Soap scum or water marks on your shower glass?
Look at the glass while it's dry. A greasy, cloudy film that smears when you rub it is soap scum: soap and body oils stuck to the screen. Hard white spots and rings that don't smear are minerals left behind by the water.
They need different things, so start by working out which one you've got. Most screens have some of both, and soap scum comes off first.
Some glass has a factory coating to help water run off. If you have the care guide for your screen, check what it says before using anything except soapy water.
How to clean shower glass without scratching it
Get the air moving
Turn on the exhaust fan or open a window before you start, and leave it running until you're done.
Wet the glass
Run warm water over the screen, or wipe it down with a wet cloth, so dry grit doesn't scratch it.
Wash off the soap scum
Use a soft cloth or a non-scratch sponge with warm water and a little dishwashing liquid. Work in small circles from the top down, then rinse.
Treat the white marks
Dilute white vinegar in water in a bowl and try it first on a hidden spot low in a corner. Soak a cloth, hold it on the marks for a few minutes, then wipe. Keep vinegar off natural stone.
Do the tracks and seals
A soft old toothbrush and a damp cloth will reach the bottom track and the rubber seals. Wet them first, because dry brushing mould flicks spores into the air.
Rinse and squeegee
Rinse everything from the top down, then pull a squeegee across the glass and dry the edges with a microfibre cloth.
Vinegar on shower glass: keep bleach right away
Never mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners. Bleach reacts with any cleaning product containing ammonia or an acid, including vinegar and many glass and toilet bowl cleaners, and the gases can cause burning eyes and light-headedness. If a mould spray has been used in the shower, don't follow it with vinegar. Read the label on anything you use, and keep the room well ventilated.
How to stop build-up on a shower screen
Squeegee the glass after each shower. It's the habit that makes the biggest difference, because water that's wiped off can't leave minerals or feed soap film.
Run the exhaust fan or open a window while you shower, so the room dries faster. Mould needs moisture, and it starts in the seals.
Black mould marks in the shower silicone
Small patches of mould on seals can be cleaned with mild detergent or vinegar diluted in water. If the black has grown into the silicone itself, cleaning usually won't lift it. Replacing the silicone is a repair, not a clean, so in a rental, tell your agent.
If large areas of mould keep growing back, consult a mould remediation professional. Pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease shouldn't remove mould or be nearby when it's removed.
Shower glass and your entry condition report
Queensland's RTA says dirt, grime and grease aren't fair wear and tear, and soap scum is grime. Check your entry condition report, then plan to leave the screen as it started. Our end of lease checklist has the rest of the bathroom, and fair wear and tear explains what you can leave.
Shower cleaning: your jobs and a cleaner's
Worth doing yourself
- Regular wash with dishwashing liquid.
- Vinegar on fresh water marks.
- Squeegeeing after each shower.
- Cleaning the tracks with a toothbrush.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Years of soap scum and mineral build-up.
- Shower screens, tiles and grout all done together in a deep or end of lease clean.
- A bathroom with glass that's stopped responding to what you've tried.
Why we'd start gentle on shower glass
Start with the weakest thing that works. Warm water and dishwashing liquid will shift more than you'd think, and vinegar on a soaked cloth handles most water marks. Leave steel wool and scouring powder under the sink, because scratches never come out. Then buy a squeegee and leave it in the shower. It'll save you doing this again.