What is the Best Way to Clean a Shower Door?
One of the most frequently asked questions here at The Shower Door Place is, how should I clean my shower door?
Anyone who has owned a home with a glass shower door has probably pondered this question, and to be honest, keeping a clear glass shower door clean can be a chore.
The first and best way to keep a clear glass enclosure clean is to protect it with a premium glass protectant, such as Diamon-Fusion (DFI for short).
DFI Glass protectant is available as an option on any shower glass purchased from The Shower Door Place, and is the only protective coating on the market to come with its own lifetime limited warranty. Once applied, it will not come off unless one were to use ammonia-based cleaners or abrasive based stain removers on the coated glass. The beauty of this product is, even if you neglect your cleaning duties (we recommend cleaning the glass weekly), there is peace of mind knowing that the glass is not getting permanently damaged by hard water deposits, dirt and soap that can build up in the micro pores of the glass surface.
A side note on glass cleaning: Through years of experience selling, installing and using our shower doors, we have found that the best way to clean is to wipe or squeegee the droplets off the glass after showering. The secret is to get the soap and other contaminants off the glass before it can dry and harden. We call this preventative maintenance.
In the real world, most people don’t wipe down their glass after each use. If you are one of these people, and you find yourself needing to remove stains or spots on your glass, here are some suggestions on what to do:
If you have DFI or another protective glass coating on your glass, refer to the cleaning instructions that the manufacturer suggests. DFI suggests using a non-ammonia glass cleaner such as Spray-Way or ammonia-free Windex, and a microfiber towel or paper towels. For more stubborn stains, DFI makes a kit for this, and it’s available on their website or at either location of The Shower Door Place.
If you do not have a protective glass coating on your shower glass, you might need to resort to something a bit more drastic to get it clean. I should warn you here that if the glass has had years of heavy use without regular cleaning and preventative maintenance, chances are you will not be able to restore it to like new condition without resorting to using an expensive glass polisher. But if you just want to get it to look as good as you possibly can, there are some very good products available:
The first product is DFI Glass Rescue. This is a paste that is abrasive, and when used as directed can work very well to remove stains from glass. Keep in mind that it will also remove the coating from glass, so it should not be used on coated glass unless you also want to remove the coating. DFI Glass Rescue can be ordered on their website or from The Shower Door Place
Another excellent product is Bio-Clean from CRL. This is similar to DFI in that it’s a pasty substance, but it’s not as abrasive as Glass Rescue and is approved for other surfaces besides glass. Bio-Clean is one of the best products we have found for removing stains. It’s very safe to use and is very unlikely to scratch or harm any surface that it’s applied to. Bio-Clean can be purchased at either location of The Shower Door Place, and we’ve also seen it on amazon.com.
Soft Scrub – This all-purpose cleaner is available at any home store and is a very mild abrasive. It’s been proven effective on glass with minor stains and dirt.
Automotive polishing compound – This has proven effective but should be used with caution. Try this on a small area first to make sure it’s not going to damage the surface
We hope you find this information useful! Please stop by one of our two Twin Cities metro locations to discuss your current or future frameless shower door needs.