as the push broom does, so it takes me twice as long to clean the shower. Still, it’s time well-spent because I’m not scrubbing on my hands and knees, so I still count it as a win.

Further Reading

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