Here's how to make the best shower door cleaner EVER with Dawn and vinegar; a powerful combination to keep glass shower doors sparkling clean.
Update:I recently discovered that the Dawn vinegar solution also works to remove the greasy grime from oven doors. I'll share this amazing discovery at the end of this post!
Why shouldn't I use a traditional shower cleaner?
Using a store-bought shower cleaner often exposes you to harsh chemicals. Traditional cleaners will effectively clean your shower, but if you want to avoid harsh chemicals and intense odors, this homemade shower cleaner is a good option for you! It's much easier on the nose than many store-bought alternatives.
Can I save money by making my own shower cleaner?
Absolute! These two basic necessities are almost certainly already present in your home. By using this you avoid having to buy a new cleaner and can just use this one instead. SUPER simple and perfect if you need to quickly clean your shower.
What are shower doors made of?
Most shower doors are made of tempered glass, a special type of glass that is safer than regular glass if broken. In this post I only tested this solution on glass shower doors. I do not recommend it for other shower doors or for tile, stone or marble.
What causes white spots on shower doors?
Most white stains on shower doors are hard water stains, also known as soap scum. It's what's left behind on shower doors when hard water mixes with dirt, soap scum, and body oils. If the deposits build up over time, they harden and can be very difficult to clean. The most common place for soap scum to stick is on shower doors that are used regularly. The steam, water, soap, shampoo and other bath products eventually leave a cloudy film on the shower doors, which is very unappealing.
Which detergent works best for cleaning shower doors?
Dawn is the only dish soap I ever use for washing dishes and cleaning shower doors. Why? In a word ~ cool. Dawn is (as far as I know) the only dish soap that contains a special grease-fighting agent that virtually melts grease into oblivion.
What is the best vinegar for cleaning shower doors?
The vinegar at work in this dynamic Dawn & vinegar duo is regular white distilled vinegar. It's the cheapest vinegar you can buy, and it's also the best for this and other household cleaning jobs. Distilled white vinegar is the “workhorse” or all vinegar!
What tools should I use to clean my shower doors?
The tools I use to clean my shower doors with the Dawn & vinegar solution area microfiber cloth or a clean washclothto wipe the shower doors after spraying them with the solution, a good spray shower to rinse off the solution, and a squeegee (if I can find one) to wipe the shower doors.
Dawn & vinegar works better than store-bought cleaners.
I've tried countless cleaners specifically for bathrooms ~ from Rain-X to bubble scrubbing and more. I've never had a store-bought cleaning solution work better than this simple, inexpensive DIY Dawn vinegar solution.
What's so special about Dawn and vinegar?
- Dawn breaks down grease and dirt. Of all the dishwashing soaps you can buy, Dawn is the best at removing oils. In case of oil leakage, the best solution is to clean the birds' feathers without damaging the skin. The reason? Dawn contains petroleum. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works.
- Vinegar removes residue and adds shine. It is a natural wonder that can be used for so many purposes. My dermatologist Dr. Jo Herzog explains what it doesthis post about foot bath with Listerine vinegar.
How effective is vinegar as a cleaning agent?
Vinegar is extremely effective as a cleaning agent. Besides simply removing residue, vinegar is also quite effective at killing mold. Bleach does this too, but vinegar is a much safer alternative and is just as effective. Vinegar is a great solution for a mild shower.
Which Dawn should I use for the shower door cleaner?
If you would like an overview of the different Dawn detergent options, I will list them below. In my opinion, any Dawn, along with vinegar, will do a wonderful job of cleaning shower doors.
- OfNew and improved Dawn Ultra Bluecontains "3x more grease cleaning power." It is 3 times stronger than non-ultra Dawn (regular Dawn).
- 3X Dawn is 50% stronger than the 2X variants.
- Note that some other variants of theDawn Ultrastill says "2X grease cleaning power".
The Recipe for Dawn & Vinegar Shower Door Cleaner.
- Use equal parts Dawn + vinegar. You can also cut the Dawn if your mixture is too thick.
- Heat the solution in the microwave for 2 minutes (do not boil). Stir well and pour into the bottle when it is not too hot. This is the key to effective mixing/blending of the mixture.
- Pour the solution into a good spray bottle.These clear spray bottlescomes in a set of 3 and costs less than $20.
- Use a funnel for mess-free pouring. Collapsible funnelslike theseare ideal because they do not take up any drawer space.
Clean shower doors with Dawn + Vinegar.
- Spray the Dawn + Vinegar solution liberally on dry shower doors.Wet shower doors dilute the mixture. The solution also adheres better to dry shower doors than to wet ones.
- Let it sit for at least 2-3 minutes. I shower while the solution is on my shower doors, which takes about 5 minutes.
- Wipe the shower doors with a wet washcloth. When I want to wash the shower doors, I throw an extra washcloth in the shower. I leave it wet while I'm in the shower and it's ready to use when it's time to wipe the Dawn + Vinegar solution off the shower doors.
- Rinse the shower doors with warm water.My shower head is handheld, so I start at the top and rinse all the doors until they are crystal clear.
- Wipe the doors with a squeegee.This white Oxo scraperis something I love and keep it in the shower specifically for this purpose. If you don't wipe the doors with a squeegee, the doors will still be clean, but they won't dry as crystal clear.
Baking soda also works to clean shower doors.
Baking soda acts as an abrasive and, when combined with vinegar, can be very effective at dissolving many hard water stains and soap scum. If you want to try this method, simply saturate a sponge or cloth with vinegar and then coat it with baking soda. Use a little elbow grease to scrub until the suds disappear. Rinse with warm water to remove any remaining residue.
Watch how I use this to clean my shower doors.
In the short video below I mix a solution of Dawn & vinegar and show how quick and easy it is to clean shower doors. It really doesn't require any scrubbing; just a little elbow grease and a good shower head spray.
Remark:If you do this process while bathing, be prepared for a strong vinegar smell. This doesn't bother me at all since vinegar is natural and non-toxic.
Watch how I use Dawn & vinegar as an oven door cleaner.
I recently discovered that Dawn & Vinegar's shower door solution is extremely effective for cleaning oven doors. If you have an oven, you know how the doors get covered in "gunk" made from grease. See below how effective this solution is for removing the oven door.
Yield:4 cups
Preparation time:3 minutes
Active time:6 minutes
Total time:9 minutes
Here's how to make a Dawn Vinegar Shower Door Cleaner that works better than anything you buy at the store.
Materials
- Original (blue) Dawn
- white vinegar
- spray can
Tools
- wears
- Glass measuring cup with 8 cups
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of Dawn and 2 cups of vinegar into a glass bowl.
- Stir; heat in the microwave for 4 minutes; remove and stir again.
- Carefully pour the solution into the spray bottle using a funnel. *
- Shake well to mix the solution. Use on shower doors as needed.
To note
* Be careful not to burn yourself when the solution is hot.
**If Dawn is a thicker, commercial version, use 2 parts vinegar to one part Dawn to prevent it from becoming too thick.
What to do if your Dawn vinegar becomes thick.
If your Dawn vinegar solution becomes thick or difficult to squirt from the bottle, there is a simple solution. First, empty your bottle, which is too thick, and rinse the syringe well with water to flush the syringe. Second, mix a new solution according to different proportions, which I share in the short video below.
So there you have it ~ my favorite bathroom cleaning hack ~ Dawn + Vinegar shower door cleaner. I hope you try this; if so, please respond so the rest of us can hear your thoughts!!!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed and stay (shower door) smart!!!
