Here’s the real-deal, EASY way to clean glass shower doors & leave them spotless. This tip is from a car glass repairman and works wonders!
Everybody has their own ways of cleaning. I have noticed that people have different ideas of clean. And I have really noticed this as I have looked around the internet (Hello, Pinterest!) to find solutions to household cleaning questions. I often run into “solutions” that just don’t work for my housekeeping problem.
My latest problem was our spotty soap scum, streaky, hard water stained glass shower. You might not have noticed it immediately upon stepping into my bathroom, but I hated how spotty my glass shower was, and how the buildup made it look so gross.
Mind you, it was really upon close inspection, that you would have noticed my clear problem. And so I went to the internet to solve all my household problems. What I wanted was “like-new” shower glass, what I got, was not! And I tried a LOT of cleaners and solutions, like white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, bleach, etc., but none of them touched my grime!
And then my nerd cleaning buddy, Gil (a car glass repairman) and I were talking cleaning one day, and he gave me a discourse (seriously!) on the best products for cleaning glass. I was overwhelmed by his expertise! And the next time I was at his house, he showed me just one of the products and I was SOLD that this was the actual solution to my hard water spots and spotty shower glass doors, and of course, I have to share with you!
The EASY way to clean glass shower doors
Materials needed:
- Spot-X Hard Water Stain Remover (This is no longer available on Amazon, so if you can’t find it, I would recommend using Bar Keepers Friend instead)
- White Scotch-Brite scouring pads (you will not find these in the cleaning section of a typical store, they are unique, this will also be a lifetime supply for you!)
- A quality microfiber cloth
Tutorial:
Here’s the real-deal, almost no work involved, way to clean glass shower doors and leave them spotless and sparkling.
Step 1: Create a Paste
Dampen (not too wet!) the white Scotch-Brite pad and sprinkle a little bit of the powdered stain remover onto the surface of the pad. Rub this together to create a paste mixture.
Step 2: Scrub
Use the white Scotch-Brite to scrub the surface of the glass. You can wipe up and down, across, circular, whatever! This is not an abrasive product, so it will not scratch your glass. (Yay!) You may need to use a little bit of elbow grease on really set in hard water stains, but the product and the scrubber do most of the work for you.
Step 3: Rinse with water
After I have completed a section of glass (working from top to bottom), I rinse out the scrubber and rinse the surface of the glass with water. You can do this with the scrubber or using the handheld sprayer on your shower.
Step 4: Dry
Go over the surface of the glass with a clean, dry microfiber cloth (or other non-linting cloth) to dry it. I like to use a simple up/down, side to side method to keep streaks at bay.
THAT’S IT!
This process is really, really easy and it WORKS! Here are a couple of things to consider as you do this: make sure to clean both sides of the glass and ALWAYS, always use a squeegee as part of your daily maintenance. It’s also a good idea, after each shower use, to spray your shower down to rinse off the residue of the things that eventually lead to all that build up, like body wash, cleanser, bar soap residue, etc.
If you are interested in an even nerdier product and process to keep the problem of water spots at bay for a longer time (or FOREVER!), check out my post about how we are keeping our new shower glass spotless from day one.
This is such a great way to clean glass shower doors without using harsh chemicals or a daily shower spray! To see how to clean your shower door tracks, CLICK HERE to see how I clean window tracks with white vinegar.
Leah
UPDATE:
A friend of mine used this post to clean her shower doors and the results were so great that I had to show you so you know this trick really works. Here’s what she said in her Facebook post –
“I’ve never posted about a cleaning product before, but this stuff was so awesome I’m sold! Thank you Anna Moseley for the amazing blog about cleaning glass shower doors! We have very hard water, and even though it’s treated, it made my shower doors look awful- despite frequent cleaning and scrubbing. I had tried 4 different products this past year and NOTHING worked. Below are some before and after photos. If you have glass shower doors, read this blog.
When you try this out and are also shocked by the transformation, post about it and tag me, I’d love to see your results too!
If you’d like to see another tutorial for cleaning glass shower doors, CLICK HERE. This tutorial uses nothing but some pantyhose and a Magic Eraser!
Did you know this is one of my most popular posts!? To see more of the posts people love click on the titles below:
- How to Clean Between the Oven Glass
- How to Get rid of HE Washing Machine Smell
- How to Wash Pillows in a Front Loading Washing Machine
- How to Clean Baked on Grease off Pots and Pans
- How to Clean Oven Glass so it looks Brand New
- How to get Nail Polish off Wood Floors
- How to Clean your Dyson
- How to Clean Cloudy Glass
- How to Wash a Baseball Cap
- DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent and WHY it works so well
This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Thanks for sharing this post. You are amazing
One thing that I have found that works well on shower doors is Works toilet bowl cleaner. It is strong but it’s awesome. Also, Rain X. They have cleaner in it as well. It repels water just like on a windshield.
