From Suds to Sparkles- Keeping Your Shower Door Clean

November 14, 2009
Jennifer L Prince
Keep It Clean

Close your eyes (figuratively, of course) and imagine yourself in a relaxing hot shower, unwinding and letting your cares flow down the drain as the warm water soothes and transforms you. Then open your eyes and see your shower door, riddled with stubborn soap scum. Daydream interrupted, right?

Glass doors can hold sediment, deposits and even mildew on their nonporous surface, which can be a thorn in the side for many homeowners. Try some of the following ways to keep your shower sparkling clean.

Getting Those Doors to Shine
If you thought that “magic erasers” were only for walls, think again. They are useful in lots of ways, and one of those is to remove soap scum and water deposits from the shower. Wet the eraser and scrub the door; try adding a small amount of dishwashing liquid to the damp pad for extra cleaning power. Go over the door from top to bottom and rinse well.

It is a well-known fact that white vinegar has immense cleaning power, and it’s especially useful when it comes to soap scum. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle, squirt the glass, and let it sit for a few minutes before you scrub and thoroughly rinse the door.

Stores offer many cleaners, yet some remedies can be made at home. If you are having trouble with water spots, try mixing 1 cup of vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda, and 1 cup of ammonia into 1½ gallons of hot water. Be sure to don rubber gloves and open a window for ventilation while applying this mixture to your shower with a sponge. Weekly scrub away soap scum, and rinse your shower with hot water.

Using a daily shower cleaning product can significantly reduce the amount of time you will spend scrubbing your door, although it is best to start with a clean shower before beginning to use the product. The shower will still need a good, thorough cleaning every once in awhile, depending on the cleaner you have chosen. You may also need to try different products to discover which works best for you, as some online testers experienced a slight buildup of cleaning solution with the daily cleaners, requiring more cleaning in the end. Glass Shower Direct provides the most durable glass door products.

If you encounter a shower door that has heavy buildup, tackling the project when the shower is dry will help get the majority of the scum off. Take a hard-bristled brush (one that’s plastic, not metal, so that the glass is not damaged) and scrub the sediment away. Then proceed with cleaning the shower with your chosen method weekly. You should also scan the glass for any noticeable cracks. If you spot any, they need to be replaced by a commercial glass repair company.

Preventive Measures
After you shower, it’s easy to give the doors and walls a quick scrub down since you’re in there anyway. Even a few quick swipes with a squeegee on the sides and door of the shower will decrease future scrubbing efforts.

Using a fan during and after showering will help get the air circulating, which will cut down on the amount of mold buildup. Leaving the shower door open after you get out will also allow for the water to escape reducing that hard-to-get-rid-of mildew.

Advice from wikihow.com suggests using a thin coating of car wax on the glass door to reduce buildup. Apply the wax as you would for a car, and the water will bead up and off the glass, preventing future sediment deposits. A coating of lemon oil on the door will accomplish the same goal, and will leave your shower smelling clean and fresh.

Many homeowners do not consider the metal track that holds the glass in place. Water can pool in the grooves, causing a slippery film of scum and mildew. Using a toothbrush to tackle the track after cleaning the door will help alleviate these problems, as will wiping the area dry after each shower.

Of course, we all want to have our homes shiny and clean, yet safety should come first. Never mix chemical cleaners together, and especially do not use bleach and ammonia at the same time, as this will create a harmful, even poisonous gas. Wearing gloves is a smart way to protect your skin and nails, and it also prevents chemicals from seeping into your body through your skin.

Testing these tried and true methods in your own home will give you sanitary, shiny glass shower doors… the stuff of which a happy homeowner’s dreams are made.

Cleaning Glass Around The House
Although shower doors can be our nemesis because of the daily use they endure, other glass surfaces also can be difficult to clean. Here are a few tips for those other areas of the house that need to sparkle and shine.

Windows: Regular window cleaning will help keep windows looking great for years to come. Spray glass cleaner (or a mixture of vinegar and water) onto the glass and wipe with a lint-free cloth, newspaper or coffee filter. Use horizontal strokes for the inside of the window and vertical strokes for the outside, so that if there is any streaking, you can tell if it is on the inside or outside of the pane. It is also a good idea to avoid cleaning windows in direct sunlight, as this can dry your cleaner before you have a chance to wipe the window, which will also result in streaking. If a window is dirty enough that you cannot seem to restore it yourself, hire window cleaning services so they will leave it as good as new. From then on you’ll have a much easier time keeping it clean.

Mirrors: Rubbing alcohol will remove hairspray from mirrors. Spray with rubbing alcohol, scrape away hairspray, and then clean the mirror as you would windows.

Tabletops: A quick scrub with lemon juice before cleaning will eliminate stubborn spots on glass tabletops. If the juice does not work, try using toothpaste. Lightly rubbing toothpaste over slight scratches will cause them to disappear. For carpets, hire the services of Carpet cleaning lake forest.

Vases: Trying to reach inside a glass vase is difficult, so pour vinegar into it and let it sit for 30 minutes. Add a bit of uncooked rice to the bottom of the vase, and swirl to loosen dirt and grime. Rinse the vase thoroughly, and it will be ready to display your next bouquet.

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