Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Does anyone know a good way of removing hardwater stains from glass shower doors? We recently bought this home and the shower doors don't look like they have ever been cleaned.

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Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have stains on my shower door! I don't know if they are hard water or soap scum. I use Tilex shower cleaner everyday. This stain is spotty and not all over the door, it's has a cloudy look to it. When wet it is hard to see but when it dries it is visible.

I've tried cleaning supplies, even razors on the stain. I've tried Oven Off, Spot X, all bathroom cleaners. If it says hard water or soap scum cleaner on it I have tried it. This is the second set of doors this stain has appeared on and the first set I threw out because I thought it was a flaw in the doors. Not the case.

This stain seems to penetrate the pours of the glass and bury itself beneath the surface. I am at a loss, if anyone has experienced these stains and found a solution let me know. Thanks!

Bill from Detroit, Michigan

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RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have been in the auto detailing biz for about 10 years on the island of Maui and now I am starting up in Bend, Oregon. I came across a product called "Nothin's Better" and fell in love with it! It is all natural no chemicals, perfumes or dyes and it works awesome! It cleans glass, tile, porcelain, fiberglass and stainless. I have spent a lot of money on stuff to clean water spots and this is one product that i have stuck with. If you want to find out more info you can contact me at final touch mobile auto detailing dot com. (04/07/2008)

By final touch

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Is baby oil actually used on babies anymore? (04/10/2008)

By Clive

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Is the oil cleaning the doors or is it just masking the coatings that have built up? If they don't show up when wet, but are visible when dry, doesn't oil just apply a permanent coating to them to make them look somewhat "wet"? (04/10/2008)

By Pamela

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Eventually (even the maker will tell you this) Rain-X causes a permanent film on glass. (04/10/2008)

By Pamela

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I cleaned my shower doors last night. They were really looking bad and I read some of the articles and decided to try the MR CLEAN Magic Eraser. With a very little big of elbow grease and a few drops of hair shampoo my shower doors now look like brand new. Thanks for all the suggestions. (04/13/2008)

By Rich

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Once you get your shower doors clean the best thing that you could do to keep them clean is to keep a squeegee close by and dry off the glass EVERY time your done showering. If not the water spots will come back and you will be scrubbing away once again! (04/19/2008)

By final touch

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Lemon Juice works great! I had a heavy build up of soap scum and hard water stains. 100% lemon juice removed it all. I was recommended to use lemon oil, but because I didn't have any at the time, I used what I had, 100% lemon juice. (04/24/2008)

By Vet

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Thanks, the baby oil is a time saver. My shower doors were a mess, full of soap scum and a grimmy subtance. Within ten minutes my shower door was clean and gleaming. I love the baby oil!!!!!! (04/25/2008)

By Dawn Jones

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I used the skin so soft and it was amazing. (05/02/2008)

By b marchuk

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Bill: Use Lemon Oil. No hard rubbing and will also remove scum from frame. I learned this 25 years ago from a friend who cleaned houses for a living. (05/26/2008)

By KeriL

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Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have tried everything listed here to clean my shower door and glass walls. The house is only 4 years old and the glass was fine a few months ago. Now it is spotty, hazy and looks scummy. When you feel the inside it seems smooth. Has anyone else had this problem? The glass says it is safety glass. Help.

Julie from Rockvale, TN

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RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

The Mr. Clean Eraser Blocks work well for cleaning water spots off glass shower sliding doors. Thanks for the suggestions. (06/28/2008)

By Tom C

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Lemon oil works great to seal the doors after they have been cleaned or when they are brand new. It makes cleaning a breeze as everything wipes right off. Please do not use Magic Erasers in combination with anything containing bleach. Magic Erasers have ammonia in them and when combined with bleach can be extremely toxic for skin and lungs. (07/01/2008)

By Embermoonbeam

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have a cleaning business and I clean with Lime Away and rinse well then dry them. After they are dry use Rain-X on them. They stay clean and the water beads right off of them. My clients rave over them. (07/20/2008)

By PEANUTANG

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Finazzle on dry door for 5-10min. Single pass with new razor blade. About 5 minutes of actual work. Clean. (08/20/2008)

By Schleppy McBottles

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I tried Lime Out without luck, then I tried baby oil and a Magic Eraser followed by Dawn dish detergent with Magic Eraser. It isn't perfect, but it is a lot better than it was and close to perfect. (09/06/2008)

By Jim G

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

One way to get the thick soap scum off is to use dry, plain steel wool (not soap pads like SOS) when the glass is completely dry. It abrades the buildup off. It doesn't solve the water spot problem, however. (09/07/2008)

By Dee

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Right after I read this whole thing, I went to Wal-mart to get either some baby oil or the Barkeepers Friend. I decided to get Barkeepers Friend and I picked up Arm and Hammer Scrub Free. Well, when I got home I tried both, and the Arm and Hammer seemed to work better. It made my shower doors looked brand new again.

I am so excited that I found something that actually works. One thing though, once you spray it on, you have to be patient and let it sit for a few minutes. This is my problem. I am just too impatient to wait. But, it worked better when I let it sit for a few minutes or so. Then I used the Barkeepers Friend to get out a rust spot that was on the shower floor. It worked. It got the spot out instantly. It was amazing.

