Shower doors are usually one of the most neglected parts of the house when it comes to spring cleaning. Technically, we do clean the shower door whenever we shower right? Right?

Unfortunately, that is not the case. Long-term neglect of proper cleaning of the glass shower doors will lead to hard water stains and soap spots building up that are really tough to remove.

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What are hard water stains?

First off, what are those hard water stains I am talking about? Before that, you first need to know what hard water is. Hard water are essentially water that contains higher than usual mineral content such as calcium and magnesium.

When this hard water evaporates, it will leave the minerals, forming a grimy stain on the surface. They are most commonly found on glass shower doors, tiles, and even metal surfaces.

Hard water stains are known by many names – limescale, mineral buildup, mineral residue, calcium deposits, but they are essentially the same thing. They are a buildup of excess minerals present in hard water

How do you identify hard water stains?

If calcium deposits build-up, you will notice that the hard water stains appear to be spotty, chalky, and white on the surface.

If you notice brown or reddish spots, they are the result of irons left behind after the water evaporates.

If the minerals are combined with soap residue, they will appear lumpy and soapy.

Once you let hard water stains build up, they are very tough to remove, and normal scrubbing does not get the stains out.

Problems caused by hard water

Technically, hard water is not harmful to humans. Breathing in an environment in hard water will not cause any sorts of health risks to humans. Regardless, they will a lot of problems if they are left to accumulate on the shower glass door.

Difficult cleaning

Definitely, you will face a lot of resistance if you do not regularly clean off the hard water stains. The hard water stains will get harder to remove as you keep them unattended. Normal cleaning chemicals will no longer get the stains out easily as they become more stubborn.

Permanent damage to glass surface

In worst-case scenarios, the mineral deposits may penetrate the glass surface due to chemical reactions. This may cause permanent damage to the glass door, and the hard water stains can no longer be removed, despite all efforts.

Bad combination with soap scrum

Hard water will prevent soap from dissolving completely. The soap will interact with the minerals in the water, forming an oily and slimy bump that will stick to the shower door, making it looks dirty and unclean.

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How to remove hard water stains?

Hard water stains are notoriously hard to remove. Normal cleaning chemicals do not have much effect and elbow grease does not seem to cut it.

Fret not, here are 3 simple ways that can help remove most of the hard water stains on the surface.

It is best recommended that you clean the hard water stains on the shower door on a regular basis to avoid the stain penetrating the surface.

Using Dryer Sheets

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• Dryer Sheets
• Wet Cloth
• Windex

Steps:

1. Use dryer sheets to scrub against the shower door
2. After scrubbing, use a wet cloth to remove the residue
3. Repeat step 1 until satisfied
4. Use Windex to keep the shower door sparkling clean

Inspiration from thriftyandchic

Using Vinegar + Dawn

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• 1 Cup of Vinegar
• 1 Cup of Dawn
• Sponge
• Windex

Steps:

1. Heat up the vinegar in the microwave until boil
2. Mix the vinegar and dawn in a spray bottle and keep to cool
3. Spray the mixture on the shower door and let it sit for a couple of hours
4. Use a sponge to rub against the shower door. Most of the stains should come right off
5. Use Windex to keep the shower door sparkling clean

Inspiration from thepinjunkie

Using CLR + Magic Erasers

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• CLR (Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover)
• Magic Erasers
• Windex

Steps:

1. Dip the magic erasers in CLR
2. Rub the shower doors with the magic erasers
3. Wipe off the CLR solution with a clean cloth
4. Use Windex to keep the shower door sparkling clean

Inspiration from lamidpros