What's the Secret to Cleaning Glass Shower Doors?

Unique Ways to Clean Glass Shower Doors

First, the bad news. Hard water and soapy buildup allowed to accumulate on glass shower surfaces can cause etching and permanently damage the glass. If glass shower doors have a cloudy look, this may be the culprit. Cleaning will eliminate buildup, but it will not reverse etching, which is why the best defense is to prevent it from happening by wiping down the shower after each use with either a squeegee or a microfiber cloth.

Shower doors film

Clean them with vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Stubborn mineral buildup on glass shower doors is no competition for a few common household ingredients—white vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Spray vinegar on the door and let it sit for a few minutes. Next, create a mixture of equal amounts of baking soda and salt. Use a damp sponge to rub this paste over the door; then rinse well.

Make Your Own Daily Shower Spray

Mix together a half-cup of hydrogen peroxide, a half-cup of rubbing alcohol (a natural degreaser), 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap and 1 tablespoon dishwasher rinse aid in a 32-ounce spray bottle. Use an opaque (dark) bottle, such as the one peroxide comes in. Exposure to light breaks down hydrogen peroxide.

Next, fill the bottle with water and, after capping, rock the bottle gently back and forth to combine the ingredients without making them foam up. When you finish your shower, lightly wipe it down with a microfiber cloth. When done, lightly mist the shower with the spray.

Long-Term Solutions

Once you’ve achieved a clean, sparkly surface, there are a few things you can do to make it last longer.

The big idea here is that hard water and soap scum won’t build up if they can’t stick to the surface. Several products are designed to wick water away from surfaces, and they now make Rain-X for shower doors. You can pick this up at any hardware store or on Amazon.

Spray the product on clean glass (Use care to avoid tile, metal and the shower floor) and reapply every three to four weeks. After treating this, you may even be able to skip the squeegee.

Ban the Bar Soap

Finally, if you want to significantly reduce the amount of soap scum on glass without eliminating showers, ban the bar soap. Almost all bar soaps contain talc, which produces the buildup. Consider switching to a non-talc-containing soap (such as Dove or natural soap), or opt for liquid soap instead.