Getting Rid of Soap Scum and White Film on Glass Shower Door/Enclosure

My mom uses vinegar for everything. We even toss it in the bottom of the dishwasher for every load. I would try it..

I use an amazing product I buy online - no toxic chemicals. Magic Eraser were a nice idea but they have formaldehyde in them :(

Kaboom works very well & so does CLR. We live in the country & our water has alot of lime deposits in it. I was told the lime deposits is what leaves the "white gunk" all over the glass shower door. In our 1st house, I just cleaned with Kaboom or CLR. Our 2nd house, I bought a squeegie & we clean the glass after each shower. Sounds painful but its not bad, it takes a whole 30 seconds to clean the glass. The squeegie only costs a few bucks & we hang it up in the showers. However, buying the cleaners once a month costs way more plus, you have to use your elbow grease! Good luck!

I JUST DID THIS - even re-caulked! For the tub/shower enclosure, I use comet powder and water. It makes things shiny and does not scratch.

To do the silicone - remember: wet silicone will not adhere to dry silicone. So you have to use a razor blade to scrape out all the old silicone, every last bit. Nothing will dissolve silicone or remove it other than a blade. Then I use comet and a blue scrub pad to scrub it all clean. Then I bleach it all and rinse. Dry for at least 24 hours. Then re-silicone.

For the shower doors, I second the magic erasers - the best.

I second the vinegar and baking soda. I am pregnant and use these together to clean EVERYTHING in my house. For bathrooms - I will spray vinegar on whatever needs to be cleaned and if it needs to soak leave it be for a while and then wet a rag with vinegar and sprinkle a bunch of baking soda and go to town. Then I willl clean it all up and when my husband gets home I ask him to wipe over all the cleaned surfaces with a Lysol disinfecting wipe to make sure that it is actually cleaned and disinfected
Sometimes it takes a bit of elbow grease but vinegar and baking soda tackles most of any jobs
Good Luck

The easiest and most effective method is using Magic Erasers. They take soap scum off fairly easily. It is much less work if you use them regularly.

You don't sound too excited about your husband's family coming to visit. Hopefully, you will all have a nice time together.

I also recommend the Mr Clean Magic Erasers - they work great for glass shower doors!

I use a combo of baking soda and a drop of dishwashing (like Dawn) soap mixed with water on a blue non-scratch pad. It makes a sort of pasty wet stuff. It works on glass, tiles, etc. Yes, it takes some elbow-grease and scrubbing. But it rinses well and leaves a clean shiny surface without scratching.

Much of the white film is calcium build-up because of hard water. The soap scum also makes it difficult to get it off.

An inexpensive and less toxic way is to use vinegar...... spray it on, and wipe it off... you may have to do that a few times.

soap scum? lemon juice.

as to the sleeping accommodations? Sorry - i would get an extended stay for them. I don't know what your budget is - but really - adding 4 people to (what I am assuming is a cramped house?) not cool - tempers WILL flare and it CAN and WILL get ugly. ESPECIALLY after long flights...

The re-caulking would have to be done after the cleaning. You do NOT want water getting behind the caulk. It takes hours (I think 24) to set properly. You can go to Home Depot and they have free classes on how to do things like that.

If you can't do an efficiency for them - then ask your friends if they have extra beds you can borrow....and switch the living arrangements around for a while...for example - in my house - we have a sofa bed in the family room and a guest bedroom - so in reality we could have 4 people over without a problem. However, if people need more "space" - both my boys have bunk beds - Greg has one with the full size futon couch/bed at the bottom and Nicky has a bunk bed as well - they have doubled up in the past....is this something you could manage in your home?

GOOD LUCK!!

By chemicals, do you mean you don't want to use any grocery store soap scum products? That's what I use, and they work. Usually I use three -- one for mildew, one for soap scum, and one for lime and water stains. Kaboom seems to work. Anything with bleach.

Vinegar works well for most things if you want to stay natural.

Magic erasers for the bathroom work great! They only cost about 3.00.

I read the other day a dryer sheet works. Found it on pinterest.

My step mom swears by using shampoo on the shower and door once a week to keep soap scum away and then using white vinegar and baking soda to keep it spotless. The shampoo is to wash away soap scum in your hair so why not?? We had a decorator once that said that peroxide can clean anything so I have used Hydrogen peroxide as well as white vinegar to clean things without chemicals. I also saw on a show once to use peroxide and baking soda. Start testing the things now! Good luck on the visit, yikes.
see if you can borrow or purchase an air mattress for them to sleep on in that room. I would not want them on the floor. Air mattresses are not much and are comfy.

I'm not reading any prior responses so sorry if this is a repeat...while you are in the shower, pour some shampoo on your hands and rub it all over the glass, everything will come off...you can also use a sponge or brush if you don't want to use your hands. I always use a backbrush I don't use on my back. =) Good luck!!!

Hi SH~

Well... I would think baking soda and vinegar would work, but that's just a guess since I do use it for cleaning in general. However, we use a squeege after almost every shower so we don't get much of a soap build up on the shower doors and tile surround. Here's a link that says why you should use one: http://www.cleret.com/bathshower.html So... if you do get it cleaned again, your family might want to start using one.

Good luck with your company!

I do this but it is a lot of sweat equity.

