How to Clean Soap Scum from Glass Shower Doors

You may encounter difficulty when you try to remove soap scum from your glass shower doors, especially if the scum has built up over a long period of time. To thoroughly clean your doors, and keep them clean, follow these steps.

Step 1 - Clean Edges and Corners

The edges and corners are the hardest places for you to remove soap scum, so to do this, you'll need to fill a spray bottle with full-strength vinegar and slice a lemon in half. Spray vinegar around the edges of your glass shower doors. Then, take half of your lemon and rub it over the areas you've sprayed, concentrating on the corners.

The acid in the vinegar and lemon should melt any soap scum, but if the scum is stubborn, let the solution sit for half an hour, and it will loosen. Carefully take a razor blade or other scraping utensil and remove the loosened soap scum. Afterward, scrub the glass shower doors with a scouring pad and rinse them. If all of the soap scum did not come off, repeat the process. Most often, one treatment will remove it all.

Step 2 - Clean the Doors

Spray the entire door with vinegar this time, being sure you saturate the entire door well, especially at the top. The bottom will get a good soaking as the solution runs down. Next, using a dryer sheet, wipe down the entire area. Be sure your dryer sheet is not wet when you start. You may need a few sheets to completely clean the doors. If you notice some stubborn spots, use the other half of lemon to rub them clean. Then, rinse the doors thoroughly.

After cleaning, you can follow these next steps to cut down on future cleaning and prevent the buildup from forming again.

Step 3 - Protect Your Glass

To protect your glass shower doors and make them shine, rub lemon oil on them and rub with a dry rag. The lemon oil removes any leftover debris and also polishes them. Be sure to remove all of the oil. As an alternative, you can use spray furniture polish; however, it will not work as well as the lemon oil.

For a weekly cleaning, leave the spray bottle of vinegar in the shower to give it a quick coating. After showering, use a squeegee to clear away soap and moisture, and leave the doors open to circulate air into the shower. These two tasks should help keep your cleaning to a minimum.