If you’re a hotel building or cleaning manager, or a property manager, you know all too well that shower screens are sometimes neglected by the occupants. In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide that will run through the process of cleaning your shower and offer some tips to get a great finish. Especially for showers where the occupiers take little care to prevent damage.
1. Examine the glass
Firstly, examine the glass to see what the main issue is, there are different processes to clean different marks, determine if its soap residue, mineral build-up, scratches in the glass, or delamination occurring. Delamination is commonly referred to as glass cancer, where water makes its way between the 2 laminated pieces of glass resulting in a white mark, generally around the edge that can’t be removed.
2. Cleaning Soap Residue
For soap residue a good scrub is generally all that’s needed, combining a white scourer with a simple alkaline cleaner will quickly remove any soap residue from the glass, and an easy-to-make glass cleaner is a water and dishwashing liquid. Scrub the glass, rinse and dry with a squeegee or towel. A good tip is to offer your guests liquid soap instead of bar soap, this leaves fewer marks and is more environmentally friendly.
3. Cleaning Mineral Deposits
For mineral deposits, there are some simple steps that can be taken to remove deposits that haven’t yet etched the glass’s surface. If these steps don’t remove the marks you may need to contact a professional offering glass restoration service.
Mineral deposits can be removed using acidic cleaners, this should be kept to a minimum as prolonged exposure to acids weaken the surface of the glass and result in a more porous surface which will etch quicker. Consider getting the glass sealed to prevent further damage.
An acid mix diluted with water and a bit of dishwashing liquid should be allowed to soak on the area of concern for 5-10 minutes before being flushed with fresh water, repeat as necessary until the desired result is achieved. You can combine the acid with agitation for extra mineral removal power. Just be sure to check regularly, not allow the acid to dry, or sit on surrounding surfaces, especially marble or other natural stone.
If results are not to your standard, a professional glass restoration service can be contacted, generally, they will machine the glass back to new and offer to seal the glass to protect it into the future.
4. Scratches in the glass
Scratched glass can be an eyesore, and structurally weaken the glass, glass scratch removal is difficult and should be left to the experts with the appropriate safety gear and experience. However, some glass scratch repairs can be attempted if the scratch is not deep enough to catch your fingernail.
Polishing the glass using a liquid micro-abrasive cream can reduce the visual appearance of scratches. Use the polish with a damp microfiber or buff using a machine and foam pad. Most professional glass scratch removal experts can affordably remove scratches from your glass shower door for a fraction of the replacement price.
5. Protect the glass
Protecting your glass using a sealant like EnduroShield is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce cleaning, damage, and maintain the glass well into the future.
Glass is porous and minerals in the water will etch into the surface of the glass, many property owners are unaware of this and blame tenants for not cleaning the shower when in reality watermarks etching is unavoidable if the glass isn’t treated with a sealer. If you have cleaner your shower and want to maintain the appearance or just installed a new shower screen, sealing is recommended to get the longest life out of your glass, reduce cleaning times and remove the need to use harsh chemicals.
Conclusion
While having a clean glass that is generally overlooked, dirty, scratched, or etched glass draws attention, having clear, clean glass in your rental increases value and should be a goal of any property owner. If you want to reduce the need to clean or want to protect your glass consider sealing it.
