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HELP! Clear Glass Shower Doors w/ hard water stains

kristinamaria
15 years ago

I have extremely hard water and have clear glass shower doors in my master bath. I can't get the hard water stains off to keep it clean. I have tried everything it seems...all those harsh, yucky, expensive chemicals...bar keepers friend,hydrogen peroxide. Someone mentioned vinegar...could that work? They look soooo horrid and I am so embarassed. Any suggestions would be great! thanks!

Comments (109)

  • Sammy Dolan
    7 years ago

    I agree with the above solutions, a vinegar solution made up of 50% distilled white vinegar and 50% tap water in a spray bottle should do the trick.

  • tranlily
    7 years ago

    OK - I've tried many different solutions, and this is what seems to work best for me. A 50/50 solution of Vinegar and Dawn dish soap + paint brush. Warm up the vinegar and pour into spray bottle, and then add the Dawn to a spray bottle. Warming the vinegar is only necessary when you mix the solution, it does not need to be warmed every time u clean the glass.

    I spray the glass and use the paint brush and brush the solution in a circular motion. Then I have to wipe it off with a towel. Sometimes I spray pure vinegar before or after wiping the dawn/vinegar off to remove the soap residue. Then I Windex it.

    I've had some luck with the Kaboom foaming spray as well, but I like the dawn/vinegar solution better as it seems less chemical-y.

  • Robyn Koszyk
    7 years ago

    TOOTHPASTE!!!! COMMON OLD TOOTHPASTE!! I still am in shock. Have tried everything over the past 10 years & today I read a comment about getting rid of old hard water stains with toothpaste. I thought that seeing it would be a cheap way of giving it a try, I would & it worked. I've only done a large patch so far & the glass is as clear as (lol) glass! I just put toothpaste on the glass, used an old soft toothbrush to rub it in, left a few minutes, & then wiped it all off with a wet rag. I haven't done this part yet, but the post said when glass is clean, to wipe down with white vinegar. I think it would be good to do the final wipe down with a chamois or similar. Oh wonder of wonders, I am still in shock that it works!

  • Robyn Koszyk
    7 years ago

    Ps .. I forgot to say, you need to do BOTH sides of the glass

  • magner69
    7 years ago

    My glass isn't bad but I gotta try this. Than you Robyn

  • Scott Klaverkamp
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    After reading most of the comments and trying many of the solutions I still couldn't remove the spots and scum. Here's what I ended up doing to completely remove the scum and spots. We have rural water and it is very hard on glass and fixtures. My shower doors are 6 yrs old and smooth glass. I took a flat razor blade and section by section I carefully scraped the shower side of the doors then followed up with 0000 steel wool. I then sprayed the glass with CLR and wiped clean. The spots are completely gone and glass is crystal clear. I' going to follow up with Rain-x or similar. This whole operation only took about 30 minutes.

  • PRO
    Diamon-Fusion International
    6 years ago

    Scott Klaverkamp,

    Great ingenuity and creativity on your part! And everyone on this post for that matter! It's no easy task to remove those unwanted stains from your shower doors, especially if they've been there longer than a year. However, the method you performed is a great way to remove such stains.

    Could I nevertheless suggest that next time you face the issue of hard water stains, soap scum or any damage to the glass that you contact DFI through this Houzz forum and we would gladly send you a sample of our glass restoration products that can cut your cleaning time from 30 min to 5 min. And not to worry... it will undoubtedly restore any glass to its original condition.

    Lastly - while Rain-X is a water-repellent formula that can help protect your glass, it is a solution that will only last for weeks/months and is primarily used for automotive purposes. The protective coating finishes that DFI offers are specifically built for residential surfaces (i.e. shower doors) and will help protect the glass for years to come.

    If there is anything that we can do to help, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. And if there are any other questions or concerns you may have, we would love to help out.

    The DFI Team

  • sars300
    6 years ago

    How do I find your glass restoration kit and protective products? I just stumbled on this forum through Google. Thx!

  • PRO
    Diamon-Fusion International
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Hello sars300,

    The website is www.shopdfi.com.

    If you do not know the exact solution to the problem you're facing I would be more than happy to provide any tips, suggestions or samples of our products. You could email me directly at mpeters@diamonfusion.com.

    Thanks!

    The DFI Team

  • littlestar16
    6 years ago

    Is HDX Cleaning Vinegar the same as high strength vinegar?

