Shower doors are great accessories for updating the look of your bathroom from a regular one to an elegant, luxurious, and modern bathroom. Besides making your bathroom visually appealing with added visual interest, there are other benefits of having glass shower doors installed in your bathroom.
Glass shower doors aid light to flow in the bathroom because they reflect natural light. This gives the bathroom a bright ambiance, especially during the day. At night, the door reflects other sources of light present to create the effect of multiple light sources.
Just like glass, shower doors create the illusion of bigger bathroom space. This is especially needed in a small bathroom space. Glass doors will open up your bathroom space to make it feel larger than its actual size.
Besides the aforementioned, shower doors get rid of cold drafts that are common with the use of shower curtains. It ensures that you enjoy your baths and showers in a stable temperature and warm environment.
Is it Necessary to Keep Glass Shower Doors Clean Regularly?
Soap scum is a common occurrence with glass shower doors. Soap scum stains form on your shower doors when hard water, a water type that contains high minerals like magnesium and calcium, mixes with soap.
If left unchecked, soap scum reduces the visual appeal of your glass shower doors drastically. This not only affects your shower doors but also reduces the visual interest and appeal of your bathroom’s interior.
Besides the above, leaving soap scum to gather on the surface of your glass door over time will make them more difficult to clean when you are ready to clean. Regular cleaning and maintenance are vital in keeping your shower door in top shape. It also ensures that hard to remove water stains do not form on your shower glass door’s surface.
Apart from soap scum, mildew is another reason why you should ensure that your shower door is kept clean regularly. Mildew is made up of fungi, and it grows in moist and warm places, which makes the inside of your shower doors a great place for them to thrive.
Mildews can form on the edges of your shower glass door, and where the frame of your glass door meets with the glass panel. Mildew can lead to coughs, headaches, sore throats, and respiratory issues when inhaled. Mildew can also create irreversible physical damage on your shower glass door if not properly taken care of in time.
As can be seen from the points mentioned above, it is essential to keep shower glass doors clean occasionally. This is to prevent the development of soap scum and mildew, which may lead to difficult stains on your shower doors and pose a threat to your health.
How to Clean and Maintain Glass Shower Doors?
Constant exposure to moisture necessitates that you keep your glass shower door clean regularly to prevent a scaly and foggy look as well as grime buildup. Unlike other materials that cost an arm and leg to clean and maintain, your shower doors can be kept clean with items that you have lying around in the home.
Let’s take a look at some of them.
Applying Vinegar
For a homemade cleaning solution for your shower glass door, mix vinegar with dishwashing liquid or dishwashing detergent, in equal measurements. Put the vinegar solution into a spray bottle.
Spray the solution on the surface of your glass door, front and back. Leave the solution on the surface for about thirty minutes. Wash off the solution using clean water and a clean sponge. Rinse off thoroughly with clean water and dry the glass off with a clean microfiber cloth.
The vinegar solution is a good solution that is efficient at keeping almost all types of shower glass doors clean. Although it is an excellent homemade cleaning solution, you should use it with caution on your shower door’s surface.
The Use of Baking Soda
An alternative to vinegar is to use baking soda to get rid of soap scum, grime, and mildew on your shower glass door’s surface. Mix liquid soap or dishwashing soap with baking soda till you attain a frosting consistency.
Apply to the surface of your glass shower door and leave for some minutes if there are some tough stains on the glass surface or till you can clean the grime easily. Scrub with a non-abrasive sponge to get rid of stains and rinse with clean water. Clean off the surface with a clean lint-free or microfiber cloth.
Baking soda is a safer alternative when it comes to glass doors. It is eco-friendly and does not pose any danger to glass surfaces.
Apply Glass and Mirror Cleaner Foam
Rather than go through the stress of mixing up a homemade cleaning solution, purchase Glass and mirror cleaner foam from Fab Glass and Mirror.
Glass and mirror cleaner foam is easy to use, high quality and does not contain harmful and hazardous chemicals.
Spray on the surface of your shower glass door and wipe off with a clean microfiber cloth. It leaves your glass surface polished and clean and does not leave a film on the glass surface.
Apply Sparkle Cleaner and Stain Remover
Sparkle cleaner and stain remover is a lightweight cleaner from Fab Glass and Mirror that cleans off tough water stains from the glass surface of your shower doors. It also helps to get rid of soap scum and tight water spots on your glass shower doors.