Use marine boat polish, let it dry and buff it. It works wonders, the buffing is he$$.

The end result is much like when you have RainX on your car, the water just beads.

I do NOT do this often, maybe once a year. Our house rule is squeegee and dry the glass when you get out of the shower. That helps a LOT as well.

I admire you... 3 days is my limit with any guest but then I am not in Hawaii.... I am in the Dallas area.

there is a product from melaluca called tub & tile, it works amazing!!!! The bottle is inly $5 and it makes 4 bottles.

I am a clean freak. The minute my shower doors show signs of any soap scum, I am on it fast. I spray tub & tile then use a magic erase as a back up. I am not sure you can purchase melaluca products if you are not a member. If you need me to ship you a bottle, I will. Sounds stressful, best wishes

Also Target just had portable mattresses on clearance for 50% off. How would they feel about a tent, lol.

I saw this "recipe" on Pinterest. I haven't tried it yet but will be soon. Lemon oil and or Orange Glol for furniture works pretty well, and acts as a repellant. I would use a nylon scrubbie (old shower puff) if your surfaces scratch easily. After you remove all of the old caulk, spray it down and scrub it really well with a good surface disinfectant, rinse it really well and let it dry for at least 24 hours before recaulking. Be sure to use a 100% silicon caulk. It is stinky but it works the best. (I just re caulked our bathroom in August)

Tub and Shower Magic

About This Recipe
"This came from an Everyday Cheapskate e-mail and it is truly magic as the title states. I just tried it and it got the soap scum off my glass shower door with hardly any scrubbing. It was amazing as I have tried to clean that door with various products. It is so easy, too. Try it and you will be sold. Be careful because a little bit goes a long way. You need a 24 oz squirt bottle for this."
Ingredients
o 12 ounces white vinegar
o 12 ounces liquid, blue dawn detergent
Directions
1. Heat vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into squirt bottle.
2. Add the Dawn soap. Put the lid on and gently shake to incorporate.
3. You now have a powerful cleaning product that will melt soap scum and tub and shower buildup, clean sinks, appliances and just about anything. Just spray it on, scrub, rinse and be amazed. For tough soap scum build-up, spray the mixture on and allow it to sit as long as overnight. Then, scrub and rinse.

I can sympathize...My husbands niece and her family (6) from England are coming for two weeks in April. My husband is refinishing all the woodwork and doors in the house. I can't even really start my deep cleaning until that chore is completed because with the dust, I would get to do it all again and probably at the last minute. I'm hoping to do some pre cooking and put it in the freezer. It will be challenging as they have intollerances to cheese, a staple in our house. It should be fun and we will make the best of it. My husband has only ever met his niece once when she was a child but she sounds like a lovely lady and hard worker. I imagine that she will pitch in where help is needed. She has already told her children that they will eat what is put in front of them with no complaints. Keep a smile on your face and if you need help don't be afraid to ask for it either from your husband, his sister or your kids. Even setting the table can be a big help. Also, try to keep to your normal routine with your kids.

Hugs to you and remember you are helping your children make memories.

OIL SOAP! :))))))
use it full strength using a rag or sponge, you will be so pleasantly surprised how little scrubbing you will have to do (virtually none).
Enjoy your visitors.

I totally understand! Now, take a deep breath. I will be O-KAY!
Your mantra for that amount of time will be just that: breathe & it will
be okay.
It does not have to be a museum or model home caliber house.
Just do some cleaning.
And yes, we have that same shower issue so you got some great advice on here (that I will be taking to clean MY shower).
When family comes here, we have to shift everyone about. Just make do

I say:
clean as best you can
buy the blow up mattresses (we always sleep on those 2 hubby's family's
house & they are fine). You can get some cheap ones @ Wal-Mart,
Target etc.
Make sure you have enough blankets (can get cheap ones @ Ross)
Buy a few staples for them to eat: bread, lunch meats, chips, crackers,
cheese, breakfast rolls, cookies, you can make your normal dinners
Have hubby clean the shower. And if he won't, you just take the advice
here & it will be just fine even it it's not brand new looking
Pick up around the house. The kid clutter is fine. It's not a showroom.
You live there.
It will be fine!

It doesn't matter if they know they are sleeping on the floor. They will be
glad to be w/family & not have to pay for lodging.

Hang in there. Hang tight. Hang loose. :) And treat yourself to a little
inexpensive bauble (like a $10 silver braclelt). That way when you wear
it you'll remind yourself that everything is A-ok. Maybe 2 silver charms:
(one will be the letter "A" & the other a letter "O" then a letter "K" for
a-okay!!!!!!!
Smile. Watch the comedy channel to make you laugh, eat some chocolate, a magaziine you normally don't buy yourself, this will soon be over,

If you switch from the soap to Shaklee's Hand Wash, you will never have scum. You can put it in the soap dispenser. Shaklee's Scour Off paste will remove the scum. A jar lasts me about 2 years. I use it for other things since I don' have scum. Both products are safe and non toxic, plus they are concentrated so you save lots of money. Best of all--less housework!
Let me know if you are interested.

For the white residue: http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do

For you: MANY cups of your strong black coffee and many well wishes (and maybe a rockin' song or two). Good luck! Many hugs!