When you last stayed in a hotel did you notice how clean the shower area was? I certainly did! I couldn’t help but compare it to the state of our shower at home. I wondered if there was a special secret as to how hotels keep their glass shower doors so sparkling clean.
If you are wondering that too, here’s the answer in a nutshell:
With daily cleaning, you can keep your glass shower door looking as clean as a hotel’s. Being careful to dry your shower door after cleaning will ensure that hard water deposits do not form and your shower door stays sparkling at all times.
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What causes glass shower doors to get dirty?
You might think that showers would be a permanently clean place. After all, we clean our bodies there, and there is usually soap involved, so why doesn’t the shower stay clean too?
All kinds of things wash off our skin when we shower, such as body oil, skin cells, hair, sebum, and even faeces, yuck! Not only that, the body wash or soap we use to wash with can produce a scum that doesn’t simply wash away.
Showers, of course, are usually warm steamy places, which makes them a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Mold loves to grow in the hard to reach crevices of your shower cubicle.
Even plain old water can be a problem, especially if you live in a hard water area. As the water dries. the minerals in the water are left behind.
Your glass shower door can show the effects of watermarks and soap scum deposits much more than the rest of your shower area.
What do hotels use to clean shower doors?
The secret of how hotels keep their glass shower doors so clean is that really there is no secret! Hotels do not have a magic wand they wave to get the shower into a pristine condition.
Regular cleaning is the answer. With a daily clean, hotels can keep on top of the problem of soap scum buildup and watermarks. They are also very careful to dry the shower area after cleaning including the door. When you dry the area you eliminate the issue of watermarks entirely.
So now we know the answer lies with regular cleaning and drying. But what if you haven’t been doing that? Before you can get to the situation where a maintenance clean is sufficient you need to start with a clean shower door.
Related reading:
Let’s look at the best way to get your shower clean now:
How to clean glass shower doors with soap scum buildup
Here is my favourite cleaner recipe for shower doors made with just dish soap and vinegar. You can clean the whole shower with it, not just the door.
Dish soap and vinegar shower cleaner recipe
- Heat some white distilled vinegar in the microwave and put it in a spray bottle.
- Add equal parts of dish soap.
- Spray the shower door. Leave to work for a few minutes.
- Rinse off.
- Repeat as necessary.
- Dry.
How to clean glass shower doors with hard water stains
To get your shower glass to a spot-free state, you need to know what is causing the stains. In most cases, if you have cleaned your shower glass and marks remain they are very probably caused by water. Hard water marks form when the water dries leaving behind mineral deposits.
In some cases, it might be damage to the glass that is causing the staining. In that case, the damage is permanent.
The good news is that you often don’t need nasty chemicals to clean off watermarks. Any acidic cleaner will react with the mineral deposits causing them to dissolve.
Here are some options for dissolving hard watermarks from your shower door naturally:
Using vinegar to clean shower doors with hard water stains
Add equal parts of white distilled vinegar and water to a spray bottle and spray the glass. Leave it to work for a few minutes and then wipe away.
Using lemons to clean shower doors with hard water stains
The juice of lemons are naturally acidic and so are perfect for dissolving watermarks from shower glass.
You can either squeeze some fresh lemon or use bottled lemon juice for cleaning your shower door.
Mix the lemon juice with some distilled water in a spray bottle and spray directly on the glass. Leave for a few minutes and then wipe away.
Related reading:
How To Clean The Inside Of A Kettle With Lemon Juice
Using grapefruit to clean shower doors with hard water stains
Grapefruit is another acidic fruit that can be used to neutralize hard water spots and break down soap scum.
Cut a fresh grapefruit in half and sprinkle the flesh with salt. Then use it to scrub the doors. Your shower will smell gorgeous!
How do hotels keep glass shower doors clean?
Hotels keep their shower doors clean by cleaning them every day. With daily cleaning, the shower door and then the whole shower cubicle stays clean, fresh and free of watermarks. Watermarks can be kept away by drying afterwards.
