clear glass shower screens

[0tterbot]

hello!

after two months in this house i've discovered the second reason clear glass
shower screens aren't very common - soap scum!! (the first reason they're
not very common is entirely obvious, of course).

is there some common household stuff (vinegar? metho?) or some sort of
method i could use to keep soap scum under control round the bottoms of the
doors? to date i've just been wiping it over, so a little bit stays behind
every time (it appears). i'm not prepared to buy commercial glass
anti-soap-scum cleaner unless there's literally no other way, because i know
for a fact i'll only ever use it intermittently (say, just before we move,
or something like that :-).

thanks in advance!
kylie

[Vox Humana]

"0tterbot" <spl@t.com> wrote in message
news:bhn3f.16733$U51.8377@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> hello!
>
> after two months in this house i've discovered the second reason clear
glass
> shower screens aren't very common - soap scum!! (the first reason they're
> not very common is entirely obvious, of course).
>
> is there some common household stuff (vinegar? metho?) or some sort of
> method i could use to keep soap scum under control round the bottoms of
the
> doors? to date i've just been wiping it over, so a little bit stays behind
> every time (it appears). i'm not prepared to buy commercial glass
> anti-soap-scum cleaner unless there's literally no other way, because i
know
> for a fact i'll only ever use it intermittently (say, just before we move,
> or something like that :-).
>

You can try using a steam cleaner or Bon Ami to do an initial cleaning or
the glass. For tile and vinyl/pvc shower pans, you can use a paste of
automatic dishwasher powder and a 3M scrubber sponge. After the initial
cleaning, it just takes a few seconds after each shower to keep it clean.

I have a hand-held shower, so when I am done with the shower, I use that to
rinse down the walls and glass. That eliminates all the soap. I also use a
daily shower mist to prevent spots and mildew. It only takes seconds to
rinse and mist and is far easier than scrubbing the shower periodically to
remove built-up soap scum. I was using a commercial shower mist, but now I
make my own. I use two cups of chlorine bleach, 1/2 cup of borax (20 Mule
Team) powder, and a couple tablespoons of dishwasher rinse agent in a gallon
jug. I fill the jug with hot water and shake to mix. This prevents both
mildew and the orange biofilm that would build up in the shower. I should
note that I have a water softener. I don't know if that makes any
difference.

[Choreboy]

Vox Humana wrote:
>
> I should
> note that I have a water softener. I don't know if that makes any
> difference.

Soap is sodium or potassium with a fatty acid. Soap scum is usually
calcium or magnesium with a fatty acid. Water softeners remove calcium
and magnesium. If there is no sodium or magnesium in your water, I
don't see how you could be getting soap scum.

My soap scum is hard to remove even with harsh shower cleaners. I've
found that scrubbing with a little baking soda or baking soda and salt,
on a cloth or with my bare hand, does the job most easily.

[Vox Humana]

"Choreboy" <choreboyREMOVE@localnet.com> wrote in message
news:434E8B77.9E9D4C09@localnet.com...
> Vox Humana wrote:
> >
> > I should
> > note that I have a water softener. I don't know if that makes any
> > difference.
>
> Soap is sodium or potassium with a fatty acid. Soap scum is usually
> calcium or magnesium with a fatty acid. Water softeners remove calcium
> and magnesium. If there is no sodium or magnesium in your water, I
> don't see how you could be getting soap scum.
>
> My soap scum is hard to remove even with harsh shower cleaners. I've
> found that scrubbing with a little baking soda or baking soda and salt,
> on a cloth or with my bare hand, does the job most easily.

I'm sure I don't get the build-up in the shower that people do with hard
water. Still, before the rinsing and misting, there was some sort of scum
that would form.

