How to get Hard Water stains off shower glass door?

[Cathyb]

We have a see-thru glass shower and have faithfully used that Tilex after showers. However we now notice 'hard water stains' that have no feel when you rub your hand over the area.

Yesterday we put Lime-Away on some of the area -- no evidence of improvement . Any ideas on what we can buy to remove this 'yuck' and not harm the glass surface?

TIA

 

[Passepartout]

I just used CLR to remove calcium hard water build-up from where it dries on our brick and aggregate walks outside. It bubbles and seems to take the stuff off pretty well. I've seen it at home centers. Wear rubber gloves and you may want to use an old 3-M scrubber pad.

To keep your glass shower clean, squeegee it after you shower. It just takes a few seconds. After 10 years, ours still looks like new.

Jim Ricks

 

[pittle]

Spot-X

There is a fine powder called Spot-X that works wonders. I first bought it on the internet when we moved into a house that the shower doors looked awful. It came with a very fine non-scratch scrubbing pad, but cost much more than the same product that I found at Lowes without the scrubbing pad. The bottle is yellow with a red cap and bright blue label.

Once you get it clean, buy a good squeegee and teach everyone that uses the shower to squeegee off all the water after a shower. You will be amazed how much better your doors will look and how long they stay spot-free.

 

[Phydeaux]

CLR, then sqweegy after every use.

 

[Rose Pink]

We have a see-thru glass shower and have faithfully used that Tilex after showers. However we now notice 'hard water stains' that have no feel when you rub your hand over the area.

Yesterday we put Lime-Away on some of the area -- no evidence of improvement . Any ideas on what we can buy to remove this 'yuck' and not harm the glass surface?

TIA

Had the same problem with windows that were spotted by the sprinklers. Nothing, nothing worked. I tried all the products and nothing worked. Sometimes I think it is the glass that has altered and is not something on the glass. I've also had drinking glasses that cloud up over time. Nothing gets the stuff "off" them. I googled it and read about a condition called "sick glass." It is actually a change in the glass itself and therefore will not come off.

I hope this is not your problem and that you can find something that will work.

 

[pjrose]

There was a long thread about this a few years ago:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82888&highlight=glass

I had that problem on my windows; supposedly during a heavy rain if the rain came through the screen, it took metal (?) from the screen and that, over the years, etched the glass. However I got it off with this incredible stuff that I believe was called Zap .....it came in a plastic canister with pre-satured wipes....but I think it was discontinued.

If your doors are one-way mirrored, don't put anything on the coated side. (I don't know if that's the inside or outside )

 

[Dori]

I think my shower doors have sick glass. I have tried everything and they never look any better. I think the problem is the glass itself, but because it is a 3-part slider, the cost is horrendous to replace the doors.

Dori

 

[Don]

Try Magic Eraser. It works on ours, but ours may not be as bad as you describe yours to be.

 

[Cathyb]

Thank you all for your ideas!

We have a see-thru glass shower and have faithfully used that Tilex after showers. However we now notice 'hard water stains' that have no feel when you rub your hand over the area.

Yesterday we put Lime-Away on some of the area -- no evidence of improvement . Any ideas on what we can buy to remove this 'yuck' and not harm the glass surface?

TIA

Thanks so much! I've got my 'cleaning product' list from here and the other post recommended -- As someone once said ' I'll be back' when I find the product that does the job. You Tuggers are terrific

 

[pedro47]

There was a long thread about this a few years ago:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82888&highlight=glass

I had that problem on my windows; supposedly during a heavy rain if the rain came through the screen, it took metal (?) from the screen and that, over the years, etched the glass. However I got it off with this incredible stuff that I believe was called Zap .....it came in a plastic canister with pre-satured wipes....but I think it was discontinued.

If your doors are one-way mirrored, don't put anything on the coated side. (I don't know if that's the inside or outside )

Is Zap the product use to remove wall paper?

 

[pjrose]

Is Zap the product use to remove wall paper?

No, it was specifically to clean hard-to-clean glass. I can't find it online anymore. It came in a cannister like the shopping-cart wipes at stores. My guess is that it had very strong chemicals that were not allowable (?). I'm not sure it was called Zap - maybe ZZap, or something like that.

 

[RonB]

Lime Away
Spot-X Hard Water Spot and Stain Remover
Bar Keepers Friend

I have not tried any of these, but they may help ~ Ron

 

[Rose Pink]

You can also try scraping with a razor blade to see if anything comes off. Be careful not to scratch the glass.

 

[Kal]

I have been using a product I purchased from a company that sells window glass. It's worked very well but recently my wife purchased a product at an automobile parts store to clean the finish on her car. It is called Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit. It removes "environmental contaminants, fallout, brake dust, tree sap and more that have bonded to the paint finish".

It really does the job. She used it on the windshield and the results were fantastic.

Give it a look!

 

[pjrose]

I have been using a product I purchased from a company that sells window glass. It's worked very well but recently my wife purchased a product at an automobile parts store to clean the finish on her car. It is called Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit. It removes "environmental contaminants, fallout, brake dust, tree sap and more that have bonded to the paint finish".

It really does the job. She used it on the windshield and the results were fantastic.

Give it a look!

This is a great idea. Someone recently recommended it to me to restore the finish of dull weathered paint. His truck had a beautifully shiny finish, though he said it was awful when he first bought it before he used the "clay". Meguiar's products are excellent.

 

[MuranoJo]

We live in a hard-water area and our lower windows would occasionally get hit by the sprinklers. Shower Power worked for me, and it's marketed as a shower cleaner product.

However, we have the same problem with the glass shower door. It's tough to train people to squeegie after every shower when they're in a hurry. Heck, it's tough to get DH to remember to turn on the vent fan before getting into the shower.

 

[Cathyb]

Lime-away--didn't work fo us

Lime Away
Spot-X Hard Water Spot and Stain Remover
Bar Keepers Friend

I have not tried any of these, but they may help ~ Ron

Lime-away failed -- boohoo. Applied three different applications over an hour. That was the first stuff we tried. Also just bought Magic Eraser and no luck. Will keep trying the other suggestions. Thank you all!

 

[vckempson]

If it is truly hard water calcium, then Muriatic acid will take it right off. That's the definitive solution for calcium deposits. It's very caustic stuff, so use gloves and pore a little bit outside into big plastic cup. It is an acid after all. If will foam up like crazy as it disolves the calcium. Protect the surrounding area with plastic, open your windows and have some water to dilute and rinse. You can get it at Sears Hardware, or Home Depot. If that doesn't take it off, then it's not calcium build up from hard water.

If the glass is oxidized, I saw this stuff on TV that's made to clean auto headlights. It restores/repairs the oxidation so it's clear again. I have no first hand experience with it, but just saw it on TV yesterday. Here's a link to check it out.

http://www.asseenontvus.com/fast-brite/

Good Luck!

 

[Kal]

Muriatic acid is a pretty strong acid as it will eat concrete AND any metallic trim around the glass window. IMHO, I wouldn't use it as you could easily end up with a much bigger problem.