  • cmu08561
    6 years ago

    I think it must depend on what minerals are in your 'hard water". Whatever it is in our Geelong water certainly makes unsightly streaks on the shower walls and door. My friend told me to use a Clorax International Company product called "Gumption" and to scrub it on with a dish scourer - the green fibrous sort (sometimes found on the end of a dish sponge), then wash it off and dry with a cloth. I have found this to be the ONLY thing that worked for me. None of the other products including Fairy, vinegar with or without bi-carb soda, or any sort of bathroom cleaner was any good at all in removing any of the deposits.

  • PRO
    Diamon-Fusion International
    6 years ago

    @cmu08561

    Interesting approach/methodology you've used! Intriguing also because it seems like vinegar and water have been a proven way to remove such stains, but as you mentioned it also depends on the types of contaminants in your water, as well as limescale, soap scum and much more.

    While these methods are reliable and resourceful, they also might take longer in time to accomplish or formulate. I simply want to let you and everyone know in this Houzz thread, that DFI offers restoration and protection products that can keep your shower glass looking new for years to come - with proven success.

    We will gladly give everyone in this Houzz thread a 10% discount off any of our products at ShopDFI.com. Just email me at mpeters@diamonfusion.com and I will provide you with your own promo code.

    The DFI Team

  • Homebody
    6 years ago

    I have used many of these things n still am having a hard time getting these little round water spots that seem to just collect at the edge of the glass frame n also around the little round knobs inside the shower door. I'm at the point where I am thinking of taking my hubbys advice - clean the shower as best as u can n forget about it since we two r the only ones that see it (well actually just me lol)

    But this only works until next time when I go on a mission n "try" once again to tackle this annoying problem. But....... I DO believe eventually I Will find the solution!!


    i Do believe...



    yeah tight. Lol.

    :)

  • Homebody
    6 years ago

    Oh yeah but I just want to share my solution of those same water spots that form on the fiberglass surround walls. I found if I just spray it down with something like 409 n then take an old credit card n scrape the walls with it, spots r gone. Gotta use some muscles but it looks good.

    Didnt work as well on the glass doors..

    oh well, back to the drawing board. :)

  • Bonita Dodds
    6 years ago

    I use Iron out it really works!


  • PRO
    Ryan Olivieri, Inc.
    6 years ago

    I've seen quite a few shower enclosures permanently marked by hard water and I have a feeling it's the lime in the water that is eating craters in the glass.

  • Betty Bird Ordm
    6 years ago

    Steam clean with vinegar in tank anything that is left after that will come off with citric acid on a melamine sponge.

  • Shay Doerner
    6 years ago

    OMG! I just got a sample of DFI Glass Restore & tried it. I’m buying a bottle of this miracle stuff. I’ve tried for years to get the hard water stains off... nothing worked. Saw this mentioned in a post here & contacted the company and asked for a sample... they were great & went one out right away. Great customer service...

    Before & After (NO SCRUBBING)



  • magner69
    6 years ago

    Thanks to all but can’t use these products in a bath with marble tile

  • kingers897
    6 years ago

    Shay...I hate the before but love the after photo :)

    Where did you purchase this??

    I just recently moved to Ontario and the owners were to busy to never clean their showers I suppose :(...I have tried everything but seeing your photos I must try


  • Rockin Robyn
    6 years ago

    I’ve tried everything... I’ve lived all over Florida. In many cases the Bar Keepers Friend worked...but in some cases like in a rental home where the limescale was built up and so far gone the Bar Keepers Friend wasn’t working. In north Florida, I’ve tried it all, and today after reading this post I finally found something that worked! I’ve tried lemon juice, vinegar, Rainx shower cleaner, Weimans Glass cooktop, scrub Daddy, magic eraser, oven cleaner....all would not remove the limescale. I even used CLR and Lime away and they helped a little I could see they did the best job but still couldn’t get it perfectly clear. So-then I used the limeaway AND Bar Keepers Friend Friend while scrubbing with the scrub daddy...and FINALLY after trying everything over a year I got a CLEAR glass shower door. I also used CLR and the Bar Keepers Friend and the scrub daddy and again got clear results. I feel like I conquered Mt. Everest. I finally got success!!! So the trick is to use BOTH!!!!

  • Rockin Robyn
    6 years ago

    As in make a paste with both chemicals....I know i know you should never mix chemicals but I’ve been so obsessed with this and it drives me crazy looking at it everyday I didn’t care if I passed out I NEEDED IT CLEAR!!! So i made the CLR, Bar Keepers Friend paste and scrub daddy-it worked! Also to compare I used LimeAway and Bar Keepers Friend as a paste with a scrub daddy....again it worked exactly the same. To be fair, I used just the lime removers first and saw some results...but not 100% clear so I did a second round immediate cleaning of the limescale remover and Bar Keepers Friend mixed together into a paste with the scrub daddy and got 100% clear results.

