The Best Way To Clean Shower Doors and Home Windows: An article about how you can best clean windows and shower doors to avoid disturbing mold, mildew and etching.
Tub doorways and glass shower stalls are particularly problematic due to the fact they come into direct contact with water as well as cleaning soap. This mixture can leave filmy deposits that may be hard to remove. These deposits are often mistaken for etching or perhaps staining. In fact, homeowners often wrongly think that their shower doorways are etched and, in a desperate attempt to get rid of the stains, use a razor blade scraper to scrape from the deposits. They then find out that they have inadvertently scratched their own glass shower doorways instead of removing the actual deposits.
The following advice will keep your shower doorways clean and free from any kind of film or deposit that may cause false harm.
1) Always use soft cotton towels or perhaps soft cloths when cleaning your own glass shower doors or home windows. Paper towels are very abrasive and may scratch even tempered cup if used repeatedly.
2) Never use ammonia-based cleaners or even window cleaners on your glass doorways or home windows. Ammonia is very corrosive as well as reacts with the sealers which
The Best Way To Clean Shower Doors and Home Windows: An article about how you can best clean windows and shower doors to avoid disturbing mold, mildew and etching.
The biggest mistake I see homeowners making when cleaning their shower doors is using abrasive cleaners. Abrasive cleaners damage the surface of the glass which creates a rough area for soap scum and hard water deposits to stick to. This makes it much more difficult to keep the shower doors clean over time.
The best way to clean shower doors and home windows is with a squeegee. Using a squeegee will remove all of the water from the surface of the glass, leaving nothing behind to dry or etch the glass.
The same applies to home windows, yet most people do not know that they should be using a squeegee on home window glass as well. In fact, I was recently in a client’s home where I discovered that they had been using paper towels to clean their windows for years! This can be damaging to your windows as well because paper towels leave fibers behind. These fibers then accumulate on the surface of the window and provide a place for dirt and other debris to cling on to.
The best way to clean shower doors and home windows is to use a solution of vinegar and water, then dry the windows and shower doors with a waffle-weave microfiber towel. To avoid disturbing mold, mildew, and etching in shower doors, you should always dry the shower door with a towel.
The Best Way To Clean Shower Doors and Home Windows
Cleaning shower doors and home windows is a job that usually gets put off. The amount of elbow grease required to scrub the mold and mildew off our glass shower doors, or the streaks left on our home windows, make these jobs unpleasant. But in addition to the time consuming effort needed to clean these surfaces, we must be careful not to use products that will eventually damage the glass.
The hard water and soap scum that builds up on our shower doors is actually a mineral deposit left behind as the water evaporates. This deposit called lime scale can build up to 1/8″ thick if you do not clean your shower door regularly. If you have ever tried cleaning lime scale with a household cleaner, you know how difficult it can be to remove. Glass etching is another problem caused by the ingredients in many cleaners used on shower doors and home windows; this occurs when certain chemicals leave permanent damage in the form of tiny pits in the glass. So while we want to clean these surfaces regularly, we don’t want to use abrasive cleaners or cleaners that contain acids or ammonia which can cause damage over time.
The best way to prevent mold and mildew from growing on your shower doors is by using
We clean shower doors and home windows with a special spray bottle (see photo) that has a reservoir for citrus cleaner and a second for water. This allows us to use the correct amount of citrus cleaner (1 ounce per gallon) so we don’t waste $$$ on this costly product and at the same time we don’t leave residue behind from too much cleaner. We also use microfiber cloths because they are non-scratching and lint free.
We never use a scrub brush on shower doors or home windows because the rough bristles will scratch glass. We also don’t use paper towels on glass because they leave lint everywhere.
If cleaning shower doors or home windows with an integrated dishwasher, it’s important to read the directions on the machine first. Some machines have special settings for cleaning glassware. Some machines are not equipped to handle such items as wine glasses and shatterproof glasses. Make sure you know what your machine can and cannot clean before operating it.
If you have ever lamented the difficult chore of cleaning shower doors, windows and other glass surfaces, you’re not alone. A lot of people dread this task, but don’t worry – it’s not as hard as you might think.
Glass is a great material for shower doors and windows because of its elegance, transparency and low maintenance. But most glass can be easily damaged by improper cleaning methods. For example, using abrasive cleaners and scrubbing too hard can leave scratches that alter the appearance of the glass. Mildew spots on shower doors occur when mildew spores attach to the wet surface and grow over time.
For routine cleaning, choose a cleaner with a pH between 2 and 4 (which is acidic) with no more than 10% acid content (muriatic or hydrochloric acid). Alcohol-based cleaners are generally not recommended for routine cleaning because they evaporate so rapidly that they tend to streak.
For etching caused by hard water deposits or for stains that are difficult to remove, there are several commercial products available that contain phosphoric acid. Another option is a pumice stone scrubber designed specifically for use on glass. The best way to avoid costly professional glass polishing jobs is by preventing damage from occurring in the first place.
For the best results, use this method to clean shower doors and windows:
1. Wipe down surfaces with a mixture of warm water and vinegar.
2. Apply a homemade cleaning solution of 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons ammonia to shower doors and windows.
3. Let sit for 10 minutes – then rinse with water.