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Shower Door Care
How Do I Take Care of My Glass Shower Doors?
As soon as your custom shower doors are installed, you'll notice what a positive effect they have on the overall look and feel of your bathroom. No matter what style shower door you choose, custom shower doors add a certain elegance and style that can't be beat.
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Without proper care and maintenance, however, you'll notice your shower doors will start to lack the pristine appearance they once had. To keep glass shower doors looking their best, it's important to take care of them with regular cleaning and maintenance.
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Tips For taking Care of My Shower Doors
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At McDowell Glass, we will provide our clients with this information as soon as their doors are installed so they're not left wondering how to take care of their shower doors.
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These tips will apply to all shower doors, regardless if is there is a add on coating or not.
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1. Clean & Squeegee your shower enclosure AFTER you shower.
2. Use a high quality glass cleaner on your glass door enclosure (want what we use? Get a can of our glass cleaner!)
3. Keep a microfiber cloth handy
4. Switch to a non-talc soap
5. Don't forget to clean the shower door hardware
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For showers equipped with ShowerGuard coating, click here for specific cleaning instructions.
1. Clean Your Shower After It's Used
The best time to clean your shower is right after you've used it. If you start cleaning right after you are done showering you can use the steam and warm water to your advantage. During your shower the heat and steam loosened up any dirt and grime which will save you extra cleaning time.
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Using a squeegee on all glass panels after each shower will dramatically improve how long your shower will remain looking clear and clean. They only cost a few dollars and they only take a minute to use after your shower. Starting from the top, you can squeegee remaining water off the glass. This takes away any water droplets that will create water spots if left to dry on the glass.
2. Shower Cleaning Solution
To keep your glass shower doors sparkling clean, you need a high quality glass cleaner (definitely not the blue stuff in a spray bottle!). If you want a glass cleaner the professionals use, come get a bottle of yours today. We have partnered with a great glass cleaner to offer this product with you!. If you are in a bind and need something quick you can use common ingredients you probably already have at home. A 1:1 mix of warm, white vinegar and water is a great place to start. If that doesn't do the trick, a 1:1 mixture of warm vinegar and dish detergent, such as Dawn, is another fine DIY cleaner.
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For showers equipped with ShowerGuard coating, click here for specific cleaning instructions.
3. Microfiber Cloths for Bathroom Cleaning
Don't forget about the other parts of your shower! Many of our clients have very elegant finishes on the non-glass hardware components within their shower. These fixtures should be wiped down daily with a microfiber cloth. After every use, they should be dried and gently buffed to keep their shine.
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After all the hardware is wiped down you can use your microfiber cloth to wipe down your shower walls or tub. This helps prevent water spots as well as soap scum that can build up over time.
4. Preventing Soap Scum
One of the most common culprits to soap scum is bar soap, which almost always contains talc. This talc is a major cause of soap scum that will build up on glass shower doors and other pieces of hardware within your shower. If you can switch to a talc-free bar soap or a body wash, you'll likely notice your shower looks cleaner for a longer span of time. ​
5. Cleaning Your Shower Door Hardware
While your glass shower doors are often the first thing you'll notice that needs to be cleaned, there are other important parts of your shower that need to be cared for too.
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For shower enclocures with no bottom track, be sure to check the shower curb top where the bottom of the shower door meets a seal to prevent water from leaking. The bottom of the glass, as well as the curb top, need to be cleaned and checked for mildew or mold along with any other parts of your shower.
If your shower door utilizes a bottom door sweep, these will need to be cleaned periodically as well. They can be removed from the bottom of the door and soaked in the vinegar/detergent solution. A toothbrush works well to clean out the crevices that will harbor mildew and mold. Another option is to put the bottom sweep on the top shelf of your dishwasher and run on a regular cycle. However, at some point your bottom seal will likely just need to be replaced from years of use. Contact us to order replacement seals and sweeps.
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Some hardware is prone to show water spots (think of dark colors like matte black and oil rubbed bronze). One trick to keep these looking fresh is to use a clear car wax on these metal components. The wax causes the water to bead up and fall off the hardware and helps cut down on water spots. To make sure the wax is compatible with your hardware, test a small and inconspicous section (however, we have yet to find a wax that causes any kind of negative outcome to the hardware).