[Choreboy]

Vox Humana wrote:
>
> "Choreboy" <choreboyREMOVE@localnet.com> wrote in message
> news:434E8B77.9E9D4C09@localnet.com...
> > Vox Humana wrote:
> > >
> > > I should
> > > note that I have a water softener. I don't know if that makes any
> > > difference.
> >
> > Soap is sodium or potassium with a fatty acid. Soap scum is usually
> > calcium or magnesium with a fatty acid. Water softeners remove calcium
> > and magnesium. If there is no sodium or magnesium in your water, I
> > don't see how you could be getting soap scum.
> >
> > My soap scum is hard to remove even with harsh shower cleaners. I've
> > found that scrubbing with a little baking soda or baking soda and salt,
> > on a cloth or with my bare hand, does the job most easily.
>
> I'm sure I don't get the build-up in the shower that people do with hard
> water. Still, before the rinsing and misting, there was some sort of scum
> that would form.

The definition of soap scum is an insoluble deposit formed when minerals
in the water react with soap. Normally, the mineral is calcium or
magnesium. It can be iron.

Maybe your water softener doesn't remove 100% of the calcium and
magnesium. My water comes from a reservoir. It wouldn't be considered
hard, but there's enough mineral content to make soap scum.

I wonder how much variation there is from household to household. My
soap scum reminds me of wax that hasn't been polished. It causes water
to bead but doesn't feel slick like a clean shower wall. As it
accumulates it becomes visible. I tried commercial products and home
remedies. Nothing worked very well. I discovered that baking soda
works very well, but I've never seen it recommended. If others haven't
recommended baking soda, maybe their soap scum is different.

[Vox Humana]

"Choreboy" <choreboyREMOVE@localnet.com> wrote in message
news:434ECED6.19864438@localnet.com...
> Vox Humana wrote:
> >
> > "Choreboy" <choreboyREMOVE@localnet.com> wrote in message
> > news:434E8B77.9E9D4C09@localnet.com...
> > > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I should
> > > > note that I have a water softener. I don't know if that makes any
> > > > difference.
> > >
> > > Soap is sodium or potassium with a fatty acid. Soap scum is usually
> > > calcium or magnesium with a fatty acid. Water softeners remove
calcium
> > > and magnesium. If there is no sodium or magnesium in your water, I
> > > don't see how you could be getting soap scum.
> > >
> > > My soap scum is hard to remove even with harsh shower cleaners. I've
> > > found that scrubbing with a little baking soda or baking soda and
salt,
> > > on a cloth or with my bare hand, does the job most easily.
> >
> > I'm sure I don't get the build-up in the shower that people do with hard
> > water. Still, before the rinsing and misting, there was some sort of
scum
> > that would form.
>
> The definition of soap scum is an insoluble deposit formed when minerals
> in the water react with soap. Normally, the mineral is calcium or
> magnesium. It can be iron.
>
> Maybe your water softener doesn't remove 100% of the calcium and
> magnesium. My water comes from a reservoir. It wouldn't be considered
> hard, but there's enough mineral content to make soap scum.
>
> I wonder how much variation there is from household to household. My
> soap scum reminds me of wax that hasn't been polished. It causes water
> to bead but doesn't feel slick like a clean shower wall. As it
> accumulates it becomes visible. I tried commercial products and home
> remedies. Nothing worked very well. I discovered that baking soda
> works very well, but I've never seen it recommended. If others haven't
> recommended baking soda, maybe their soap scum is different.

I would say that your description of a waxy build-up is what I was getting.
There have been a couple of times that the softener stopped working properly
due to salt bridges, a clogged ventrui, and a problem with the float in the
brine tank. Maybe it was enough to cause problems. My biggest issue has
been an orange biofilm. After reading some recommendations here, I got some
borax and added that to the shower mist. So far, so good. It seem to have
eliminated the film.

[Muvin Gruvin]

have used an Oreck steam cleaner on the shower doors, Kaboom, Spot
X.....all of these did little to correct the problem.
As a result.....hung a vinyl shower curtain on a tension rod just
inside of the doors....least they are cheap and can be replaced easily.

[Bonnie Jean]

> > "0tterbot" <spl@t.com> wrote in message
> news:bhn3f.16733$U51.8377@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>> hello!
>>
>> after two months in this house i've discovered the second reason clear
> glass
>> shower screens aren't very common - soap scum!!

try a Mr. Clean Eraser