Yes.
I put a paper towel on the shower door, let the works toilet bowl cleaner drip onto and soak the paper towel. Then place saran wrap over the paper towel to keep it from drying out too soon. Leave on a few hours or over night.
If I missed a spot, I use 0000 steel wool.
Then Rain x to protect and maintain.
Don’t forget to go over those glass shower doors with car wax (like Turtle Wax) after you’ve cleaned them. Buff it off and, voila, no water spots for MONTHS!
Great tip! Thank you. 🙂
Also rain-X works great
Thanks for the tip! I’d never heard of this product but will certainly give it a try. Removing minerals usually requires dissolving with an acid (vinegar being a friendly choice) so I looked up its Material Data Safety Sheet to see if it contains hazardous ingredients. It looks to be completely safe and natural; if I understand correctly the active ingredient is ground walnut shells…
Great tips. I must say that cleaning shower cubicles is one of my pet hates, many as after all your hard work they stay clean looking for only a couple of days
This does seem super easy! Will definitely have to freshen up the bathroom with this. Thanks for sharing this how-to!
You’re right, this process is really easy! Using a squeegee after every shower will prevent streaks from drying on the door. I will have to get a microfiber cloth to dry off the door after I clean it. Thanks for the tips!
Bar Keepers Friend = my new BFF!! AMAzing
@Leah
Can i use that way to clean my car glasses or other glasses?
Regards
Priyanka
Yes! It works on all glass surfaces!
what type of store would I find this product in. We bought a an older home, with very hard water. The shower door looks frosted, but it is just because it is impossible to clean with anything I have used so far. I would like to give Spot-X a chance. Surely something will work. If not….I will just add the can to my large “won’t work” collection. Thanks
I’m not sure what type of store would sell it, maybe a hardware store??? They sell it on Amazon though – http://amzn.to/1Uq83F3. 🙂
After cleaning or before spotting occurs, use Rain X on shower glass to prevent spots. I do the rain x about every 6-12 months. Just follow directions on bottle of rain x purchased at automotive store.
Hi anna, can it work if i do not use scotch-brite pad?
Kelly, the Scotch-Brite pad will be the gentle astringent that helps to remove the hard water stains and streaks. You could try this product without it, but it is really the miracle worker in the process. And it is completely safe for your glass surfaces.
I love this product!!! I have tried a lot of different products and nothing else worked. I found it on Amazon for 12.00. But I’m unable to find the white Scotch Brite pads. I have found the Blue ones that say non scratch, are they the same?
Hi Lisa, The blue ones are NOT the same – they have a completely different texture. The white Scotch Brite pads are available on Amazon, as well. There is a link to them in this post, but here it is again: http://amzn.to/1LDt2zf. These help to apply this product the best.
So where do I find this product? I have tried everything else! I barely have room in the shower for me, with all the products I have tried, with no luck! I am certain willing to give this product a whirl.
Hi Lynda. This stuff really does work! There are links to purchase the product at the top of this article. These links connect to Amazon. It is the only place I have found to purchase this product – it is not typically on the shelves of your local stores. So, if you can’t purchase through Amazon, I am not sure where to direct you…maybe a local hardware store? Here’s the link again: http://amzn.to/1IsFd10. You will want to make sure to get the white Scotch Brite pads as well – they are just as important to the process! Hope that helps!
I’m so glad to see this product is still available !! I’ve had a cleaning company for over 35yrs, mostly high end homes. Nothing is as safe & effective as Spot X!!
Thank you, thank you for this post. We truly have tried everything on our shower glass. I used this product over the weekend. It took a few “rounds” but I saw that progress was being made as the glass become more clear each time. Alas I now have clear glass! I finished off my efforts by applying rainx to the glass. The finished product looks great!
Awesome! I love hearing that. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this. I have the same problems. Thanks for sharing.
I’m going to try this soon, while the glass is still in not too bad of shape! It looks like you have travertine tile in your shower and it is beautiful! I also have that and I’m having a hard time finding a natural product that will clean the mildew that shows up on the grout and in the little crevices. Do you possibly have a solution that you could share?
Thanks and love your blog!
You can use bleach in the grout lines, or if you want an all natural product, I recommend Hydrogen Peroxide because it has a bleaching agent and it will kill the mildew. Here’s the H2O2 I use in our house – https://askannamoseley.com/2016/03/how-to-spring-clean-every-room-with-pyoure-hydrogen-peroxide/
Here’s a recipe for a daily shower spray that will keep it clean and shiny…and no scrubbing!!!