Apply onto a damp cleaning cloth and rub on areas with tough soap scum stains and water spots. Clean off with a lint-free cloth. This will leave your glass surface clean and looking as good as new.
How to Clean Frame Material of Framed Glass Slider Doors?
The frames of glass shower doors need to be kept clean as well to get rid of mildew and to prevent the growth of mold in the shower enclosure.
Homemade vinegar solution that works well for glass surfaces is also effective for cleaning the frames of your shower glass doors. The baking soda mixture also works well and helps to keep the frame clean and free of water spots, soap scum, and to keep the frame looking polished and clean.
Apart from the homemade cleaning solutions, the Sparkle cleaner and stain remover and Glass and mirror foam cleaner are effective at keeping the frame material of the sliders of your glass shower doors clean and polished.
Spray on the frame material and clean off with a clean and lint-free cloth.
Why do water spots appear on glass?
The minerals accumulate over time on surfaces, like the glass of your shower door, that are in frequent touch with hard water. Hard water is defined as having a high concentration of magnesium and calcium minerals in the water. Limescale-like stains are generally the result of hard water with a high mineral concentration. It dries and leaves a crusty film on your shower door and walls when it reacts with the fatty acids in the soap.
After all, you do not want any spots to detract from the appearance of the crystal glass. The glass can remain in excellent condition with very minimal upkeep. Here are a few strategies for avoiding shower door stains caused by hard water.
Wipe the glass after each shower
A little effort goes a long way when it comes to cleaning shower doors. Spending some time cleaning the shower after each use keeps buildup from forming as a result of the water drying on the glass surface.
Try some simple cleaning solutions
Hard water stains can be avoided by regularly cleaning glass shower enclosures with a few inexpensive solutions. Remove tiny water spots as soon as they appear to maintain the pristine appearance of your shower and save money on costly major repairs. Avoid using aggressive cleaning agents that can damage your hardware and emit poisonous fumes when cleaning the glass.
Keep the air circulating
Maintaining the hard water stains off your custom shower doors is easy with a few small practices. Hard water spots can be avoided by promoting fast evaporation of water inside the shower. Remember to maintain circulation in your restroom while doing this. Before and after your shower, turn on the vent fan to assist ventilate the room. The water will also evaporate if the bathroom door is left open.
Speak with shower glass experts
If you have done everything to avoid hard water stains on your glass shower enclosures but they have persisted, you might want to think about hiring a cleaning service to remove the stains. Maybe you need new shower doors because you have had your old ones for a while.
How to Reduce Mold with Glass Shower Doors
Mold is a major indoor allergen for people with allergies, and the bathroom is one of the most typical places in the house where mold builds up. The main cause of this is steam creation from hot baths and showers. In enclosed showers and other moist, dark environments, mold is more likely to grow.
Happily, turning on the fan to ventilate the space before and after a shower is one approach to prevent mold formation.
Simplified Cleaning
Shower doors without frames are simple to keep clean and maintain. All you have to do is clean the doors with a mixture of vinegar and dish soap. Following this, use a sponge or squeegee to clean the doors. Another helpful habit is to use a towel to clean the shower after each usage. This will prevent the growth of mold and mildew in the shower area.
Take those shower curtains down
Every time you purchase a shower curtain, it will unavoidably start to gather mold within a few days. This issue is made even more obvious under humid conditions. This necessitates either frequent cleaning or frequent shower curtain replacement.
Avoid water accumulation
Shower doors with frames permit water to accumulate around the seals. This, therefore, contributes to the growth of mold and mildew. Frameless shower doors, on the other hand, avoid this issue and get rid of water accumulation. Mold should not be an issue as long as you keep the shower area clean on a regular basis.
Do not allow mold to have a chance to grow
A frameless shower door will aid in preventing the growth of mildew because there is not any water standing around the seals. The truth is that a framed door or a conventional shower curtain will not provide the same advantage. If you clean the doors each day, you should have a mold-free, immaculate finish.
A well-lit area
As was previously noted, mold thrives in areas with excess moisture and poor lighting. A clear glass door will increase the amount of light that enters the shower area compared to a shower curtain. This offers an additional barrier against the formation of mold.
Conclusion
In summary, maintaining clean glass shower doors necessitates routine cleaning, adequate ventilation, and refraining from using harsh chemicals. You can maintain the clean appearance of your shower doors and avoid the accumulation of soap scum and hard water stains by following these tips.