5 ways to bring back the beauty of your discoloured glass shower doors

Is your shower glass discoloured? Does it look cloudy and grungy? 

Over time, your shower glass can fall victim to mineral deposits (often called limescale), soap scum, and other contaminants that build up on the glass, leaving an unsightly film on the surface. This build up not only compromises the appearance of your shower and bathroom, but also hinders the flow of natural light, making your bathroom feel dull and not clean. 

1st Choice Fix have the perfect solution to shower glass restoration, to restore your glass shower door and panels to their former glory.

Using state-of-the-art techniques and specially formulated products, we can effectively remove the toughest stains, hard water spots, and grime, unveiling a crystal-clear surface.

SHOWER GLASS RESTORATION BY 1ST CHOICE FIX

However, if you want to attempt a glass restoration yourself, below are some guidelines that may help you, but as we often mention on our website with our surface restoration, more than often, we have to respond to people who try to DIY and get it wrong. They then call us to remedy the issue. It can be costly to fix a repair gone wrong. It’s much simpler to call the experts in the first place.

There is lots of different types of damage that can affect shower glass and not all can be removed. Older showers using laminated glass can get what’s commonly referred to a “glass cancer” this is when water, minerals and soaps get between the two pieces of glass laminated together. This will not be able to be repaired or cleaned off and replacement is the only option.

Water spots on the surface, cloudy patterns when water hits more regularly are more likely to be removed and the following tips for cleaning shower glass will breakdown the methods to renew shower screens in your home.

Removing the soap scum is always your first step, soap scum sits on top of the glass and is generally white in colour, a good alkaline cleaner will dissolve away the oils and other ingredients in soap and leave you with visibly cleaner glass. Dishwashing liquid is a great cheap alkaline cleaner that will remove most of the soap scum quickly when combined with a white scourer. Once this is done you will only be left with mineral etching which the next step will address.

One of the best tips for cleaning shower glass is cleaning with vinegar. Vinegar has a low Ph of 2-3 making it acidic. This is a great cheap option for the average shower as the acidic vinegar can dissolve the minerals off the glass. Be sure to protect your tiles from vinegar using a towel as marble and other natural stones are highly sensitive to acids.

Start with 25% vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid mixed with water in a spray bottle. Spray this over the shower screen and let soak for 5-10 minutes, while still wet use an abrasive but non-scratch pad like a white scourer to rub over the glass.

You can repeat with 50% & 100% vinegar if the result is poor. Some glass may be too far gone for vinegar alone.

Polishing shower glass is the most aggressive method to restore the glass. It will require some tools like a drill or grinder with a firm foam pad attached. It is generally best left to professionals like 1st Choice Fix who are experienced in glass restoration.

You will need to get a backing plate to fit your drill or grinder so you can attach a foam polishing pad. For a pad, any medium to hard density foam pad will give good results. Next use a store-bought water spot remover cream with a light abrasive feel. Polish the glass while wet on a low – medium speed checking the temperature of the glass regularly, move quickly to reduce heat. Bicarb soda and vinegar can be a good alternative as a polishing liquid, as well as cerium oxide.

If water spots are still present, we recommend that you contact a professional glass restoration expert, to determine if the screen is repairable in the first instance. Most glass shower panels under 10 years old should be able to be repaired using the above techniques.

Once your glass is restored, protection is key. If you followed the above steps, you have just exposed fresh glass to the water and soaps that caused the damage in the first place, regular exposure will create deeper and deeper etching and sealing the glass is a must to extend the life of your shower glass. 

1st Choice Fix has over 10 years’ experience in glass restoration and protection. We offer affordable prices and free quotes for  glass restoration and EnduroShield Professional application.

Ask us online about sealing your shower glass.  Not only will it protect the restored glass, but applying the sealer to the surface of the glass will cut down on cleaning and eliminate the need for harsh chemicals and scrubbing.