  • Pat-Bob Banning
    5 years ago

    I just went online and tried to find "DFI Glass Restore" and could not find any such product. Where is this available?

  • ashleyusm
    5 years ago

    There is a link from a May 17th post.

  • Julie Clark
    5 years ago

    These are my shower doors before and after. I found the best solution just used vinegar and baking soda. I know they aren't glass doors but I wonder if the same process may work. If you want more details. visit my page at My Real Life At Home

  • winker58
    5 years ago

    Ashleyusm. It appears that this site sells it. I wonder if it is more commercially used and that is why it is not easy to find. I do not know anything about it other I came to this site and saw this post.


    https://www.shopdfi.com/product_p/rp60-r.htm

  • sherry5363
    5 years ago

    I just used Weimans extra strength stove top cleaner on a badly water stained shower door that a renter left. I cannot believe how quick and clear the glass door came out!! Like magic!!!

  • Bridgett Lopez
    5 years ago

    So FINALLY i can update this. We just moved into this home, the Shower Door was hazy. We tried Lemon Juice, Baking Soda, Vinegar, Hot Vinegar, razor blade, nothing worked. Finally I used BAR KEEPERS FRIEND and a LOT LOT LOT of ELBOW GREASE with a Blue Scotch Brite scrubber, it finally came off withOUT scratching the glass. I wasn't easy. I worked and worked and scrubbed it, then cleaned it off with Vinegar and dawn mixture and it is clear as crystal. Thank you to whoever suggested it.

  • slontine
    5 years ago

    Magic eraser and water. No fumes, or harsh chemicals.

  • pegkohl
    5 years ago
    Just to give feedback, I requested the sample from DiamonFusion International to try on my badly stained shower doors (mineral deposits). It worked great! I have ordered the remover. It is not cheap-4 ounces for $35.00. I also prepped the doors by scraping off as much of the hard water spots with a razor blade as I could before using the remover and this helped a lot.
    Thanks for all the suggestions. The product is not for fiberglass.
    Peggy
  • pizzamoon
    5 years ago

    As mentioned above, the magical combination of Dawn (Palmolive works too) and vinegar removes hard water deposits and soap scum. I think it has to do with the bit of ammonia in the dish soap and the acid in vinegar. Its truly magical.

  • PRO
    Jude Soub
    5 years ago

    Something my friend recommended, which strangely has worked after I tried, is to spray the glass with cold water before and after the shower... no idea why or how that works but it did for me. Obviously will not help eliminate your problem completely, but it will def. reduce the problem :) Hope that helps!

  • Daniel McGuirk
    5 years ago

    Do you remember walking into your bathroom and seeing hard water stains on glass all over the place? Trying to see through all of the hard water stains can be frustrating to say the least. Instead of feeling as if you are stuck, take control. Take control with the best water stain remover glass on the market.

  • djamerson80
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I tried Weimar Cooktop MAX on my shower doors and it works extremely well. With little effort, you can get 80% of the hard water off the glass. With some good ol’ elbow grease, it can be removed entirely! The photo I added shows the orginal situation, on the left is the finished product with very little effort (I used the amount of pressure you’d use to get an average reluctant smudge off a mirror). You can see that there is still some etching there but going back over it with a bit more determination, and it did in fact come off. Very pleased with the results for very little money spent.



  • Jessica F
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago


    I tried mixing Dawn detergent and vinegar and found that with a lot of scrubbing, maybe a little bit of the hard water stains came off.

    Next I tried DFI’s Glass Rescue

    and it absolutely did the trick! You can see before and after photos of my shower door. I made sure to include the shower door frame so you could see it was a picture taken through the glass! Otherwise it is hard to tell you are looking through glass in the second pic.



  • Jessica F
    5 years ago

    Sorry, before and after photos didn’t work properly!


  • Katty Vee
    5 years ago

    You can try a power scrubber kit, its a brush drill attachment,that will make the cleaning easier and more effective , I got mine from itsclean.co I recommend you to check it out, they offer free shipping


  • Debra Sindler
    4 years ago

    I read the first post in this Thread, went upstairs and gave it a try, just cleaned the area around the handle and WOW, instant brand new glass who would of thought Glass Cooktop Cleaner.....




