Unsightly spots on your glass shower walls and door can make an otherwise-clean bathroom look pretty filthy, Luckily, with a bit of cleaning know-how and some elbow grease, those pesky spots won’t stand a chance. So, what’s the best way to clean your shower glass? And how can you keep it clean?
The best way to clean shower glass is by spraying a non-abrasive cleaner such as distilled white vinegar mixed with distilled water on the glass and wiping it down with a soft sponge or squeegee. To keep the glass spotless, wipe it down after showering and try using liquid soap instead of a bar.
Let’s get into the details and find out why your shower glass gets dirty so frequently. We’ll also check out everything you need to clean the shower glass, how to clean it thoroughly, and how to keep it clean in the long run.
Why Do Your Glass Shower Doors Get Dirty So Often?
It’s likely that your glass shower doors get dirty frequently due to hard water, which is water that has a high mineral content. The proportion of hard water to soft water varies depending on the water supply.
Most people think that only well water gives hard water, which is a common misconception. According to the US Geological Survey, over 85% of homes in the country have a supply of hard water.
Hard water can have the following effects on your shower:
Soap Scum
When minerals such as magnesium and calcium in hard water come into contact with soap, they form scum. Soap scum is white and tends to cover everything in the shower.
Accumulation of soap scum on your glass shower doors is a problem that starts gradually, and by the time you notice it, the damage is already done.
While there are several commercial cleaning products and eco-friendly options that can be used for battling soap scum, the process can be time-consuming and requires a lot of effort. Some DIY solutions can even worsen the problem, so you need to be careful about you approach it.
Limescale
Like soap scum, limescale is white and caused by hard water. When the hard water evaporates after a shower, the minerals stick on the glass shower doors, leaving tiny spots that are very difficult to get rid of. These spots resemble scales or shingles and therefore received the name limescale.
What’s the Best Thing to Use to Clean Glass Shower Doors?
When cleaning glass shower doors, you need to use non-abrasive cleaners to avoid scratches. Here are some mixtures that make effective cleaning solutions:
- Vinegar and Water: This solution is very effective and works like a charm. Distilled white vinegar (on Amazon) contains acetic acid that cuts through soap scum easily.
- Vinegar and Baking Soda: Vinegar combats dirt spots on its own, but when you mix it with baking soda (on Amazon), you double the impact.
- Lemon Juice and Baking Soda: This is an excellent alternative if you don’t have vinegar in your household. Lemon juice contains citric acid that’s not as strong as vinegar’s acetic acid. Even though it’s milder, it has a similar effect as vinegar when mixed with baking soda.
- Ammonia: Ammonia solution is safe for shower glass, and making it home is relatively straightforward. However, it would be best to skip this cleaning method if you’re allergic to chemicals.
If you’re not a big fan of DIY methods, you can adopt a commercial glass cleaner like the Rejuvenate No Scrub Soap Scum Remover (on Amazon), which, as the name suggests, you don’t need to scrub after using it. It’s vigorous yet non-abrasive and leaves your shower glass doors sparkling clean.
How to Clean Shower Glass
You need to clean your glass shower doors daily. Wipe down the doors every night after the last person has showered. This is also the ideal time to clean your shower because the hot water will have loosened up the dirt.
A spray with your DIY or commercial cleaner and a quick, gentle rub with a squeegee should be enough to keep the dirt at bay. If you can’t manage cleaning the doors daily, then at least try to clean them weekly.
Let’s take a look at how to clean with a couple different methods, so that you can choose the one that suits you best.
How to Clean Shower Glass With Vinegar
- Mix two parts of distilled white vinegar with two parts of distilled water in a spray bottle and add a quarter teaspoon of dishwashing liquid (on Amazon) to make the solution adhere to the glass.
- Spray the solution onto the glass walls or door starting at the top. Give the solution around five minutes to break down the soap scum.
- Use a non-abrasive sponge or squeegee (on Amazon) to wipe down the glass, starting at the top. Add a bit more of the vinegar solution if it has dried up.
- Rinse the glass and dry it with a lint-free towel ensuring you remove any smudges or smears.
How to Clean Shower Glass With Lemon Juice
Cleaning with lemon juice is just as simple as using vinegar. Here’s how to use it:
- Mix equal parts lemon juice and distilled water, then add a quarter teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle.
- Begin spraying the solution from the top of the glass and let it sit for about five minutes, then wipe down the glass with a sponge or squeegee.
- Rinse away the solution and use a microfiber towel (on Amazon) to dry the glass and eliminate streaks and smudges.
- Scrub the smudged areas with a non-abrasive sponge, then rinse and dry with a microfiber cloth.
How to Clean Shower Door Tracks
The edges or tracks of your shower door catch all the soap scum and dirt that slide down the glass. Here’s how to give them a nice deep clean:
- Plug the drainage hole or slit in the track with an old washcloth or paper towel.
- Pour distilled white vinegar into the track and let it work for about four hours or even overnight.
- Once the vinegar has broken down the soap scum, unplug the drainage hole and use a toothbrush to scrub away the soap scum and dirt. Be sure to also scrub the metal frame around your shower door.
- Rinse the area with distilled water and dry with a microfiber towel.
How to Keep Your Shower Glass Spotless
White spots appear on your shower glass when hard water dries on them. The best way to keep your glass spotless is by preventing water from drying on the surface in the first place.
Here are a few other preventive measures to keep your shower glass clean:
- Use a squeegee to wipe down the glass after a shower.
- If you want to avoid soap scum, try switching from bar soap to liquid soap.
- Apply a hydrophobic compound like Rain X (on Amazon) after cleaning the glass to keep water spots at bay.
- Leave the shower door open after the shower’s been used to allow for air circulation. When air circulates the entire bathroom, it dries the moisture, preventing shower doors from getting spots and dirt.
- Installing a water softener works, too. Although it’s an expensive solution, it could solve and prevent many other issues as it reduces mineral build-up inside your pipes, shower head, and on your shower glass.