Last Updated on November 14, 2023
What’s it like to clean glossy glass shower doors? That’s the most common question homeowners have, but the answer isn’t always straightforward. Keeping glass surfaces sparkling and spotless is easy when you use effective cleaning solutions.
Sure, it might sound easier to ignore your glass shower door. But trust us, that’s one mistake you don’t want to make. If you’re not careful with maintenance and prevention, those dreaded repair bills or a full replacement could be waiting around the corner. Luckily, there are plenty of great ways to clear your door.
This blog has you covered. We’ll reveal some ways, tips and tricks for maintaining a clean, sparkling-looking glass shower door.
What Makes Glass Shower Doors Hard to Keep Clean?
Glass shower doors are a popular choice for many bathrooms, but several factors can make them more difficult to keep clean. Below is a list of some of the most common ones:
1. Poor Air Circulation In the Bathroom
The lack of air circulation will cause moisture to build up on glass surfaces, resulting in soap scum accumulation. When this happens, keeping your shower doors clean is more difficult. The moist environment encourages mold and mildew growth, which can be hard to remove without professional help.
This can also leave unsightly stains that may require frequent cleaning. Aside from that, since there isn’t good airflow in these areas, it can lead to a musty smell and create an unpleasant atmosphere for anyone using the bathroom.
2. Lack of Regular Cleaning
When you don’t regularly clean your glass shower doors, soap scum and mineral deposits can quickly accumulate over time. Even with regular cleaning, it can be a challenge to eliminate all of these issues completely due to their hard-to-reach nature.
Once these particles have settled into the crevices of your glass shower door, they are much harder to remove or prevent from building up again. This means that you may find yourself having to do more deep cleaning.
3. Using Abrasive Cleaners or Tools
Cleaning glass shower doors with an abrasive cleaner or tool can cause significant damage and make them even more difficult to keep clean. You shouldn’t use steel wool or harsh chemicals on glass surfaces since they can scratch them.
This makes it difficult to keep your shower door clean and leaves marks that are hard to remove without professional help. You might need to replace the whole door.
4 . Using too Much Cleaner
Using too much cleaner when trying to maintain a glass shower door is another common mistake people make. While this may seem like a harmless mistake, it could end up costing you more money in the long run if done too often and left on for extended periods of time.
Too much cleaner can cause damage to the sealant around your glass shower door, thus allowing dirt and other particles easier access into hard-to-reach areas. Where they are difficult (if not impossible) to completely remove with regular cleaning methods alone.
5 . Poor Design Choices
In terms of design elements, a frameless shower door tends to be better when it comes to avoiding buildup. Because they have fewer places where dirt has access compared with framed designs. Which typically have more crevices where dust and debris can settle easily over time.
Similarly, etched or embossed patterns may look nice, but they also create little nooks where grime and soap scum can build up easily if not wiped down often enough. Making them significantly harder (if not impossible) at times depending on how deep those grooves are.
6. Sealants
Sealants used on shower doors help protect against moisture, but they can also wear off over time due to age or weathering from exposure to the elements. Due to this, dirt and other debris can wedge themselves between tiny gaps between pieces of glass, creating a stubborn mess that is much harder to clean than if there were no gaps.
7. Gaps Between Panels
Much like sealants wearing off, gaps between panels on larger shower doors further increase the difficulty in keeping your shower door clean. Because dirt particles can enter these spaces and hide away from view, regular cleaning tools like sponges and scrubbing brushes cannot reach them.
Without Cleaning a Glass Shower Door, What Can You Expect?
It’s easy to think that a glass shower door is a low-maintenance choice for your bathroom, but the reality is that keeping it looking pristine can be an arduous task. Not only do glass doors show up dirt quickly, but they also are prone to buildup over time.
Don’t neglect your glass shower door, and you’ll have these issues:
Water Marks & Soap Residue
Hard water is one of the main culprits behind watermarks on glass shower doors. This type of water is composed of excess minerals like calcium and magnesium, suspended during its journey through natural deposits like limestone and chalk bedrock.
The minerals in water can form a thick layer on the surface of your shower door, which is visible as white scum or film. This happens when the minerals combine with soap residue from previous showers or baths. This film is tough to remove, even with scrubbing.
Mold & Mildew Growth
Keeping a bathroom clean is essential for preventing the growth of mold and mildew on your glass shower door. Mold spores thrive in moist environments where there is little ventilation. Thus it’s important to open windows during and after showers or baths so that the humidity doesn’t linger in the room too long afterward.
Corrosion & Oxidation Issues
Glass shower doors are also prone to corrosion and oxidation when not properly maintained after use. Metal components such as frames around the door or handles typically come into contact with moisture from showers. This leads them to corrode or rust unless thoroughly wiped down after each use and protected with sealants or coatings against oxidation.