  • HU-983447912
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Ok, this is a silly question I’m sure, but I always squeegee my shower glass and use a microfiber cloth to remove any remaining water marks. At various points, I’ll spray with vinegar and distilled water. My glass is always amazingly clear when looking from the outside and inside when not in use ....., until I‘m in the shower with the steam on. At that point, I see drips, some white marks, some wipe patterns from when I’ve rubbed with a cloth, and most likely squeegee marks.

    So if the shower looks amazingly clear when dry, but shows streaks, white dots, and drip marks when I’m in it with the shower steam, am I expecting too much? Should I just go with clear when dry is great and call it a day because I’m not sure if the general concern is looking at it dry or with steam on.

  • palmspringsgeneva
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I moved into a 58-year old apartment that was not properly cleaned by my landlord after having years of vacation tenants in it before me. This always happens to me! I am expected to leave my rentals spotless, and I do, but I resent the months of labor I have to invest to bring these places back. The shower door had nearly six decades’ worth of extremely hard water stains and soap scum on it. I bought the yellow brush set, which I used with my electric drill. I used a mixture of baking soda, salt and water to make a paste, after soaking the door first with a heavy spray of white vinegar. The door looked worse afterwards! :-{ White streaks and uneven areas of soap scum stared back at me every time I looked at it. Finally, I sprayed it with vinegar and scrubbed by hand with steel wool. It did not scratch the plastic. I rinsed it with a washcloth soaked in hot water and then dried it with with a clean cloth. IT WORKED! Next, I conditioned it with Avon’s Skin-So-Soft. WD-40 also works as a conditioner. Make sure to clean, rinse and dry as well as you can before using these conditioners and spray them evenly and thoroughly. Wipe off the excess with a clean cloth, working horizontally across the door. Any remaining scum will be removed with this last step. This is when the door will become crystalline instead of cloudy. Yay! If it worked on my slimy, sludgy door, I think it will work on yours! Good luck!

  • Danielle Tammone
    3 years ago

    Sandpaper worked for me! Automobile sandpaper. I started with 2000, then 3000, 5000, then polish with 7000. Just like new. And not that much elbow grease. And no harsh smells or chemicals

  • Susan
    3 years ago

    Used Meyer's Clean Day - Tub and Tile. Not only did it work well, it worked Easily. It's a liquid in the bottle and sprays out as a foam. Used a scrubber sponge to spread it out in circles. Really didn't need any elbow grease. Rinsed and dried with a towel. Was amazed at how clear my shower door was. It states near the bottom of the bottle: "Removes soap scum and hard water stains", but didn't really believe it because Meyer's has a reputation for gentleness. Had previously tried vinegar with disappointing results. But the Meyer's Clean Day worked like a charm.

  • cathy c
    3 years ago

    I tried every suggestion in this post and nothing worked for me. I live in New Hampshire and it makes sense stains will be different depending on where you live. Finally, I found the solution ...a pumice stone. There are several brands available online. I found this one in my local grocery and hardware store, and it's pretty inexpensive. Just use with water ..it didn't take a lot of muscle....just a little patience but it worked beautifully. I had gone so far as to get a quote for replacement shower doors and stumbled on this product just before I was ready to place the order. So glad I tried it because new doors were more than $800. Just wanted to share in case it helps someone else!


  • swidz
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I just tried the toilet bowl cleaner on half of my shower door and scrubbed it with a green scotch brite pad and it worked very well. Then I cleaned the other half with Mrs Meyers household cleaner..soaked the door then scrubbed it around lightly with the green pad..then coated the door again really good and let it sit for about 5 minutes and scrubbed with the green pad and it is spotless with no harsh chemicals and smells fabulous. I can only figure the oils in that cleaner cut through and loosen everything but I was pleasantly surprised that I don’t need chemicals and don‘t even need to wear gloves.

  • Belinda
    3 years ago

    no chemical required. only water.


  • mharrison77
    last year

    Glass cleaner and #0000 steel wool works

  • Rocco Liggieri
    8 months ago

    I know this is an old thread, but I have had zero luck. I have tried razors, steel wool, diamond magic, vinegar, bar keepers friend, Glass top cleaner, steam cleaner, clr, etc. Nothing will clean my stained doors. The doors feel completely smooth, yet the water staing is beyond repair it would seem.

  • S M
    8 months ago

    our shower glass installer instructed us to squeegee every shower, clean with Glass Plus weekly ( no ammonia) and if staining occurred to use a Magic Eraser

  • Debra Sindler
    8 months ago

    Brillo pads seem to work. Not .perfect but pretty .good then use rainex and of course sqeegee after each

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