How to make your glass shower doors sparkle?

Glass shower screens are a common feature of almost all modern bathrooms, having clear, clean and spotless glass gives a sense of space & light in bathrooms. Maintaining the glass’s appearance can be ongoing and time-consuming. The following article is written to help you renew your existing glass shower screens & provide a professional approach to protecting your glass into the future.

Existing glass shower doors & screens often get a build-up of soaps, calcium and other contaminants that seem to almost start within the first 6 months. Glass under the age of 1-2 years can generally be cleaned with the following methods.

Remove the soap first! 

A lot of our customers think they have hard water stains forming when it’s just excess bar soap sitting on the surface of the glass. Using a mild alkaline cleaner like dishwashing liquid and a white scourer pad, spray the glass and let sit for 5mins before scrubbing with the scourer. Be sure not to scratch the glass with an abrasive scourer or other types of the pad. Scourers that are white are the only type that should be used on glass. If scratching occurs you may need to contact a glass restoration service to perform glass scratch removal. Scratched glass is much more difficult to repair than mineral deposits so care must be taken.

Once the soap is removed examine the glass to determine if there are any mineral deposits. You may have just renewed your shower and don’t require the following solutions. 

Remove the mineral deposits!

If mineral etching has occurred prepare a solution of white vinegar 25% and warm water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a bucket or spray bottle. Soak the glass keeping the surface wet for 5-20 minutes, scrub with the scourer and repeat as necessary until the calcium and other minerals are dissolved by the acidic vinegar. You can try 50% & 100% vinegar solutions if the above doesn’t work.

If the above techniques don’t remove the deposits to your satisfaction, consider contacting a local glass repair service. Many professionals can provide a fantastic service cheaper than you think! And much cheaper than replacement.

Glass over 2 Years old.

Shower screens & alike over the age of 2 years and generally in my professional opinion to far gone to be cleaned effectively by hand. I’ve seen glass at 6months that even require a professional polish and restoration. In some cases, older glass and shower screens may come up to a satisfactory level using the above techniques. Generally, if you are using tank water or have decent filtration on your town water you should not be as affected by high mineral deposits. 

If your glass hasn’t come up using the above techniques and you want to try to polish the glass yourself. Follow these tips to ensure you get the best result possible.

You will need to get a backing plate to fit your drill or grinder so you can attach a foam polishing pad. For a pad, any medium to hard density foam pad will give good results. Next, use a store-bought water spot remover cream with a light abrasive feel. Polish the glass while wet on a low – medium speed checking the temperature of the glass regularly, move quickly to reduce heat. Bicarb soda and vinegar can be a good alternative as a polishing liquid, as well as cerium oxide.

If you still haven’t had any good results, it’s best to contact a glass repair service, most reputable businesses will be able to perform a test patch free of charge to determine if your shower can be salvaged. 

If the above techniques did work and you’re wondering how to maintain the appearance of your glass, look into a good quality glass sealant. EnduroShield has DIY kits available and professional applicators. In some cases, it may be worth contacting a professional who can apply the sealant and inquire if they can perform the restoration. In my professional opinion, a company or business that offers a sealant like EnduroShield should also offer to restore the glass to new ensuring the glass is coated and protected in its best state possible. 

Vivek is a published author of Meidilight and a cofounder of Zestful Outreach Agency. He is passionate about helping webmaster to rank their keywords through good-quality website backlinks. In his spare time, he loves to swim and cycle. You can find him on Twitter and Linkedin.