Cleaning Hazy Shower Doors
How to Clean Dirty Shower Doors.
Cleaning Dirty, Hazy Shower Doors
One day I found myself standing in my shower with plastic grocery bags over my sneakers, rubber gloves on my hands, safety glasses and a bottle of extra strength cleaner C.L.R. (calcium, lime and rust remover), trying to figure out if I could clean the hazy shower doors before the fumes over-powered me.
Even with the bathroom fan running, I still couldn’t get that smell out of my nose or my bathroom. It was that terrible.
I have to admit, the commercial cleaner worked and it worked really well. But it’s toxic (very toxic) and I don’t like messing around with toxic chemicals if I can help it. I don’t want to repeat that process ever again. Bad smell, dangerous chemicals don’t work for me. There has to be a better way to clean those doors!
The happy result is that I do know how to clean shower doors easily. There are alternatives to harsh chemicals (That work well), and many are already in your own home.
So relax, cleaning your shower doors does not have to be a big hassle. I’m a pro, and have cleaned up many a dirty shower door.
Ready to get started then? Let’s get busy and clean those shower doors up fast!
What Causes the White Grime that accumulates on Shower Doors?
The grimy problem is caused by one of two things:
Hard Water
The white buildup on your shower doors, walls, floors- really anywhere there is water present comes from minerals naturally present in the water.
When the water evaporates, the minerals are left behind. If they are allowed to sit long enough they can become concrete like in their hardness and can become embedded in the glass and impossible to remove completely.
Soap Scum
Soap scum is a byproduct of bar soap interacting with your body oils. This grimy film will not cause permanent damage to glass or ceramic, but get out your elbow grease and get ready to scrub hard to remove it.
You can avoid soap scum in the future completely if you use body wash instead of bar soap.
Methods to Clean Hazy Shower Doors
Fabric Softener: The Laundry Rooms Secret
Run to the laundry room and grab yourself a dryer sheet, no kidding.
I’ll let you know right off – You have to moisten the fabric softener first. This won’t work by rubbing a dry sheet against the door.
Amazingly, those hard water stains immediately begin to swirl away when cleaning the glass. A quick wipe with a paper towel and you’ll be looking through the clean door again.
And you will have an outdoor fresh scent in the bathroom. Rinse the shower well as the fabric softener will make the floor surface slippery.
Rubbing Alcohol: Bathroom Essential Showdown
For this method, you don’t even have to leave your bathroom to find all the materials you need.
Combine one cup of water and one cup of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and mix to combine. Then, spray the doors with the solution and wipe dry. A fresh newspaper can be used to prevent streaks. Using rubbing alcohol is also good for chrome fixtures.
You’ll be able to clean the entire door fixture with one product, instead of juggling two products that may not be good to use together.
White Vinegar: The Kitchen’s Ace Cleaner
Vinegar can be used on so many household items, from cloth to metal, and is non toxic. (Many people have it stocked already in their kitchen cabinet.)
- Pour a 50/50 ratio of vinegar to water in a spray bottle.
- Spray on the glass
- Wipe with a clean cloth.
Make sure that the glass you are cleaning is not around any marble, granite or natural stone as vinegar can etch the surface and mar the shine.
Baking Soda: A Powerhouse Cleaner
Baking Soda is great for cleaning soap scum with ease.
I love baking soda. It has so many interesting uses: It’s a deodorizer, it’s abrasive, it reacts with other chemicals to clean up grime fast.
Use gloves for this method because you need to use hot water to help clean up the soap scum from the shower door using baking soda.
- Create a mixture of 2 cups of very hot water a 1 teaspoon mild dish washing liquid.
- Dip a clean sponge into the hot water
- Sprinkle quite a bit of baking soda onto the sponge.
- Use a ton of it more elbow grease and scrub at the stain.
- Continue to wet the sponge, sprinkle with baking soda and scrub until the stain is gone.
Magic Eraser: Abracadabra for Your Doors
Magic Erasers work just like magic and seem to be about as effective as the fabric softener method above. Once you start to clean with this handy tool you will see just where it really is magical and you will not want to be without one.
- Moisten the magic eraser and start cleaning the shower door for sparkling clean glass.
- You can use the baking soda and then follow up with the magic eraser for those pesky harder to reach corners.
Enjoy the Victory of Clean Shower Doors
I like the idea of using products that are not as scented, fun to use, naturally safer and just as efficient.
But the nice thing about these tips is that the products do not leave behind a strong chemical smell and are non-toxic.
When you have more options with which to clean the chore can almost seem fun. So pull out that bottle of vinegar and look for your baking soda and get to cleaning!
