When water contains a certain amount of minerals in dissolved form, like magnesium, calcium, carbonates, it is known as hard water. Hard water stains are produced if the water mixes with soap and is somehow left on the glass door of the shower which is called soap scum and it can be harmful as it corrodes the glass. Therefore, you need to remove it as early as possible, but how to remove hard water stains from glass shower doors?
I will discuss an easier method of removing the ugly, harmful stain from your shower door. Although it will take some time, it is effective and hassle-free as well.
Contents
Removing Hard Water Stains from Shower Doors
Removing this stain will need some tools, cleansing solution, and patience. Sometimes the stains are so dark and stubborn that you need to give a lot of effort to remove them completely. This step by step process will help you to get rid of the stains easily:
Step 1:
Cover your hands with a pair of gloves, you always should use rubber gloves while cleaning something as the surfactant present in the cleaning solutions can dry out your hands. Take a clean bowl or kibble and a bottle of white vinegar. Dilute the vinegar with water. The amount of cleaning solution depends on the size and number of your shower door.
Mix equal amounts of water and vinegar into the kibble and follow the next steps. If the diluted vinegar does not work, you will need to apply the raw vinegar directly to the glass.
Step 2:
Apply the mixture of cleaning solution or raw vinegar to the glass door using a sponge and coat it from top to bottom thoroughly. Make sure to apply plenty of solution on the stubborn stains of the glass door and also, cover the entire door with the mixture.
Step 3:
Now you need to wait at least five minutes. If the stains are stubborn and thick, you may have to wait for a little longer. The vinegar which is an organic acid will eat away the stubborn stains gently without doing any harm to the glass door. Also, it can remove the hard water deposit and restore the water pressure.
There is another way to soak the vinegar by the glass doors. If the stains are so stubborn, you may need to do this step. Soak a sheet in the vinegar mixture or plain vinegar and hang it over the door. Press the sheet against the glass as much as possible and let the glass soak the vinegar. If the sheet gets dry, spray some mixture on it.
Step 4:
After 5-10 minutes, rinse the hard water deposit away using hot water. If some stain still remains, repeat the steps and this time leave the vinegar on your glass door for a longer time. You can leave it overnight if necessary and rinse the door the next morning. It can also clean the soap scum from the glass.
Step 5:
If you want to remove the soap scum and hard water stain from the metal frame of your glass shower door, you will need some lemon oil or other citrus oil. Pour the oil on a cloth and scrub the metal frame with it gently. Do it until you see a shine on the metal frame.
Step 6:
If you are not satisfied with the result, you should probably go for some cleansers that are made for this purpose. Scrub the door with the cleanser in a circular motion. When you feel all the stains have been removed, you can stop scrubbing.
Step 7:
Rinse the door thoroughly with warm water. You can repeat the steps if the result is still not satisfying, but in most cases, it works really well.
Removing the hard water stain is not an easy task. You must be patient and clean the doors frequently to prevent staining, otherwise, you may need to replace the doors.
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What causes the ugly stains on the glass shower door?
When you take shower, water makes the glass doors wet. If you leave the water on your glass door to dry, the minerals remain there and create stains or spots. If you start cleaning the doors regularly, the stains will fade away over time.
What are the products that professional cleaners use?
The professional cleaners of hotels do not normally use the vinegar mixture, they usually use some products to clean the stain properly in a short time. The products are—commercial cleaners, scrub brush, grout, tile detail brush, scrub sponge, 16×16 buff™ pro-multi-surface towel, mild cleanser, Lysol powder, etc.
Is vinegar harmful to glass?
White vinegar is an effective glass cleaner. It can eat all the stains and dirt from the surface of the glass door. But it is better not to use raw vinegar. You should use diluted vinegar but if that doesn’t work, you can go for plain vinegar, but do not leave it on the glass for a long time.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have an overall guideline about how to remove hard water stains from glass shower doors. If you follow these steps properly, you will get clear, stain-free shower doors. Also, try to draw some sections on the doors that will create small parts so it will be easier to clean the entire door. You can ask someone for help, too. However, in case the stains are bold and can not be removed even after cleaning several times, it is better to replace the doors.