Okay so last week my shower was looking downright nasty. The grout lines were turning black, that pink slime was creeping up the corners, and nothing I scrubbed with was making a dent. I ain't got time for that.

First Move: Calling the Pros

Figured I'd call some shower cleaning companies, right? Made three calls. First guy quoted me $450 flat out – choked on my coffee. Second one said $350 but mumbled something about "additional charges for hard water stains." Third company sounded nice on the phone but took 48 hours just to email a $400 estimate. Felt like I needed a loan for something water and vinegar should handle.

Time for Plan B: Digging Into Cheap Fixes

After pacing around my grimy shower, I dove into "affordable options" like my wallet depended on it. Grabbed stuff I already had or could grab cheap:

• The Nuclear Mix: Baking soda paste + straight vinegar. Slapped that paste on, poured vinegar, and let it foam like a science fair volcano for 20 minutes. Scrubbed hard – got about 70% off. Elbow grease: free. Mood: tired.
• The Pink Slime Assassin: Tried bleach spray next. Sprayed, waited 10 mins. Wiped – pink stuff vanished! But uh... that chemical stench hung around like a bad roommate. Eyes still sting thinking about it.
• Grout Hail Mary: For stubborn black grout lines? Mix of hydrogen peroxide + baking soda. Toothbrush-scrubbed like a maniac. Took forever but worked! Cost me maybe $3 in peroxide.

Finding the Middle Ground

Still had streaks near the top I couldn’t reach. Found a dude on Craigslist who deep-cleans showers for $150 flat. Took him under an hour with a steamer and industrial stuff. Shower sparkled. Felt dumb for not trying that before almost gassing myself with bleach.

What Actually Costs What

So here’s the real deal:

• Pro Companies: $300-$500 easy if they brand themselves fancy. You’re paying for their van decals.
• DIY Heavy Artillery: Under $10 if you own vinegar and baking soda already. Trade-off: sweat equity and half your Saturday.
• Independent Cleaners/Gig Workers: Game changer. $100-$175 cash in my area. No insurance paperwork, just a guy with a steamer who knows what he’s doing.

End result? Shiny shower. Saved roughly $300 doing the heavy scrubbing myself first and paying the Craigslist guy for the finishing touch. Lesson learned? Always check that middle tier – ain’t gotta break the bank or your back.