How you can keep your shower doors clean like a hotel at home
Now you know how hotels keep their glass shower doors clean, you may be wondering how you can do it too?
The best way to keep your shower door clean as hotels do is to do get into a habit of daily cleaning.
Here are some tips:
- Keep a dry towel handy. After every shower, dry the shower glass. If you have time dry the rest of the shower cubicle.
- Squeegee the door. You can buy window squeegees very cheaply. Have one handy in the shower and use it to wipe away the water from the door after your shower.
However, you might not be the only person using your shower, or maybe you just want to get in and out of the shower as quickly as possible?
So, are there any hacks we can use instead for keeping our glass shower doors sparkling, without having to clean every day? Of course!
Here are some hacks you can use to help keep your shower door clean:
- Install a water softener. Water softeners can help to reduce the minerals in your tap water that cause the watermarks.
- Spray with a daily shower spray. You can buy shower sprays or make your own.
Homemade shower spray (Cleanmama): add 1/2 cup vodka, 1 cup water, 10 drops of essential oil to a spray bottle. Spray and leave (no need to rinse).
- Spray monthly with furniture polish or car polish. Soap scum will not stick and you can simply rinse the door with the shower spray.
Related reading:
How Do Hotels Keep Their Towels So White?
How to prevent hard water spots on glass shower doors
If you are wondering what can you put on glass shower doors to prevent water spots in the future, there are several options to choose from. Let’s take a look:
Using cooking spray for shower doors
Mist your shower door with cooking spray and then wipe clean. Doing this will repel water which will stop water and soap scum marks.
Using Rain-X to clean a shower door
Rain-X is designed for use on car windows, but it’s great for shower doors too! Simply spray on after you have cleaned your shower door and it should stay that way.
Using WD-40 to clean and protect a shower door
Did you know that WD40 is not only a great lubricant to have around the house but you can also use it to clean your shower door? Not only can it clean, but it can keep stains away too.
How to clean and protect your shower door with WD40:
- Spray your shower door with WD40.
- Leave it to work for fifteen minutes.
- Wipe the door with a microfibre cloth.
- Repeat the above steps until the door is clean.
- Wipe again with a new microfibre cloth.
If you are sensitive to the fumes I recommend you spray the cloth rather than the glass to avoid too much of the chemical going into the air.
How often should you clean your shower door?
To keep your shower door sparkling at all times you should give it daily attention. After each use, squeegee the door or wipe it with an old towel.
To help your shower door repel water, spray it with some Rain-X, WD40 or furniture polish once per month.
What is the best shower glass cleaner?
I much prefer to keep my cleaning chemicals as natural as possible. That’s why I love the dish soap and white vinegar combination – jump back to the recipe here. I can use it liberally and there are no choking fumes to deal with.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use WD40 on glass shower doors?
Yes, you can use WD40 on your shower door. Spray on and then wipe it off along with the dirt with a microfibre cloth. Not only will WD40 clean the door, but it will also prevent future hard water spots and soap scum marks.
How do you clean the plastic strip at the bottom of a glass shower door?
If the plastic strip on the bottom of your glass shower door can slide off, the best approach would be to take it off rather than attempt to clean it in place. When you have it off, soak it in some hot water and dish soap. If it still has some black marks on it soak again, this time in some diluted bleach. You can remove watermarks by spraying with white distilled vinegar.
If you can’t take the bottom strip off, start by scrubbing as much of the dirt off with a sponge scourer and some dish soap. For any remaining black mold, treat it with some bleach.
If you prefer a non-chemical method for cleaning your shower, steam cleaners can do a great job of removing dirt in hard to reach areas like shower seals.
Related reading:
How to clean non-glass shower doors
If you don’t have a glass shower door, perhaps you have a curtain instead? To clean your curtain, remove it from the pole and then wash it in your machine according to the washing directions. I like to let shower curtains soak in the machine for half an hour or so. If the curtain has black mold stains on it, add some Oxiclean or my favourite, a Milton sterilizing tablet.
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