Glass shower doors with mildew or hard-water stains make your bathroom look unclean. Each time you shower, the soap layer builds on the glass surface, making it look foggy or cloudy. If left untreated, more scum and dirt can accumulate, which is difficult to clean.

Cleaning glass shower doors to eliminate stains, spots, and soap scum often feels like a battle. However, by using some available household supplies and adopting a regular cleaning schedule, you can easily remove resistant marks and keep your shower glass looking clear and sparkling. This guide will give you some of the most effective cleaning solutions to achieve a streak-free glass shine.   

Regular Cleaning Schedule 

Since you shower every day, you need to care for it daily. To clean your glass and maintain its shine, follow a deep cleaning routine once every week, and each time you take a bath, wipe off the water from the glass and use a dry cloth to remove stains. This will protect your glass from resistant spots and minimize the time spent on deep cleaning.  

Always keep a window squeegee in the shower stall to clear away the water and residue. Then, use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe the door and finish by spraying daily cleaner. Keeping the shower doors open will allow air circulation, ensuring the glass dries up quickly.  

To make a DIY glass cleaner, mix half cup rubbing alcohol with half cup hydrogen peroxide and add them into a 32-ounce spray bottle. Mix one teaspoon of dish soap and one tablespoon of the dishwasher in the bottle and fill it with water. Before spraying the solution on the glass surface, give it a swirl. 

Using White Vinegar As Cleaner 

Distilled white vinegar is one of the most effective and low-cost ways to clean your glass doors. Combine equal parts of dishwashing soap and vinegar in a spray bottle, spray the solution on the door, and use a sponge or soft cloth to wipe off the glass. Vinegar washes away the residue while the dishwashing soap cuts through the paraffin wax stains because of your bath soap.  

Once you spray the solution on the glass surface, you can leave it on for a few minutes to break down the soap scum. But if you use this solution daily after a shower while the glass door is still wet, you don’t need to wait.   

Lemon Juice Cleaning Solution 

Lemon juice has citric acid, which is not as strong as acetic acid in vinegar. Hence it can be used for daily cleaning. Though lemon juice is milder, using it around natural stone showers can cause damage. 

To make a cleaning solution, combine equal parts of distilled water and lemon juice with one-fourth teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray at the glass top. Let it sit for five minutes, then wipe it off with a squeegee or sponge. 

Completely wipe away or rinse the solution and use a microfiber cloth to dry the surface. This will help remove smudges and streaks from the glass.  

Removing Resistant Water Stains 

If you don’t clean your shower glass, water spotting from minerals and soap scum can be difficult to remove. Once you clean the glass surface with vinegar or lemon juice mixture, the water stains can be tackled with stronger cleaning products or other gentle abrasives. If this method doesn’t work, cut a lemon in half and dip it in baking soda. 

Gently scrub the lemon on the stained areas, rinse it well and dry the glass using a lint-free cloth. You can also use a wet sponge with dry baking soda and scrub the stained areas. You’ll notice some fizzing on the glass, which will quickly dissipate. Rinse the glass well and wipe it off with a soft cloth. 

Ammonia is another glass cleaning solution that helps remove stubborn water stains. Add a tablespoon of non-sudsing ammonia to a quarter of warm distilled water. Once you spray the answer, let it sit for five minutes and scrub the stains with a non-abrasive sponge. 

Buffing Heavy Soap Scum 

If you can’t keep up with regular cleaning or have moved into a new home where the shower glass has a lot of soap scum, there’s a lot of work to do. You’ll need more power to remove a thick layer of soap scum from the glass door.

Remove the glass shower door and move it to a safe spot. Use a similar polishing compound, a brass polish, and an auto buffer to fill in the scratches formed on the glass due to scum. This is an extreme way of cleaning shower glass, so you’ll have to replace the door if it doesn’t work. 

Keeping the Shower Glass Clean 

Besides using effective cleaning sprays on your glass shower doors daily, you can switch to liquid soap or body wash. That’s because scum develops from the paraffin wax in your soap. You can also use talc-less soap base to prevent scum accumulation. 

Hard water reacts with paraffin wax, forming stains on your glass surface. So if you live in an area where you receive a hard water supply, opt for a whole-home water softener. Hard water also contains minerals that develop spots on glass surfaces. You’ll have to stick to regular cleaning methods to keep your glass clean. 

To prevent water from staying on the glass surface, consider using a waterproofing treatment on your car’s windshield that allows soap, dirt, and water to fall off. Since these substances can’t stick to the glass, they won’t leave any stains on your shower glass. 

Looking for glass shower doors in Austin? Shower Doors of Austin install all kinds of glass shower doors, including custom sliding shower doors, framed shower enclosures, and etched glass door showers. Our professional glass contractors also offer custom stair rails installation and custom mirrors in Austin.

Contact the service for more information and details.