Mix in spray bottle (get one at Home Depot, or recycle and empty used one):
1 cup vinegar
1 cup liquid dish soap (I use 1/2 cup Dawn-very concentrated)
1 cup dishwasher Rinse solution-Jet Dry
2 cups H2O
Optional: scented oil about 25 drops-I use Eucalyptus oil to give my shower that clean Spa scent
Spray shower doors, let it one minute, rinse. That’s it! I do it when I finish showering before I dry off. I keep the spray bottle in the shower.
Just wondering…Can you use this on fiberglass showers?
I’d say it’s worth a shot if they’re really dirty. 🙂
Can you use this product on frosted shower doors?
I just use any ordinary liquid soap. The cheaper the better. Spread it all over the glass with my hands (while I’m having a shower) and then rinse it off with warm water. Absolutely no need for chemicals or harsh scrubbing. Soap removes soap and hard water residue. Easy as.
Hello , I loved the post, but I live in Brazil. Do you know any similar product ?
Where did you purchase your Spot-X and your white Scotch Brite pads?
Both can be found on Amazon – Spot-X: http://amzn.to/2dBgGy1, Scotch-Brite pads: http://amzn.to/2dd7Ois. Hope that helps!
Hi Anna,
I might be moving to a different country in a few months, I will not be bring with me my things, so I need to start pretty much from zero.
Would you happen to have a list of things to buy when you first move in to a new place from scratch?
Love your blog!
Thanks in advance, take care.
Irina
Hi Irina! I don’t have a list but I could probably list some things for you. Are you looking for essentials, like pots & pans, that sort of thing?
Hey y’all,
What I like to use every few months to keep it clean, is Clean it real good like they did above. Be sure to get ALL the spots off. Then I like to use Rain-x on the inside, so the water just rolls off, and to keep it from fogging up on the outside, I use Fog-x. They can be found in the car isle of Target or Wal-Mart. I usually apply the Rain-x more often than the Fog-x, and I wipe on the Rain-x using the up and down motions. I use Fog-x less, and I use the across motions. I use the different motions so I know what needs to be re-done when it needs to be re-done. But this keeps the icky stuff off the door. I have also known people who like to use car wax on the inside of the shower, but DON’T USE ANY OF THESE ON THE SHOWER FLOOR, or you will slip.
This may sound silly, but I’ve always wondered what everyone else does when they clean their showers… because I get totally wet with chemicals down my sleeves. Do folks typically do this while showering themselves?
Personally I clean the shower then jump right in to shower myself. 🙂
Hey, what about plastic doors? Mine are 30 years old and sticky with hard water and soap scum. What can I do?
I think this method would be worth a shot, try it and let me know how it works. 🙂
has anyone tried bar keepers friend and attained the same result? spot x is no longer available on amazon 🙁
I have another “voila” trick to clean the hard water stains from a glass shower door. No extra misture……just pour a bit of glass-top stove cleaner on a paper towel and rub-a-dub-dub. Eeeeeeeasy!
Nice! I’ll have to give it a try now that we have hard water in our new house. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
I just use SCUBBING BUBBLES. I spray it on my doors, let it sit a few minutes, then wipe down the doors with a wet cloth. Rinse and dry
Wala! They work hard so you dont have to
?
Anna, thanks for posting! I’ve also used Diamond Magic cleaner which is a thick liquid rather than powder product and it is excellent! Recommended by a Landscaper who used it to remove water stains because by sprinklers from peoples’ windows. I love it and it’s much better than the liquid version of Barkeepers Friend. It’s only available on janitorial sites and also uses the white scrubbing sponge. I’ll try yours as well to see how they compare!
That is a good tip, thank you! We are actually buying a house now that has water spot on the outside windows so I will have to look into purchasing the Diamond Magic cleaner. Thank you! 🙂
Will it work to remove soap scum and hard water residue from an quite old glass screen?
I would definitely say it’s worth a try! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
I had a part time job when studying at University, and I first used Barkeepers Friend while working 8n a bar……That was 45 years ago and I’m still using it! I use it for LOTS of things to clean properly and solve problems around the house and car, but it had never occurred to me to try it on a shower screen! Then we moved from the UK to a mountain area of Spain 2 years ago and found that the water here is much harder, causing problems galore for cleaning the shower screens……..so thank you so very much for sharing this info! My back, arms, hands and nails thank you too! xx
I know that this is about mmmmm 5 years later….but this works!!!!!! I used the Bar Keeper stuff and it was great. I did one side while taking a shower. Talk about see thru. You have made my day. We are selling and retiring and I had to get these crazy shower doors looking pretty. Thanks so much
Awesome!! So glad we could help you! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and share that with me! Good luck selling and happy retirement!!! 🙂