Get Rid of Grime: Remove and Prevent Stains on Your Glass Shower Door
Clear glass shower doors can be beautiful, but they can also be tricky to maintain. So many people dread cleaning their shower doors and put it off for far too long. Maybe your door is supposed to be clear but is now covered in opaque film . The grime can not only bother you, but if the shower is used by any house guests, it might embarrass you as well. If you are sick of soap scum and hard water stains, you need to learn about how to remove them easily and how to prevent them from coming back.
Get Rid of Stains and Scum
You have several options for cleaning the door, and these methods use items you likely already have around the house. Try one technique listed below, and if you don’t get the results you want, you can always try another.
Fabric Softener
Believe it or not, fabric softener sheets can be an effective tool for removing buildup. Generally, they work best as a pre-cleaning measure-use them before another method to remove some of the lighter stains quickly. All you have to do is scrub the glass with a fabric softener sheet, and then rinse the glass with water.
Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is cheap, available, and effective. Not only does it work on your shower door, but you can also use it on your shower itself-it’s strong enough to kill mold. To clean the glass shower door, begin by wiping it with water to loosen any debris. Squeegee the water off, and put undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray areas on the door affected by hard water stains or soap scum , and then rinse the vinegar off with water. You may need to repeat the process a few times. Vinegar eats through grime because it is an acid. Other acids, like lemon juice, will also work, but vinegar is cheaper and more easily available.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a very cheap, efficient abrasive-it can easily scrub off many types of buildup, including hard water stains, mildew, and soap scum . Mix some baking soda and tap water into a runny paste. Put it on a cleaning rag or a sponge, and start scrubbing! This will require some elbow grease, but baking soda can take off some really tough stains if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Avoid These Methods
Some products can harm your glass shower door instead of cleaning it.
Don’t try the following.
Ammonia-Based Window Cleaner
If you want to try a store-bought window cleaner, that’s fine-many are very effective. However, if the cleaner contains ammonia, it isn’t safe for your shower door. The glass may be treated with special films that you don’t find on your windows, and the ammonia can break those coatings down. Additionally, ammonia can really damage the metal around the glass. Even if your door is frame-less, consider the handle or hinges. All of this metal could lose its finish, leaving the metal discolored and uneven. Skip the ammonia-based cleaners and try something else.
Strong Abrasives
Baking soda is a mild abrasive that is not likely to harm your door. However, stronger abrasives, like steel wool, could very well scratch up your glass or its coating. Or, like the ammonia, they could scratch off the finish on the metal around the glass. Beware of using abrasive scrubbing brushes or pads on your shower door.
Prevent Shower Door Scum
If hard water stains build up too much, they can etch your glass itself, requiring you to buy a new shower door. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to keep stains from forming in the first place.
Squeegee
The simplest way to keep hard water and soap scum away is to squeegee the shower door after each use.If you hang the squeegee inside the shower, this task will be easy to remember and will only take a few seconds. A squeegee gives you a cheap, effective way to prevent buildup.
If you dislike using squeegees, you can get the same effect by using a microfiber towel.
Spray-On Shower Cleaner
Instead of a squeegee, some people prefer to buy a commercial cleaner. All you do is spray it on the shower door once a day to prevent buildup from forming.
Special Coating
If you are ready to buy a new shower door, ask about treating the glass. You can get a protective coating that will repel water-droplets will bead up and roll off, which means that hard water deposits should never form . This is a more expensive option, but it does mean that you will have very, very little maintenance work to do in the future.
If you can’t afford to get the coating added to the door, you can buy products that work in similar ways, such as Rain-X.
Replace Damaged Doors
Some grimy shower doors are beyond your help. It may be time to let the shower door go and get a new one. When you do buy a new shower door, commit to preventing stains. Central Glass is more than happy to help you select the right door for your bathroom , including finding a door that will not be too much work for you. Contact Central Glass to get your shower back in good shape.