I was so amazed, and I am usually never amazed about anything to do with cleaning. Thanks for all the posts on here. You guys just made my day. And to think I got both of these products at Walmart and the bill was for under $5. (10/12/2008)

By Heather

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

After trying several suggestions, I have finally found the solution for me that leaves the shower doors without water marks or streaks. Try Vim with baking soda (it's blue) on a soft sponge. Rinse and then use a window cleaner. Squeegee daily between cleaning once a week, this is the key. Good luck. This works for me. My friends cannot believe how I can keep the shower doors sparkling. (11/04/2008)

By Sandra

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Try wetting a dryer sheet and wiping doors down. Then just rinse with a wet sponge. (11/10/2008)

By Karen

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Try Hydrogen Peroxide. My shower doors get cloudy and also look like they have rust on them. I wet a rag with the peroxide and wipe it all over the door. The film almost instantly disappears. I do this once a week. (11/19/2008)

By Katrina

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Do you have any shampoo that you did not like? Try that on the shower door using a microfiber cloth then, rinse with water. Then, use a squeegee to remove excess water from top to bottom. Spray some baby oil or any oil you have as a finishing touch. Oops, I almost forgot, I turned on shower first in warm setting for a minute or two to loosen dirt/grime, then, clean shower door. Hope this works for you, too. (11/21/2008)

By Amy

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

We have etched glass for our shower. Only six months old and it started looking white and cloudy. We thought that the chemical in the sprayer that we had installed was etching the glass and there was no solution to fix that. However every time we showered when the shower was steamed over the stain disappeared. We talked with the glass installer and no luck he said it was etched. I couldn't buy into that since it disappeared with the steam from the shower.

We tried several all purpose cleaners. Even tried Listerine, nothing would take it off. Well we happened by Linen and Things as they were going out of business and I picked up a bottle of Dishwasher Magic Plus, removes lime, scale, calcium, soap scum, grease, and iron. It was to be used in the dishwasher.

My wife took the top of and punched a hole in the red plug and squirted it on a rag and started scrubbing the door. Presto! the stain was removed from our etched glass. Dishwasher Magic LLC 1 800 818 magic, also this is the web address www.dishwashermagic.com. I am in no way affiliated with this company and do not endorse the product other than to say that it worked for us and we just tried it on a whim. It's primary use was for a dishwasher. So I'm thinking that something like liquid Cascade or some other dishwasher products might work as well although we have not tried them. Good luck. (12/14/2008)

By Jeff

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I had the worst glass doors ever. They were practically opaque with soap and hard water crud. I did this: Nail polish remover applied with fine steel wool. Use lots of it. Wipe all over a couple times. Let it sit for a few minutes. Wipe off with a clean rag. Then I applied a kind of car oil additive called "Marvel Mystery Oil". This stuff works wonders on the insides of old crusty engines. Get a rag nice and sloppy with it and put it on. The doors immediately look good.

Let that sit for a while and wipe it off with a clean rag. Leave a little oil on the glass. That's a lot of clean for very little effort. This process works on metal too, but the steel wool on polished shiny metal might not be advisable. And don't light any matches while you're doing this. If you want them any better than this, you'll have to buy new ones. (12/15/2008)

By Flylowguy

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Cerama Bryte was the only thing that would take the scum off my glass blocks. I tried (Tilex, Scrubbing Bubbles, CLR, PWB, Aquamix Grout Haze Remover, vinegar, wet dryer sheet) and maybe a few other things. If you have stubborn haze/scum you might want to start with the Cerama Bryte. (01/15/2009)

By Jim

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have tried all the obvious cleaners like soap scum removers, Lime-away, CLR, vinegar, etc. Then I remembered a method used by auto tint technicians to clean auto glass completely before applying tint. The glass must have everything removed or it will show under the tint. Clean your shower doors first with soap scum remover. There will still be mineral deposits left. Then use Chore Girl copper mesh scouring pads to remove the mineral deposits. I spray white vinegar then scour with the Chore Girl over a small area. Takes a little elbow grease but does remove the mineral deposits. Finally, clean with Windex or equivalent glass cleaner. Works great. The copper pads are softer than glass so there is no possibility of scratching the glass. (01/16/2009)

By Ron in North Texas

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I tried all the suggestions on this website: using a wet dryer sheet, CLR, vinegar. They did nothing. I had luck with lemon oil and a green scour (Scotch) pad. Made a big difference. My shower doors were 7 years old and were somewhat neglected when we purchased the home. I would say I saw an 85% difference. They are not "brand new" looking, but are very acceptable for a perfectionist like me. I also recommend being patient and letting the lemon oil sit for awhile. Expect to do this procedure 2 or 3 times depending on how bad the doors are until you find a level that is acceptable to you. Good luck. (01/26/2009)

By Ellen

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I have just completed cleaning my shower doors with success. Thanks to all who posted. The trick for hard water stains is to apply CLR full strength with a rag, let sit for 1/2 hour, reapply full strength, wait 1/2 hour, and stains should be gone. If not, one more application, then rinse. Voila! (02/15/2009)

By Pam

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

If you ever get your glass shower doors clean again install a plastic shower curtain on the inside of the doors, and the glass will stay clean. Good Luck (02/15/2009)

By Richard H.

