How To Make Your Shower Doors Shine

Water spots, soap scum, and mold are all unwelcome eyesores that can make your entire bathroom feel gross and grimy. The phrase “deep cleaning” probably evokes the image of one on their hands and knees, scrubbing for hours on end. However, ridding glass of water spots and build up doesn’t have to be a painstaking process. Follow these tips to remove build-up and prevent it from coming back.

Deep Clean

There are so many methods out there, from using rubbing alcohol, to wiping down doors with dryer sheets. There are also several mainstream cleaners that people suggest for this process such as Kaboom, Lime-A-Way, Barkeeper’s Friend, etc. Common household cleaners can be effective, but will cost you more and may be too harsh (it’s possible for an abrasive to cause etching in your glass doors). Baking soda, especially when mixed with vinegar, is a gentle yet powerful solution that truly gets the job done. This formula is easy to make and contains only a few household items.

First apply some lemon juice to the doors. Then combine vinegar and baking soda to make a soft scrub-like paste. Apply the paste in a circular motion on doors with a scrub brush (use an old toothbrush for metal framing).

Then use a bit of white vinegar and water on a dry cloth to wipe the paste away. The acidity of the lemon/vinegar is strong enough to cut through mineral scale and make spots disappear.

If your shower doors don’t slide the metal tracking tends to fill up with water, which leads to mold and mildew. Counteract mold by plugging the drain holes with some paper towels, pouring vinegar in the tracks and letting sit overnight. Vinegar is a great natural disinfectant and deodorizer.

Maintain

One word? “squeegee”. The OXO Good Grips stainless steel squeegee is a high quality tool that’s reasonably priced. To prevent water spots from coming back it’s absolutely necessary to wipe down doors with a squeegee or a microfiber towel after each use. This process should be followed with a daily shower spray to ensure that no build up returns. Again, vinegar is a great solution. Fill a spray bottle with half vinegar and half water and use after your squeegee. If soap scum persists after all is said and done, consider switching to liquid or gel soap, as bar soap can often be the culprit. Developing these habits will drastically improve the appearance of your shower doors and prevent you from needing to deep clean more than a couple times a year.

How do you keep your shower doors clean?