Maintaining the elegance of your new glass shower doors

One of the most attractive components of the modern bathroom is the glass door used on the shower. Glass shower doors come in a variety of styles to suit many types of bathroom designs and many different budgets. Below are a few tips on how to care for your new glass shower doors, ensuring you get the maximum use out of them.

Generally there are two main materials used for a glass shower door: the metal for the frame (usually aluminum) and the glass for the door panel. There is also typically some plastic and rubber used in seals and other minor and meticulous components. For cleaning the door you can buy a variety of products specific to the upkeep of your shower. If you are in a particularly expedited rush to get your shower cleaned for some unexpected house guests, then just use one of these. If you have the opportunity to spend more time performing a more thorough job, then you may want to approach cleaning the different components by using different cleaning materials, such as metal and glass cleaner. You should also consider any coating on the surface of the metal, as metal cleaner may tarnish or discolor the original finished look of the product.

Consistent shower glass shine

The two main contaminants you need to clean off of a glass shower door will be soap scum and mold. In a perfect world, maintaining the cleanliness of your glass shower door, post shower, will allow for continuous articulation to the value of your new upgrade. Take a soft sponge and a bucket of warm water and go over the door with the newly saturated sponge. Once completed, use a soft to medium bristle brush that has been dipped in the water to loosen any grit further. This should also help soften the caked-on materials (if any) as it will absorb some of the water. Rinse the loosened material off by generously soaking the sponge in water and then using it to wash the door from top to bottom. If the glass shower door was only slightly dirty then this could essentially conclude your cleaning efforts for the time being. However, you should still treat the surface to prevent any mold.

For caked on soap scum you will need to use a cleaning detergent and warm water to dissolve and remove it. Use a wet scouring sponge or a brush with medium to hard bristles to apply the detergent. Work the brush or sponge in small circular motions to loosen and dissolve the grit. Work from the top to the bottom of the door so that the detergent flows down the door and use multiple passes to give the water and detergent time to soften and dissolve the film. Once you have successfully loosened any grime from the surface of the door, use a water soaked sponge to rinse the door clean. As an alternative to the detergent used here you may want to try using white vinegar to clean the door. This will simultaneously help clean and prevent mold.

For any hardened bits of dirt that refuses submission, try using bleach in a careful and meticulous manner. For a final cleaning pass for your new glass shower doors, you should accentuate the “shine” on the exposed metal components in conjunction with ammonia based glass cleaner applied directly on the glass to remove any streaks. If your glass shower doors are often neglected and are not cleaned on a regular basis, then mold is imminent. This can be hard to dislodge as it tends to grow in seams and contours in the door. You can find many bathroom mold cleaners at your local market. Cleaners based with Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Hypochlorite tend to work well in these cases.

For a more natural solution try using white vinegar. You will want to periodically check the plastic and rubber used for the door’s runners, seals and bumpers to ensure that they have not worn down and are in need of being replacing. If they are allowed to wear down too far then the metal frame will begin rubbing together and impacting other bits of metal in the door which can lead to damage that may require the door to be replaced. Also check the screws, bolts and rivets that hold the door together to see if they are loose or go missing. Missing retainers will result in parts of the door eventually breaking or coming apart, so it is cheaper and exceedingly more proactive to replace these items than to repair or replace your elegant glass shower doors.

Keeping your new glass shower door clean while performing occasional maintenance checks on it will help extend its life while equally allowing for a more pleasant visual experience to both use and admire. You just upgraded the elegance of you bathroom instantaneously with a glass door on your shower. Showing it off now is only part of the continued benefits!