Hard water deposits are inevitable (if you are in a hard water area) and they can make your shower glass and the overall bathroom look really dirty. Here are my tried and true recipes for getting that streak-free shine on your shower doors plus a few tips to keep them spotless all the time.
We recently completed a year-long renovation of our home and everything looks all shiny and brand new. Nothing motivates you to clean like a new home. That’s why I have been doing a lot of research on ways to keep every part of the house spotless.
One of the areas that get ‘dirty’ really quickly is our bathroom shower glass. Dried-up water droplets can really make it look very dirty even if it was just cleaned. My husband and I quickly found a few solutions and I can’t wait to share all of my tips with you!
Best Homemade Shower Cleaner With Vinegar
Recipe 1 – Soap & Vinegar
- White vinegar
- Hot water
- A drop of dishwashing detergent.
- Spray bottle
- Reusable cleaning cloths, paper towels, newspaper, or window squeegee
Step 1: Take a (glass) spray bottle and fill up halfway with one part vinegar.
Step 2: Fill it the rest of the way with hot water. Glass will be less affected by the hot water than plastic so use a glass bottle if possible.
Step 3: Spray in sections and clean in a circular motion as you go.
Step 4: Repeat for areas with hard water spots.
The hot water in this recipe helps the mixture evaporate faster leading to a more streak-free shine. Vinegar should not be heated directly but adding hot water to it will result in a warm vinegar mixture. The drop of soap helps to loosen mineral deposits and harsh chemicals that might have been used previously.
Best For: Dirty shower doors previously cleaned with lots of commercial cleaners
Recipe 2 – Full Strength Vinegar
- Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Reusable cleaning cloths, paper towels or newspaper
I have seen a lot of recipes online that suggest boiling the vinegar first. THIS IS WRONG. At very high temperatures, hot vinegar is corrosive. You can read more about the dangers of boiling vinegar here.
Step 1: Pour the amount of vinegar you need into a spray bottle.
Step 2: Spray all over the entire shower door, concentrating on the areas with hard water stains. You may also spray it on the shower head if you want to clean that too. Wear a mask if the smell of vinegar is too strong
Step 3: Let it sit for 3 minutes and spray the glass surface again.
Step 4: Wipe down with your preferred cleaning cloth or towel.
Step 5: Inspect glass and repeat steps if needed.
Best For: Deep cleaning shower doors with a lot of mineral buildup and hard water deposits
Recipe 3 – Vinegar and Water
- Vinegar
- Warm water
- Reusable cleaning cloths, paper towels or newspaper
- Squeegee
Step 1: Pour equal parts water and vinegar into a spray bottle. Increase the ratio of vinegar to water if your shower door is a little dirtier. Add enough water to fill it up.
Step 2: Spray in small sections and wipe in circular motions with a cleaning cloth or towel.
Step 3: When you have cleaned the entire shower screen, spray the entire surface again with your vinegar-water solution.
Step 4: Squeegee the shower door in a downward motion or a snake motion.
Step 5: Dry up any water droplets with a dry cloth
Best For Regular maintenance clean
My Preferred Method
Of all the vinegar recipes, my favourite method is recipe 3. This is because I don’t wait for mineral deposits to build up before I clean so I usually don’t need full-strength vinegar.
Keep reading and I will show you how I keep my shower glass clean, shiny, and streak-free.
How To Avoid Streaks
What You Clean With :
In order to get that streak-free shine every time, pay close attention to what you clean with.
The best way to clean glass doors is with newspaper, paper towels, chamois cleaning cloth, or reusable cleaning cloths.
The reason I am against lint-free microfiber clothes is that although they are lint-free, they tend to collect lint from other household items. I find that microfiber cloths don’t give me the streak-free shine I am looking for.
How You Wash Your Cleaning Materials:
If you love using your microfiber cloths, don’t wash them with other cotton fabrics. What tends to happen is that the microfibers absorb the lint and the fibers become less effective.
{RELATED POST: What Cloth Should You Use To Clean The Toilet?}
Also, if you wash in a washing machine, don’t use fabric softener when washing your microfiber cloths. Not only will it affect the performance of the cloth, but it will also make your glass look streaky after cleaning.
Hot Water
When cleaning, use hot or warm water. This is because before the liquid gets a chance to streak on the shower glass door, it evaporates, leaving you with a brilliant shine.
Don’t Over Wet
When cleaning, Try not to overwet the doors or glass shower walls. Surfaces become streaky due to wetness so as much as you can, squeegee the glass first to get rid of excess streaks and polish or dry with a cloth after.
Magic Eraser
If you are done cleaning and still notice any stains, Melamine sponges or Magic Erasers are excellent for getting them out. You can use them wet or dry. I like them wet and then I use a dry cleaning cloth to wipe up the excess moisture.
How To Keep Your Shower Doors Clean (Cleaning Schedule)
Every Day: Squeegee after each shower
This is something my husband and I now practice often and our shower glass stays clean for weeks. It takes a little practice to get into but if you put the squeegee in a drawer close by or even hang it in the shower, you can reach for it and wipe it down after every shower.
This step will give you clean glass shower doors all the time.
If the squeegee leaves a few water droplets, simply dry off with a soft cloth.
Every Week: Treat with a rain repellant
I laughed when my husband said he was going to try the rain repellant he uses for our car windshield…but it works!
I don’t know why I thought it wouldn’t work. It works so well. The water beads on the surface and when you squeegee, the water slides right off.
It also keeps it free from hard water stains. This is an extra step and is not compulsory but it’s one to consider.
Get a water softener
If you can afford it, a good idea is to get a water softener installed. We didn’t buy one as they can be quite big and pricy. However, we did get a magnetic water descaler. They don’t work as well but I like to think they reduce the amount of limescale we have.
Products To Avoid
Baking soda and vinegar
As popular as it is, do not use baking soda and vinegar mixture to clean your home. I know it’s pretty satisfying to see the fizz but the reaction from the two ingredients is simply salt and it does nothing for cleaning.
Steel Wool
Steel wool is excellent for removing stubborn soap scum, soap residue, and stubborn stains from your glass shower but be sure to get the ultrafine 0000 steel wool so it doesn’t scratch the glass.
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