How to Clean Shower Glass

Glass shower screens can really add a touch of modern good looks to your bathroom – not to mention eliminate that daily battle with a wet clingy shower curtain! But so often our shower glass ends up looking cloudy and dull. So what causes this unsightly grime? And how can you get your shower screens spotless and sparkling clean again – and keep it that way?

Why do you need to clean glass shower screens?

The reason glass shower screens become stained and cloudy is because soap scum and mineral deposits (often called limescale) build up on the glass, forming a whitish filmy or chalky layer in patches across the surface. And the driving factor behind both of these deposits is hard water.

Hard water describes water that contains a high concentration of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. When water dries on its own (evaporates), these minerals get left behind, forming those hard water or limescale deposits that create a cloudy appearance on the glass. Hard water also prevents soap from dissolving completely, with the soap bonding to the minerals in the water to form a film that sticks to the shower screen – that’s your soap scum.

Initially, soap scum and hard water deposits are mostly just an eyesore in your bathroom. But left unchecked, they can continue to build-up and harden, making their removal more difficult, and even growing mould and mildew. What’s worse is that the combination of minerals and soap scum can damage the surface of the glass with pitting and etching.

How to clean a shower screen with common household products

You only need to wander down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket to realise how many products are out there for cleaning your shower. But did you know that you can take care of your shower screen with a few common household products?

Mild acids such as lemon juice and white vinegar can be used to help get rid of soap scum and hard water deposits that aren’t too thick or hard
Baking soda mixed into a paste or on a sponge can be used to tackle tougher spots

How to clean a shower screen so it is spotless

So now you know what causes the build-up, the next question is how to clean shower screen limescale and soap scum? When you’re looking for a streak-free shine to replace your cloudy shower screen, here are some other tricks you can try to clean hard water deposits and soap scum.

Try using a physical abrasive to remove some of the build-up before using a cleaning product. Examples of physical abrasives are cleaning pastes containing fine abrasives and very fine grade steel wool. While these are generally designed to minimise the risk of scratching the glass, it’s important to always test these on a small out-of-the-way section of glass first. You can also consider using dryer sheets or fabric softener directly on the glass shower screen to help get rid of tough patches of soap scum or limescale. To achieve that spotless, streak-free shine, always dry and wipe down your shower screens immediately after rinsing them off with water.

How often to clean shower glass – and when

Cleaning your shower screens regularly can go a long way to maintaining a clear, sparkling and spot-free finish. By giving the glass a quick wipe down and drying it off every day, with a more thorough full-shower wipe down once a week, you should be able to go a few weeks or so between deep cleans where you scrub out your entire shower. To make it easier on your cleaning muscles, clean your shower glass right after someone has taken a shower. The warm, steamy water will loosen any build-up, helping it wipe away with less effort.

To make it easier on your cleaning muscles, clean your shower glass right after someone has taken a shower. The warm, steamy water will loosen any build-up, helping it wipe away with less effort.

Quick tips to keep a shower screen clean

The best way to deal with the annoying build-up of soap scum and limescale is to prevent it from happening in the first place!

Take a few minutes each time you use your shower to wipe down the glass with a cleaning spray to remove any soap residue and then dry the glass immediately to prevent water stains from developing – a cheap hand-held squeegee is a great tool to do this quickly and easily
Consider applying a water repellent to your glass shower screens to make it more difficult for soap scum or water deposits to form at all
Try switching out bar soap for liquid soap, which is less likely to form soap scum on your shower screens

And when you need a bit of extra cleaning power on your shower screen – not to mention the added protection of an anti-bacterial disinfectant to protect you and your family – reach for Dettol Healthy Clean Bathroom Spray. It easily penetrates and dissolves tough soap scum plus kills 99.9% of germs to leave your shower glass clean and hygienic.

So that’s the lowdown on how to clean glass shower screens! To make sure the rest of your bathroom matches your shiny shower screen, read Dettol’s tips for keeping your toilet and other bathroom surfaces hygienically clean and fresh and explore Dettol’s full range of household cleaning products.

Always read the label. Follow the directions for use.

RB-M-43403

First published:

15th November 2021

Last updated:

11th August 2023