How To Clean Water Spots Off Glass

How to clean shower screen glass and remove watermarks

Our tips on the best way to clean shower glass

Blog

Tuesday 26th May 2020

Water marks are caused when hard water – water that is high in minerals such as lime, calcium and silica – dries and leaves deposits on bathroom surfaces such as porcelain and glass. If you have a shower enclosure or shower screen, you'll know the tell-tale signs of watermarks all too well: those droplet shaped marks that blight the glass and appear after every shower. It can be extremely difficult to remove watermarks and limescale from glass shower doors, and without proper cleaning, they'll return all too quickly.

How to remove limescale and watermarks from glass shower doors

There are several steps you can take to remove water marks from glass. As always, we believe strongly in the cleaning power of white vinegar. It's the best way we've found to remove watermarks and limescale from glass. We recommend having a bottle or two stored away for removing annoying problems; make sure it's white distilled vinegar as malt or cider vinegar won't clean as thoroughly, and coloured vinegars can stain your surfaces.

Method

Mix equal parts water and white vinegar together
Clean out a spray bottle thoroughly and add the mixture
Spray the affected area with the mixture, making sure that it's completely covered
Use a cotton cloth to completely wipe the area. If any stubborn stains won't come off, pour the mixture onto a cloth and scrub
Squeegee the area and then buff with a microfibre cloth
If water marks still show up or stubborn marks persist, then turn to a more aggressive specialist water stain remover
Put on protective gloves, open all windows and doors and turn on the extractor fan (if you have one) before spraying
Follow instructions on the bottle carefully and don't leave on the surface longer than recommended
Repeat steps 4 and 5

How to prevent watermarks and limescale

There are certain steps you can take on a regular basis to ensure watermarks and limescale don't reappear on your glass shower doors after all your hard work.

Buy a shower squeegee

These can be picked up from most supermarkets or hardware stores. You can even buy some that attach to the wall of your shower so that they're always on hand. Every time you shower, scrape all the moisture off the glass of your enclosure or screen to stop the droplet shaped watermarks appearing in the first place.

Buy a water softener

This is a slightly more expensive method that you should only look into if you're having regular serious issues with hard water. Hard water can cause damage to pipes, appliances and even your hair and skin so if you live in an area with chronic hard water, it's worth investigating buying a machine that will soften the water as it enters your home.