"​Thanks for the tips. It's really very helpful. I came to know more about cleaning Shower. Thanks a lot. Keep sharing with us."  ​S.J.

Keeping showers and shower doors clean is not easy.  I'm not talking about soap scum clean, I'm talking about water spots and mineral deposits on the walls and doors clean.

You can head the problem off at the pass by wiping down the shower doors and walls after each shower.  In theory this is ideal, in practice I fail miserably.   You can use a squeegee or, like I do, I use the towel I just got dried with.   The towel option works for me because I use a clean towel every time I shower and I have a BIG piece of fabric to swing around.

Another option is to put a light coat of Old English Lemon Oil on the doors and walls after you have cleaned them.  The oil will create a barrier and the water/minerals won't stick to the glass.  After you have cleaned the shower make sure it is dry.  Apply the oil to a clean terry cloth rag and wipe everything down.  Using a second rag wipe off any excess.  Applying this weekly will go a long way to stopping the spotting and build up.  

I have also used a polymer solution that seals the glass for 6-8 months.  Just make sure the glass is CLEAN before applying.  When I say SEAL, I mean SEAL.  I have found this type product at janitorial supply stores.  This stuff needs to be used with caution, but it hasn't killed me yet so if you're brave go for it.  


If you are wondering whether you need to de-scale your shower walls or doors just rub your hand across the surface.  Feel rough?  Not silky smooth?  If you have cleaned them and there is still a film or water spots you're going to have to get out the big guns to get them clean.

We purchased a house where the lower 1/3 of the shower doors in the master bathroom were absolutely opaque; white with mineral build up.  I found a product called A-Maz that got them clean.  However, it took me six months to do it.  Each day I cleaned a small spot before I took my shower, but by the time I was finished the entire door was clean.  This products can be found on line and it does work, but it was a tough job.  

For the last few years I've cleaned glass shower doors with Phosphoric Acid.  The specific product I use I get at the Oreck store, it's "Porcelain, Tile & Grout Cleaner".  The bottle reads like you should be dressing for a nuclear attack, but if you use some common sense you should survive the ordeal.  Read the label, it may sound scary, but it really isn't.  I still have all my digits and I've not been blinded, but you still need to take some precautions when you do this job.

The tools I'll be using are listed in the "Tools and Products" section of my book The Lost Art of House Cleaning.  Basically, the scrubby, grit cloth, small detail brush and lots of white terry rags and a few microfiber rags to finish the job.  You'll also need the pitcher, if your shower head isn't detachable, for rinsing the glass as you clean.  

If you are able to remove your doors you'll be way ahead of the game.  My doors are on an overhead track so I can remove them and am able to stand one at a time in the shower to clean them. Put a few rags under the doors so you don't scratch/nick the floor of your tub/shower.  If you can take them outside that's even better yet.  I couldn't do that because it was 109 degrees that day and I was afraid the solution would dry on the doors before I could get them clean.  Hey, just another summer day here in the desert!

You'll also need a fan if you are using any of the products that recommend using in a well ventilated area.   I use a floor box fan that I run on high blowing into the area that I'm working, also turn on your bathroom exhaust fan, if you have one.  Again, this is a case of making sure you dress for the job.  Take off the jewelery because you're getting down and sweaty.  And make sure you wear your rattiest clothes.  I have some crocks that I wear in the shower, while scrubbing, that I remove when I step out of the shower so I'm not tracking cleaning solution through the house.  

The picture on the top Right is the gunk in the track after removing the doors.  The doors overlap and you are unable to clean this space without removing the doors.  To clean this space use kleenex or toilet paper and scoop out the gunk.  It's going to be hairy and slimy.  Flush it down the toilet and clean the space.  

The pricture beneath that is the shower door standing in the shower ready to be cleaned.  You may be able to see the hose of my shower on the right edge of the picture.  Great to have for this type of job.  Otherwise, use the pitcher.  Just make sure you wash it out good before you make that batch of Margaritas when the job is finished.

Even when you clean something like these shower doors follow The Path.  Move in one direction, whether you want to start at the top or the bottom, work in slices across the glass.  Finish a horizontal slice before moving to the next area.  And don't bit off more than you can do easily.  Typically, it has taken me 2-3 hours to clean really nasty doors.  If you follow my maintenance suggestions you should only have to do this once and then you can keep them looking nice without a lot of work.

Enjoy the Clean!

Jan, the Head Rag Dragger 


I removed both of my shower doors to descale. Stand one at a time in the shower to clean.

The gunk and slime where shower doors overlap that you can't get to unless you remove the doors. Ugh!


a clean house is a happy home!