Glass shower doors provide a timeless elegance and practical water containment in any bathroom. However, maintaining keeping your glass looking it's best is harder than it sounds. Many people struggle with streaks and smudges over an otherwise gorgeous shower door just from regular daily use of the shower. You may have even tried a few cleaning methods only to notice faint streaks still lingering after you wipe down the glass.
Not to worry. There are a few secrets that professional cleaners know to keep your shower door streak-free and gleaming in your beautiful bathroom design.
Here's how to clean a glass shower door the right way and keep those streaks at bay.
First, stock up on supplies. Keep a small bucket of these supplies under your sink for quick and easy shower door cleaning. This list also hides a few tricks to reduce the total number of times you will need to wipe down your glass to keep it looking great.
White vinegar is the perfect bathroom glass cleaner. It is natural and non-toxic, harmless to seals and finishes, and is the secret incgredient to streak-free shine. Plain white vinegar does not leave streaks like other cleaners and it cuts through mineral deposits, shampoo splashes, and skin oil with equal ease.
Wipe your shower doors down with white vinegar or a vinegar-based cleaner as part of your regular cleaning routine and you'll notice clear, streakless glass every time.
Bathrooms are naturally moist, and mold is pervasive in every part of the country. If your bathroom is prone to mold, white vinegar and borax powder are a fantasic non-toxic remedy. Vinegar is a mild acid that can kill and wash away mold while borax is an abrasive yet surface-safe cleaning salt. It is sharp on a microscopic level that cuts through mold and kills even the spores as you scrub your grout and corners.
90% of homes have hard water, which means it's full of extra minerals like calcium and magnesium. These leave mineral deposits, also known as the chalky residue called scale. Vinegar can remove some, but if you've got serious mineral buildup or very hard water, limescale remover like CLR will do the trick.
Scuffs on your shower doors can mar them for weeks or months - unless you know how to remove a scuff of any type. Pick up a Magic Eraser - a special type of cleaning sponge - and try it on the scuffs. These magic white rectangles can rub away almost any unwanted markings on your glass, no matter what caused them.
Want to wipe down your shower doors a lot less often? Apply a water repellant like Rain-X. Yes, it's normally for your windshield, but the same water-resistant principles apply. Water is less likely to create droplets and streaks on your shower door if it is routinely coated in a water repellant.
You can also make your cleaning job easier by leaving a squeegee in the shower. Wiping down the showers and making sure streaks of water don't dry on the glass can improve the daily look and the amount of cleaning necessary. Plus, squeegeeing is fun.
Last but not least, you can install a water softener. During your next bathroom renovation, consider adding a water softener to your plumbing line. This will remove a lot of the minerals that cause scale and streaks so that your glass shower door (and everything else in the house) is less likely to show water spots or that chalky crust around water fixtures.
If you are dreaming of a beautiful glass shower door or want to innovate the perfect way to keep your shower glass clean, Edesia Kitchen & Bath Studio can help. Our renovation experts will bring your dream bathroom to life with stunnng shower designs and the plumbing to create your ideal experience - including softeners and filters to make cleaning your shower door less of a chore. For more kitchen and bathroom lifestyle secrets or to consult on your next renovation plans, contact us today.