There’s nothing more frustrating than a cloudy shower screen. You spend your afternoon scrubbing away at the glass to remove all traces (leaving unsightly scratches behind), but then the very next day, the stains are back again – getting worse by the shower.
As hard water droplets dry and evaporate from the glass, they leave behind minerals (aka limescale), which is what creates those cloudy marks. They’re difficult to remove, especially considering they’re on such a fragile surface, and unless you take the time to wipe out the shower with each use, they’re difficult to keep on top of.
But there is a solution for cloudy shower screens, and odds are it’s in your kitchen. Here’s how you can put a stop to this shower stain.
How to clean a cloudy shower screen
Before you spritz your solution, you need to clear the existing cloudy stains. The fix for this is simple. You just need to mix a bottle of one part white distilled vinegar to nine parts water. Vinegar is acidic, which will break down the minerals found in limescale.
Just open a window for ventilation, then spray liberally across the watermarks. Depending on the stubbornness of the scale, you might want to let it sit for a few minutes before you attempt to clean.
For light stains, a microfibre cloth designed for glass might be all you need. But for more intense limescale, you might need the rough side of a non-scratch sponge or even an electric cleaning brush with a microfibre brush attachment (one designed for glass). Work your way from top to bottom, scrubbing in a circular motion. Do not scrub vigorously but be consistent until the marks come away. You might need repeat applications of the vinegar to work your water through the layers of limescale.
Rinse once limescale is removed to clear any final traces of vinegar and use a squeegee to clear the remaining droplets (otherwise, you’ll be back to square one!).
How to stop a cloudy shower screen
If you want to put a stop to cloudy shower screens, the solution is something you’ll likely find under the kitchen sink – it’s rinse aid!
Rinse aid works by lowering the surface tension of the water, allowing it to ‘rinse away’ more easily. In terms of your dishwasher, it means the water drains away at the end of the cycle, so there’s no water left behind on the plates or glassware – your drinking glasses would be as cloudy as your shower if it weren’t for this.
Rinse aid works well on glass in the dishwasher, so it stands to reason that it will be just as effective on the shower glass. So, your solution is as simple as this: as soon as your shower screen is clean and dry, simply combine 3tbsp rinse aid with 750ml warm water in an empty spray bottle and shake well.
While wearing gloves, apply one spritz at a time, buffing it in well with a microfibre cloth. Don’t apply too much at once – you want to be generous but over-application can leave a sticky film and greasy marks behind, so work your way over the screen gradually but thoroughly. Keep buffing until the glass looks clear.
Focus your efforts on the areas that are closest to the water supply and work your way from top to bottom. By the time you’re finished, there will be a protective barrier on the shower screen. Be sure to wipe and rinse away any rinse aid that’s dripped down onto the floor – this makes it slippery.
The next time you shower, you’ll notice the areas where you’ve applied the rinse aid won’t steam up, and won’t require wiping afterwards. You’ll need to reapply and buff the solution every few days to a week, depending on how much steam and splash it’s exposed to, as these will gradually rinse it away. But this will help the glass stay limescale-free and works well for preventing cloudiness.
If you want the protective barrier to last, ventilate your bathroom while you’re in the shower by opening windows or turning on the extractor fan. Try to avoid splashing the glass, too.
Other tips to prevent limescale in the shower
- Wipe out the remainder of the shower with a squeegee and towel – if you notice droplets on the glass, it needs drying and the rinse aid needs reapplying.
- A water softener will help to remove the minerals from your water that cause limescale in the first place.
- Keep showers short, sweet and in succession to limit steam exposure.
