How To Clean Up After Your Kids Smudge Your Glass Shower Doors

Clear glass shower doors are a great way to make your bathroom seem more spacious and let more light in while you get clean. But if you have kids, you may despair of ever seeing smudge-free doors again. Most children just love to put hand prints on the glass and draw in the steam, leaving smears and unwanted patterns behind. This is particularly problematic in areas that have hard water, as the positively-charged mineral ions mix with negatively-charged soap molecules to leave a sludgy mess.

Here are three ways to keep your glass shower doors clean and free of hand prints, drawings and other smudges.

1. Teach your kids to have fun with the squeegee.

Using a squeegee on the glass shower door is a good way to clear away water droplets and drawings that will linger, but it has to be done every time you shower to be effective. Fortunately, most kids find the squeegee to be fun. Teach them to use the squeegee before it's time to get out; they may not be able to reach all the way up the door, but they should be able to clear away any mess that they make.

2. Try a household trick to remove soap scum.

There are multiple ways that enterprising housekeepers have figured out to keep the shower doors clean. Try a few before deciding what works best—your shower usage and the quality of water in your home will dictate the winner. Some possibilities include:

  • A dryer sheet. Take a fresh, new dryer sheet and wipe down the inside of the doors while they are dry. Get it a little damp before you start for best results.
  • Pine cleaner. Use a household pine cleaner on the inside of the door. Wipe with a sponge and dry with a clean rag or old t-shirt.
  • White vinegar. Heat it until it's warm and then apply with a scrubbing sponge.
  • Rain repellent. The same product you use to keep your windshield from fogging can protect your shower door. Spray on and follow the directions on the package for how long to leave it before gently wiping.

3. Harness the power of lemons.

Lemon juice or lemon oil will work in almost every situation, so it's not as dependent on the quality of your water. Use an actual lemon, sliced in half and dipped in salt, to scrub the glass. Or try a product sold for polishing furniture that contains real lemon oil. The acid from the lemon can cut through the soap scum and gently polish the glass.

Some shower doors are easier to clean than others. Talk to a shower door installation expert like Glasshopper Schor Glass about frameless doors and other options that can be cleaned quickly.

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