How To Clean a Shower Enclosure?

What we’ll cover…

• Why frequent cleaning is important to prevent limescale and soap scum buildup
• The usage of water repellents to minimise hard water stains
• How to clean frames, hardware, and hard-to-reach areas
• Shower enclosure deep cleaning tips, with dedicated shower cleaners or vinegar solutions
• Advice for thorough shower enclosure drying following cleaning

Shower enclosure cleaning tips

Cleaning the shower enclosure isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, but unfortunately, it’s just one of those household tasks that needs to be done.

So, if you’re wondering what the best way is to clean a glass shower screen, then just follow our top tips and tricks, and you’ll have a sparkling clean shower enclosure in no time at all.

It really doesn’t take long to clean a shower screen or shower door, and it only needs doing once a week to prevent the build-up of grime, soap scum and limescale deposits. If this build-up isn’t removed from shower enclosure glass, then it could cause etching and permanent damage.

Cleaning shower glass panels on a regular basis reduces build-up, but won’t reverse etching, so the best way to prevent this from happening is to wipe down the glass after each use with a squeegee or microfibre cloth.

What are the best products for cleaning a shower enclosure?

Supermarket shelves are full of bathroom cleaning products, which provide a quick and easy way to clean the shower, sink and bath.

These types of products are also suitable for cleaning shower doors as they have been specially formulated for this task, and they ensure a gleaming result.

However, there is another more cost effective, convenient and eco-friendly way to clean your shower enclosure, and that’s with the products you may already have in your kitchen cupboard such as vinegar and baking soda.

How to clean a glass shower screen?

There are various ways to clean shower glass, here’s some of the best tips and tricks on how to clean your shower cubicle:

• For cleaning soap-scum and limescale deposits of shower glass try using the Magic Eraser sponge, or you could even re-purpose dryer sheets, just simply wet and scrub.
• A mixture of baking soda and water creates a super-effective and inexpensive cleaning product. The measurements will depend on how much you need. To get started use half a cup of baking soda, add water and mix to a thick paste. Use a non-abrasive sponge and scrub the shower glass with the paste and rinse the shower with vinegar.
• If you’re dealing with serious soap-scum, you can also use undiluted white vinegar that’s been heated to boiling. Soak a microfibre cloth or sponge in the vinegar and clean the shower glass. After a shower or two, the vinegar smell will disappear.
• If you really want to reduce the amount of soap-scum on your shower enclosure glass, simply avoid using bar soap, as it contains talc, which is what produces the build-up. Consider switching to liquid soap or shower gel instead or choose soap that doesn’t contain talc.
• Glass cleaner will help prevent deposits, as will a daily shower cleaner or distilled white vinegar.
• Water spots and grime will always be an issue, so regular cleaning is a must.

What are the best tools for cleaning shower glass?

Whether you’ve cleaned your shower enclosure with a shop-bought product or a homemade solution, the glass still requires a final rinse.

One of the main problems with this though, is that for those who live in a hard-water area, a rinse will leave limescale and water marks on the shower screen once it has dried. The best tool for preventing these unsightly water marks is a squeegee.

At Big Bathroom Shop, you’ll find a selection of shower squeegees. These are supplied with a hook for easy and convenient storage, and each one features a chrome finish and a stainless-steel construction.

Squeegees provide an effortless way to prevent streaks, water marks and limescale deposits on shower doors and shower screens. They can also be used in wet rooms to help move water towards the drain, ensuring the space dries faster, and are ideal for baths and tiles too.

Microfibre cloths are also great for cleaning shower glass. They help to prevent build-up on shower doors and allow you to get into those hard-to-reach areas such as underneath handles and tight corners. After use, wring the cloth out, leave to dry and wash at least once a week.

How do you clean shower door tracks?

So, now that you’ve cleaned the shower doors, the shower door track will need cleaning too. Shower door tracks easily collect soap-scum and grime, and large amount of limescale build-up from hard-water can make it difficult to slide the shower door open.

