Hard Water Marks on Shower Doors

[Unique User]

My glass shower doors have hard water marks that I can't remove despite trying multiple products, scrubbing, etc.  I saw multiple products on Amazon with good reviews, but I'm suspicious they are paid reviews.  Does anyone have first hand experience with a product that will remove old hard water stains? 

[lthenderson]

We just use regular old CLR about once a year. We use a squeegee to remove the water from the doors after every shower and that prevents the hard water stains from showing up as often.

[iluvzbeach]

We’ve used this linked product below and found it to work really well. It has no odor and is easy to use. We also purchase very soft scrubbing pads to go with it.

A-MAZ Water Stain Remover - 3... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045ZG316?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[zolotiyeruki]

My wife swears by vinegar and baking soda, and it seems to work.

Our local water is super hard (13.3 gpg), so several years ago we installed a water softener.  Definitely worth the money.

[familyandfarming]

The best concoction I've come across is to make a paste of salt, baking soda and Dawn dish soap. Add a some water to make it less stiff. Apply it like a paste on the shower doors and let it sit for an hour. Some recipes call for Epsom Salts. I just used table salt as it was around.

Now, get in the shower like you're taking a shower and use a wet rag and wipe off the paste. Rinse well with water. Finish taking your shower. Everything and everybody is clean!

[Bird In Hand]

Plain white vinegar at 5% acidity works really well for us 90% of the time.  CLR works fine too.  For more stubborn mineral deposits I just use ever-increasingly strong solution of citric acid.  The only thing I haven't solved with that is some of the mineral stains that form in the toilet.  Iron and manganese, I think.

[better late]

Comet Bathroom Spray - the one that says “for hard water” on the label. Good news is it’s less expensive than many cleaners, bad news is it’s sold out/very hard to find right now (at least near me)
Otherwise I am using LCR by lemishine that is a lesser product or plain white vinegar by the 5 gallon jug at Costco.
Careful with some of the stronger cleaners for hard water. they can really take the finish off the metal coating on shower stall doors. Ask me how I know.

[Morning Glory]

They will take the enamel off your cast iron tub too.

I have shower doors and I hate them. It was much better to have curtains. If I redo the bathroom those doors are going.

[Dicey]

Hahaha, we had this problem and the interwebs gave us the 50% Dawn + 50% Vinegar + Heat formula. Mix, heat, spray, let soak, then rinse. Problem is it's waaaaaaay too much Dawn. Total pain in the ass to rinse off. I would try it again with about a 10% Dawn to 90% vinegar ratio, 20/80 at most. The purpose of the Dawn is partly to cut through greasy residue, but mostly to hold the vinegar in place long eough to work its magic. Pretty sure less Dawn will result in less cussing, too.

[Bradfurd]

Just got done trying EVERYTHING to remove hard water on the windows of a new building I was in charge of...the sprinkler system ran all summer and we didn't know we had hard water. Nothing worked except a product called OneRestore Restoration Detergent...I believe it's available through window cleaning supply houses.

However, the window cleaning company that did the work used heavy gloves and rinsed it immediately and carefully. I think it's a muriatic acid solution and could certainly cause damage if used haphazardly.

[lthenderson]

I have shower doors and I hate them. It was much better to have curtains. If I redo the bathroom those doors are going.

Curtains still get hard water residue built up on them but are impossible to clean so you end up throwing them away and buying new all the time. That is why we went to the class door which takes about five minutes to clean with a sponge and some CLR. We've been much happier since. Glass doors also provide the illusion of making your bathroom feel bigger... at least when they aren't streaked in hard water stains.

[Morning Glory]

I have shower doors and I hate them. It was much better to have curtains. If I redo the bathroom those doors are going.

Curtains still get hard water residue built up on them but are impossible to clean so you end up throwing them away and buying new all the time. That is why we went to the class door which takes about five minutes to clean with a sponge and some CLR. We've been much happier since. Glass doors also provide the illusion of making your bathroom feel bigger... at least when they aren't streaked in hard water stains.

I suppose doors are more eco friendly. I used to save the old curtain liners to use as drop cloths when I paint. What do you do about the rust at the bottom of the door though?

[Unique User]

Thanks everyone!  We’ve tried some, but not all. I think the reason for the problem is that previous owners never cleaned anything. I’ll try these options.

[BudgetSlasher]

My wife swears by vinegar and baking soda, and it seems to work.

Our local water is super hard (13.3 gpg), so several years ago we installed a water softener.  Definitely worth the money.

I second this.

Hard water can be weird for skin and hair, but the big thing for really hard water is fouling up the workings of appliance valves and water heater elements. 

[lthenderson]

My wife swears by vinegar and baking soda, and it seems to work.

Our local water is super hard (13.3 gpg), so several years ago we installed a water softener.  Definitely worth the money.

I second this.

Hard water can be weird for skin and hair, but the big thing for really hard water is fouling up the workings of appliance valves and water heater elements.

But also be aware of the drawbacks. If you are used to really hard water, a shower in soft water ends with you feeling like you have a thin film of slime on you for awhile until you get used to the feeling. Also be careful of the amount of soap you use in things like the washing machine or dishwasher initially. Soft water creates a lot more suds than hard water.