If oxidation does occur, it will cause discoloration and staining of the metal parts around the door that can be difficult to erase without professional assistance or specialized chemical agents for removing corrosion stains from metals.
Discoloration & Yellowing
If dirt, grime, or other substances accumulate on clear glass doors, they can discolor them easily, leading them to become more prone to permanent yellowing. If you use harsh cleaners such as those based on ammonia or chlorine instead of milder non-abrasive compounds specially formulated for glass surfaces.
To reduce this risk, all grease should be removed with degreasing agents prior to applying any cleaning product.
Difficult to Clean the Glass
Even when all other preventive measures are in place, glass tends to remain quite difficult to clean due to its particularly smooth surface making dirt particles cling firmly together. It creates an almost impenetrable barrier even under pressure washing techniques.
Shower Glass Door: Tips for Keeping It Sparkling
Keep your shower doors looking like new for years to come with just a few simple steps. Just put in some effort, and you can maintain sparkling glass that’ll make everyone take notice. For a sparkling shower door, follow these tips:
1. Ensure Adequate Ventilation: One of the key elements in maintaining your shower glass door is ensuring adequate ventilation during and after use. This will help reduce the amount of fogging that occurs on the glass when steam is present and make it easier to keep clean.
2. Regular Maintenance and Regular Cleaning: It is essential to clean your shower glass door on a regular basis. You can use a mild dish soap and water solution to clean the door and then use a squeegee to remove any excess water. It is also a good idea to perform a deep clean once in a while to remove any built-up dirt and grime.
3. Use a Squeegee After Every Wash/Shower: Even if you do wipe down the surface of your shower glass after every use, water droplets can still remain. To prevent this from happening, squeeze off lingering moisture and debris from the edges and corners after each use.
4. Choosing Cleaning Products Carefully: When choosing cleaning products for your shower glass door, choose ones specifically formulated for bathroom surfaces such as mirrors or tile floors. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners as they can strip away protective coatings over time.
5. Applying Protective Coating: Once you have cleaned your shower glass door, you may want to apply a protective coating to help keep it looking new. Several types of protective coatings are available, so be sure to choose one that is right for your particular door.
How Often Should You Clean Glass Shower Doors?
It is recommended to wash glass shower doors with a glass cleaner at least once a week. Doing this can help maintain the surfaces of your doors and keep them looking good by eliminating dirt, fingerprints, and other contaminants that can accumulate on the surface.
Generally, you should use a non-abrasive or chemical-free cleaner that is made for glass surfaces only. To ensure proper stain cleaning, it’s best to use a lint-free cloth or gentle wipe with Magic Eraser to prevent scratching.
Also, be sure to rinse off any residue after cleaning to avoid buildup. Meanwhile, wiping down both sides of the door can help prevent water spots from forming and damaging the surface over time.
What Can You Not Put On a Glass Shower Door to Clean?
Never put an abrasive cleaner or scouring pads over the glass shower door to clean it. Abrasive cleaners can cause scratches and damage the surface of the glass, making it look dull and cloudy. Apart from that, scouring pads are designed to scrub surfaces.
Even so, when used on glass, they can also cause damage. The best way to clean a glass shower door is with warm water, a mild detergent solution, or a nonabrasive cleaner like baking soda, or white vinegar specifically for glass surfaces.
You can use, for instance, natural streak free glass cleaner, scrub free soap scum remover, and hard water stains remover for clean shower doors.
Be sure to wash and rinse the surface thoroughly, as any residue can be visible once the surface dries. After cleaning, you may also want to polish your glass shower door with a lint-free cloth for shine and added protection.
Are There Shower Glasses That Don’t Spot?
There are shower glasses that do not spot. It is recommended to use shower guard coated glasses. You can use them to resist spotting and staining caused by the hard water and mineral deposits found in many showers.
They feature a patented coating applied to the glass, providing a permanent protective barrier against dirt, soap scum, staining, and etching. Unlike traditional clean shower glass that requires regular maintenance and cleaning.
Shower Guard coated glasses remain clean with just an occasional wipe of a damp cloth or squeegee. They also have superior strength and durability, so you can enjoy years of clear views from your shower enclosure.
Avoid the Hassle: Cleaning Glass Shower Doors Regularly
Nothing like a sparkling glass shower door can add beauty and protection to your bathroom. But avoiding the water spot doesn’t come easy. Regular cleaning is an absolute must. So if you want all the advantages of having glass enclosures without any of the hassles, be sure to stay on top of maintenance.
Just follow these helpful hints to keep that glass door sparkling, and you will surely be impressed with how great everything looks. With a little effort on your part, you can have an amazing-looking bathroom in no time.