Cleaning the shower tracks isn’t just for deep cleaning days, Ideally you should be cleaning the shower door tracks as often as you clean the rest of the shower enclosure. Here’s the best way to clean shower door tracks.

• Apply white vinegar solutions into the shower door track.
• Leave the vinegar to work its magic for 3-5 minutes.
• Gently scrub away grime and soap-scum using an old toothbrush and hot water.
• Rinse away with clean water and wipe the area dry with a soft cloth.
• You may need to repeat a few times if the track hasn’t been cleaned in a while.

You can also use a steamer to clean shower door tracks.

• Use the steamer to loosen the dirt and grime.
• Wipe the residue away with a microfibre cloth.
• Repeat if necessary until clear of build-up.

All sliding and bi-fold shower doors at Big Bathroom Shop feature quick release wheels, which makes cleaning the tracks a whole lot easier. What’s more, the glass features an easy clean coating, which helps to repel limescale, dirt and grime.

How to prevent limescale buildup and keep shower glass clean?

After you have showered make sure your spray the glass with white distilled vinegar and then rinse with shower handle. If you do this after every wash, it will prevent any nasty build up.

So, there you have it – we hope this expert guide answers all your questions on how to clean a shower enclosure. By following our top cleaning tips and tricks, your shower enclosure will look like new for longer.

But if your shower door or cubicle is way past its best, then it may be time to replace it.

Take a look at our shower enclosure buying guide to help you choose the best one.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is an easy and inexpensive process to create your own effective shower cubicle cleaning solution. Simply mix baking soda together with water to make a thick paste.

The shower cubicle size will determine how much of the solution is required, but typically half a cup of baking soda will be enough.

After concocting the paste, use a non-abrasive sponge to apply it to the cubicle and scrub or wipe down the glass shower doors until they are clean. Once satisfied, you can rinse off the cubicle doors with fresh water and/or vinegar to leave the glass looking sparkling.

If you would like any inspiration surrounding the shower cubicle ideas for your home, explore our related blogs – 12 Wonderful Walk In Shower Ideas and our Shower Cubicle Buying Guide.

There are three relatively simple options to attempt to clean or unclog a shower drain.

Initially, remove any hair that might have got caught in the drain and pour boiling water down the drain.

If the problem persists, try applying a combination of vinegar and baking soda to clear out the plughole.

If all else fails, you can use a plunger, a chemical drain opener or a plumber’s snake to tackle the clogged drain.

You can make your own, ultra-effective shower enclosure cleaning solution inexpensively. Just mix together baking soda with water to form a thick paste.

How much you need to make will depend on the size of your shower space, but half a cup of baking soda should suffice as a starting point.

Then, dip a non-abrasive sponge into the solution and use it to scrub your glass shower doors clean. Once you’re satisfied the enclosure looks clean, you can use vinegar and/or fresh water to rinse the glass surface down.

Meanwhile, if you would like any inspiration surrounding the best shower enclosures to select for your bathroom, take a look at our Shower Enclosure Buying Guide.

Frameless shower screens, semi-frameless shower screens and walk-in shower panels are the types of shower enclosures and doors that will typically feature the easiest kind of glass to clean.

This is due to the fact that these types of shower surrounds tend to incorporate less chrome brackets or frames, so not as much grime, soap scum or other debris congregates on the surface over time.

The most effective solution for cleaning glass shower doors consists of a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda.

Firstly, you should spray the shower glass with water from the shower handset, before saturating the glass with white vinegar. Filling a spray bottle with white vinegar is the easiest means to do so.

Then, apply baking soda to a scrub sponge and get scrubbing! The vinegar will dissolve soap scum and debris, with the baking soda working as an abrasive simultaneously.

Once you are happy that the glass is crystal clear again, rinse around the shower enclosure using fresh water from your shower system.

John has a background in sports journalism, and lists content writing amongst his primary passions. He provides expert bathroom trends commentary and analysis, as well as offering meticulously researched answers to the most frequently asked bathroom posers.