Just about everyone likes the classy and elegant look of glass shower doors. We should know; many of our Easy Care shower stalls are installed with attractive glass doors or full glass enclosures. Yet anyone who has glass in the shower knows how difficult it is to keep the surfaces clean. The problem with dirty glass in the shower is threefold: soap scum, hard water, and general streaking. When you don’t keep your glass clean, it really makes your bathroom look shoddy. On the other hand, when that glass sparkles, it transforms the entire space. To help you achieve that sparkling look, here are some helpful tips:

• Daily Maintenance – The best thing you can do for your shower glass is to perform a little daily maintenance. After every shower, make sure to dry the glass immediately. This prevents streaking and the buildup of soap scum and hard water minerals. Some people just use the bath towel to dry the glass; others keep a squeegee in the bathroom for a quick, streak-free cleaning.

• Glass Cleaner – In between your major cleaning, you can reduce streaking and scum buildup by using standard, commercial glass cleaner. Just make sure the glass surface is dry before you apply it. Spray the glass liberally, work the cleaner in with a rag or towel, and then finish it off with a squeegee. Once every couple of days should do nicely between major cleaning.

• Hard Water Stains – When it’s time for your major cleaning, you’ll need to get rid of hard water stains before you can attack soap scum. That’s because the minerals in hard water form a protective barrier for the soap scum. If you do not deal with the hard water first, the best you will do with the scum is spread it around. Use a commercial product capable of handling rust, calcium, and lime. If you prefer something natural, lemon oil is a good choice.

• Soap Scum – For soap scum you can use a commercial product or a mixture of vinegar and hot water. It’s best to do this right after a shower but, if that’s not possible, take a few minutes to let the hot water run and steam up the shower walls before beginning to clean. The heat helps to loosen the soap scum. With the glass fully steamed, spray on your cleaning solution and immediately wipe it off with a sponge, followed by a clean cloth.

To avoid future buildup of soap scum and hard water stains, some people recommend an anti-fogging chemical normally used on cars. You can find it at your local auto store. We cannot say whether this works or not, so we will not recommend it. However, we will say this: if you follow the tips we offer here, your bathroom glass will look as good as the day it was installed. One look at that sparkling clean glass will make all of the work you put into it well worth it.