How do you remove soap scum off shower doors?
And keep it from coming back?
Soap scum is a problem for most showers.
But fortunately, it’s not too terrible to remedy if you catch it early
And if you use a common automotive product it’s even simpler to prevent it from happening again.
Shower Door Cleaning Supplies
Here are the supplies that you’ll need for this quick project
- Baking Soda
- White Vinegar
- Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge (6 pack)
- 10-inch Window Scrubber
- 12-inch Window Squeegee
- Rain-X 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner Plus Rain Repellent
- Spoon and Small Container (I bet you have these)
- Paper Towels
You’ll be able to use these items for other projects like cleaning your home and car windows.
The cleaning takes about 29 minutes but 15 of it is letting the baking soda & vinegar sit on the shower door glass.
So let’s dive in.
How to Safely Remove Soap Scum from Glass Shower Doors
Baking soda and vinegar are the two main ingredients.
Vinegar is really acetic acid and this is why it’s such a thorough cleaning solution.
The acidity helps cut through dirt and grime.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
When you combine vinegar and baking soda they form carbonic acid.
Carbonic acid is unstable and immediately decomposes into carbon dioxide and water.
The fizzing you see when baking soda and vinegar are combined comes from the carbon dioxide, NOT the carbonic acid.
The CO2 is safe and this is why a baking soda/vinegar cleaning solution is a family-friendly household cleaner.
After the CO2 fizzes off you’ll have a dilute solution of water and sodium acetate.
Which still has some abrasiveness to remove soap scup.
Enough chemistry, let’s get to cleaning your shower doors!
Using Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean Shower Doors
Here’s the complete video of how to clean soap scum off shower doors.
But I also include a step-by-step process with detailed instructions below it.
When you’re done viewing the video scroll down this page for additional info that you shouldn’t miss.
Place about 1/2 cup of baking soda in a plastic container and pour enough white vinegar on it to form a pasty mixture.
Use a spoon to mix the baking soda and vinegar.
You’ll immediately see fizzing. But again, this is just the CO2.
Once the fizzing stops take the Scotch Brite sponge and scoop up some of the paste.
Wipe the paste on the shower door glass.
Yes, the paste will get all over the shower floor. But it’s easy to clean up.
I let the paste sit on the shower doors for 10-15 minutes.
Use a window scrubber and water to thoroughly clean off the paste mixture.
Then dry the shower doors with the window squeegee and a paper towel.
Check to make sure the soap scum is completely gone.
I was super excited when I didn’t see any hard water stains or soap scup left on my shower doors.
Prevent Soap Scum from Coming Back
As you can see cleaning soap scum off your shower doors isn’t that bad but who wants to do this all the time.
I’d rather be playing catch or bicycling with my daughters.
I use Rain-X on my car windows to help water bead off during rain storms.
The protective film that Rain-X provides can be utilized in your shower, too.
This is what will prevent the soap scum and other deposits from sticking to the shower door glass.
Spray the Rain-X onto the shower glass and wipe it off with a paper towel or microfiber cloth.
I like to use Rain-X once per week to clean the shower doors. That along with Wet and Forget Shower makes cleaning a breeze.
This easy task helps stop the hazy film that makes your shower doors look so bad.
And it takes all of 3 minutes. I’ve got 3 minutes to spare for this!
What’s Next
Hopefully these tips help you with your shower doors.
If you’re looking for more cleaning tutorials in the bathroom these will come in handy
The Best Way to Clean Grout – EVER!!
How to Clean Stinky Sink Drains
Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.
Cheers,
Jeff