How to Clean Soap Scum from Glass Shower Doors

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

If you have glass doors in your shower, you’ve probably noticed that after a while, a white film tends to build up on the glass. This soap scum is caused by the mixture of animal fats in soap with some of the minerals in your shower water. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with this scum on your door! You can easily clean off the scum with a commercial cleaner or ordinary household products. Then, all you have to do is make a few simple lifestyle changes in order to keep the scum from building up again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Commercial or Homemade Cleaners

1
Clean soap scum with a commercial glass cleaner if you have it. Spray a little bit of the cleaner on a small area of your shower door, then wipe it off with a clean cloth. If this “test spray” works, repeat this process on the rest of the shower door to clean all the soap scum off of it.^{[1]
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- You can buy commercial glass cleaners like Windex or Glance at any grocery store that sells cleaning supplies.
- You can also try removing the soap scum with an all-purpose bathroom surface cleaner, although this isn’t as likely to be effective as a glass cleaner.
2
Opt for a damp magic cleaning eraser or dryer sheet for small jobs. Soak the magic cleaning eraser or dryer sheet in a small amount of clean water. Then, scrub the scummy area in a small, circular motion to clean it. This is the best option to take if there’s only a little bit of soap scum you have to clean.^{[2]
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- You can buy Magic Erasers and dryer sheets at any grocery store.
- Using a magic cleaning eraser is also the best method to use if you don’t want to put any chemicals or scented products on your shower door.
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3
Use a homemade cleaner made out of vinegar and dish soap. Bring a small pot of vinegar to a boil. Then, using a measuring cup, add equal parts of hot vinegar and dish soap to a spray bottle and mix the ingredients together. Spray this mixture onto the soap scum and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Finally, rinse the mixture off of the door while scrubbing it with a microfiber cloth.^{[3]
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- Be very careful when working with hot vinegar, as it will burn you if you get it on your skin.
- For best results, leave the mixture on your shower door overnight before rinsing it off.
- If there’s any scum that doesn’t come off when you scrub it with the microfiber cloth, switch to a stiff-bristled brush and scrub a bit more forcefully.
4
Mix vinegar and baking soda to clean stains as well as soap scum. Pour 1/2 cup (115 grams) of baking soda into a small bucket, then add about ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of white vinegar to the bucket. Use a spoon to stir these ingredients into a paste. Dip a clean sponge into the paste and wipe it on your shower door. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse the paste off the door while scrubbing it with a microfiber cloth.^{[4]
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- The paste that forms in the bucket should be about the consistency of pancake batter. You may need to add a bit more baking soda or a bit more vinegar to the mix in order to get it to this consistency.
- This is the best method to use if there are also hard water stains on your shower door that you want to get rid of.
5
Go with toilet bowl cleaner if that’s all you have. Although it’s not designed for cleaning glass shower doors, toilet bowl cleaner is occasionally effective at removing soap scum. Soak a sponge in hot water, then apply a small amount of toilet bowl cleaner to the sponge. Wipe the shower door with the sponge to clean off the soap scum, then rinse off the residue once you’re done.^{[5]
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- Be sure to keep your bathroom well ventilated when using toilet bowl cleaner. The odors from the cleaner can be pretty powerful, especially in a small room.
6
Use lemon juice and salt if the door frame is made of metal. This is the best cleaning method to use to also remove any rust on your door’s metal frame. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons (34 grams) of salt to form a cleaning paste. Use an old toothbrush to scrub this mixture into the door frame and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Finally, rinse it off with warm water.^{[6]
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- Make sure you apply this paste to the corners of your shower door’s frame, as this is where rust and soap scum are likely to build up and harder to clean otherwise.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing the Buildup of Soap Scum

1
Switch to body wash instead of bar soap in the shower. Soap scum is caused by the organic animal fat contained in bar soap. If you don’t like using synthetic body wash, you can also opt to use fat-free soap and shampoo instead of ordinary bar soap.^{[7]
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- You can buy body wash at any store that also sells bar soap. To buy fat-free bar soap, you may need to go to a health and beauty shop or a cosmetics store.
2
Dry the door with a squeegee after every shower you take. Keeping your shower door dry whenever you’re not actually in the shower is a great way to prevent the buildup of soap scum as well as mold. If you don’t have a squeegee, you can also use a clean towel to keep your door dry.^{[8]
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- Squeegees tend to be pretty cost-effective and you can usually buy them in the cleaning section of most grocery stores and mass retailers.
- This may seem like a chore to do in the short term, but it’s much easier to squeegee your shower door after you shower than it is to clean off soap scum that’s been building up for a long time.
- You should also open your bathroom windows or leave the fan running for at least 30 minutes after every shower. This will help dry out the bathroom and prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
3
Apply baby oil or white vinegar to the shower door. Put some baby oil or vinegar on a scouring brush, then scrub the oil or vinegar onto the entire surface of the door. Finally, rinse off the door with warm water. Repeat this process once a week to keep your shower door scum-free.^{[9]
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- The chemical compositions of baby oil and white vinegar both work to repel soap scum, making it much less likely to accumulate on your shower door.
- Be sure to rinse the door really well if you use baby oil, since it may cling a bit to the door.
- You can also use commercial glass-cleaning products, such as Rain-X, to prevent buildup.^{[10]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I get a film off of shower glass?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

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Follow the steps above, starting with using vinegar and dish soap, and adding in baking soda if needed.
Question

How can I clean scum off of a bathtub soap dish?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You can use the above steps on the soap dish, specifically using vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda. If the soap dish is removable, you could also just soak the dish in a homemade solution.
Question

How can I clean a plastic shower door?

Ampicilina

Community Answer

You can use Cif cream or make it yourself with baking soda, dish washing gel and water! Use it everywhere to clean your plastic shower door, toilet, sink and tiles.