Cleaning
Bathroom Cleaning
By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.
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Updated on 11/17/23
Reviewed by
Brandon Pleshek
Reviewed byBrandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.
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Fact checked by
Sarah Scott
Fact checked bySarah Scott
Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.
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In This Article
Use Distilled White Vinegar
Use a Baking Soda Paste
Prevent Build-Up
Project Overview
- Working Time: 10 - 30 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins - 1 hr, 30 mins
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Estimated Cost: $0 to $10
Hard water stains form on glass doors and windows from minerals in household water, rain, or snow. The hard water in showers attracts soap and shampoo molecules to create soap scum on shower doors.
If caught early before the minerals scratch or etch the glass, hard water stains can be removed with a little elbow grease and household products you have on hand.
Follow these tips to remove hard water stains from glass.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- 1 Squeegee
- 2 to 3Microfiber cloths
- 1 Soft-bristled brush
- 1 Old toothbrush
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 pair Rubber gloves
- 1 Eye protection
- Old towel
Materials
- 1 bottle Distilled white vinegar
- 1 bottle Distilled water
- 1 bottle Lemon juice
- 1 box Baking soda
Instructions
Use Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar and lemon juice contain acids that will help break the bonds the minerals in hard water have formed with the glass surface.
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Mix a Cleaning Solution
In a spray bottle, combine one part of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice with one part of distilled water.
Tip
For a stronger cleaning solution, use cleaning vinegar instead of food-grade distilled white vinegar.
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Spray on the Solution
Place an old towel at the bottom of the glass panel to catch drips. Starting at the top of the glass shower door or window, spray the vinegar and water solution across the top of the glass.
Move down methodically in even rows until every part of the glass is wet.
Allow the solution to remain on the glass and work for at least 30 minutes.
Choose a cool day to work so the vinegar solution does not dry too quickly.
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Scrub and Wipe Away the Mineral Deposits
Using a soft-bristled brush or microfiber cloth, start at the top of the glass panel and wipe away the mineral deposits.
Work in a circular motion and rinse out your brush or cloth often. Use an old toothbrush to get into corners or around the edges of metal trim.
While vinegar is non-toxic, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and eye protection to avoid splatters to the eyes.
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Rinse and Dry
Once the hard water stains have been loosened and removed, rinse the glass with fresh water.
Starting at the top, use a good-quality squeegee to remove most of the water. Finish drying completely with a lint-free microfiber cloth.
Remove Difficult Stains with Vinegar and Baking Soda Paste
If the hard water stains have built up and vinegar alone did not remove the spots, add a baking soda scrub as a gentle abrasive. This paste works well on windows, shower doors, and water-spotted, cloudy drinking glasses.
- Spray the glass with vinegar: Use undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle and let it work for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix a baking soda paste: In a small bowl, mix one part of water with three parts of baking soda to create a thin paste.
- Apply the paste: Using a cloth or soft-bristled scrub brush, apply the paste onto the glass in a circular scrubbing motion. Use an old toothbrush for tight corners and small glass items.
- Let the paste dry and spray more vinegar: After the paste has dried slightly (about 10 minutes), spritz the glass again with undiluted vinegar.
- Rinse and dry the glass: When the foaming stops, rinse the glass with clean water and dry it with a squeegee or microfiber cloth.
How to Prevent Hard Water Stains From Building Up on Glass
- You can distinguish hard water stains from normal dirty spots if a commercial glass cleaner doesn't remove them easily. That's when you know you need to take additional cleaning measures.
- After each shower or when cleaning any type of glass, dry the glass completely to prevent hard water spots from forming.
- Use a diluted vinegar solution for weekly cleaning to keep deposits from building up.
- Move sprinklers away from windows to prevent hard water stain splatters.
- Apply water-repellent products to help water sheet off quickly from the glass window or door.
- If you know that hard water stains are a problem in your area, clean glass doors and windows more frequently to prevent excessive build-up and permanent etching. Once etching begins due to the abrasive nature of the minerals, there is no way to restore the glass to its original clarity.
How to Clean Shower Doors
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Vinegar. Harvard School of Public Health.
All Natural Vinegar for Cleaning. Winters Heritage House Museum & The Seibert Genealogy Research Library.