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

My shower doors had a stubborn film for years as nothing seemed to work to any effective degree. Then I tried pure white vinegar on a paper towel wiping the entire doors with a firm pressure and waiting about 15 minutes. When I returned I could see the vinegar had loosened the buildup and using the rougher side of a 2-in-1 kitchen sponge with a little elbow grease in a few spots but not any kind of exhausting effort had them clear and sparkling almost as new. Hope it works for others. (05/27/2009)

By maclan

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Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

What can you clean you glass shower doors with, so soap scum stays off of them?

By tinabina859 from Covington, KY

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RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

The best thing I found was the Go-Jo hand cleaner that mechanics use. I would remove the doors for easier access. Then I put some on a damp cloth and apply it using a circular motion one row at a time. I would then put the doors back in and use the shower to rinse them. It worked really good, but it didn't prevent the soap scum buildup. I still had to clean the doors on a regular basis. (06/16/2009)

By monica-maria

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I use "Krud Kutter" I purchased at Lowe's. It's actually a safe for plants, kids, etc. cleaner used with pressure washers for your house. It's about $13 per container and I've used it lots for general household cleaning (especially the bathtub, you don't have to clean it as often). Great stuff. (06/19/2009)

By GrannyGoff

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I don't know of anything that will keep it from coming back, but orange oil will take soap scum right off, almost no effort. I use Medina concentrate, 2 T. per half gallon of water. I have not tried this, so fair warning, but I've heard that car wax works nicely to make shower doors repel water. (06/19/2009)

By AnnieNP

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

There's a product called RainOff. It's a windshield treatment that most automotive stores carry. Cleans and repels water, bugs, dirt, etc. and it works great. Here's a link where you can read about it and purchase online if you wish to:

wattsmotoringaccessories.com(06/19/2009)

By Deeli

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Just read every one of these and thanks to all. I've tried several commercial products already like Lime-Away and Kaboom with poor results. I decided to try two new things side by side on my heavy mineral deposits on clear glass doors. I used two kinds of stove top cleaner (Whirlpool and Whink) against a cleaner I use for my fireplace glass doors, Rutland Conditioning Glass Cleaner for Stove, Grill and Hearth. There are several Rutland products for fireplaces so I am purposely being very specific. I also used copper scrubber pads as someone suggested so not to scratch the glass with steel pads or abrasive pads.

After some serious rubbing I compared the side-by-side cleaned areas. End result, all of them worked, but the Rutland cleaner worked significantly better (less effort and clearer). I am very happy with the result and just wanted to let everyone know what worked best for me. Any fireplace shop should have the Rutland product, it is the color of toothpaste. (06/30/2009)

By ukpdam

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

After reading everyone's post, I tried baby oil. Amazingly, it worked. I used a new green scrubby with the oil. Initially, it looked like a greasy mess until I used a vinegar soaked cloth and voila it wiped right off leaving much cleaner doors. (07/01/2009)

By clnmom

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I use a Cleret shower squeegee after I shower. That prevents the buildup of all that nasty stuff that forms as water spots. (10/15/2009)

By Seracdog

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I tried everything on the market and managed to get my screen clean, but it was a mission to keep it clean until a friend told me about Clean Shower Buckinghamshire. They are a company that clean showers and coat the glass with a permanent coating. So I had them around to do mine. Perfect, they did a great job and you never have to use cleaning products again. That was a year ago and it's still clean. cleanshower.co.uk. I am not sure the areas they cover. (11/29/2009)

By Andy

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Toothpaste (white) with a Scotch pad/sponge. One I used had peroxide and baking soda in it. I also tried regular white Colgate and it works, too. It was just an experiment. I thought since I take the scratches out of CDs and DVDs with it, it might just work. and WOW!(12/02/2009)

By tarna

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Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I want to know other than ammonia, what can I clean my glass shower doors with that actually works and keeps the scum away?

By Shannon from Lacon, IL

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RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Don't let your shower doors get dirty to begin with. Liquid body wash and clear glycerin soap leave much less gunk behind than standard bar soap. After showering, wipe down the shower doors with an old towel or use a squeegee. This helps keep the doors cleaner longer. (03/10/2010)

By OliveOyl

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Best thing to do is prevent the scum in the first place. I switched from bar soap to liquid body wash and that solved the soap scum problem. I read this online. It costs more than bar soap, but I won't use bar soap again. (03/15/2010)

By TXBetty

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

Your shower doors will stay cleaner if you use a squeegee on them after showering. (04/19/2010)

By kemperjl

RE: Cleaning Stubborn Shower Doors

I tried lots. The thing that worked best with little work was Bar Keepers Friend. Scrub lightly, and rinse with water. Towel dry. Clean as the day the doors were installed. (04/25/2010)

By atthebeach