Have you ever noticed how white stains accumulate on the shower glass door, shower head, and bathroom tiles? These stubborn stains are from hard water and are more challenging to remove than other shower stains. Yet, they aren’t impossible to clean, and knowing how to remove hard water stains from shower walls leaves the shower stain-free and sparkling.
Hard water deposits and rust stains are common in sinks and showers. They are the result of excess minerals in the water. Over time, they leave unsightly stains on grout, tile, glass, and other materials.
You may notice that regular cleaning doesn’t remove hard water spots from the shower wall and glass doors. The stains are difficult to clean because dish soap or detergent isn’t enough to break up the water stains. Fortunately, white vinegar, baking soda, and other hard water stain remover solutions clean grime off fiberglass shower walls and doors when simple cleaners do not.
Cleaning Hard Water Stains on Shower Walls
No one wants to spend time scrubbing shower walls to clean hard water stains. Discover easy ways to get hard water spots off shower doors and walls without all the fuss, and spend more time relaxing.
What Causes Water Stains in the Shower?
When removing water stains from shower walls, you may wonder what causes those stubborn stains in the first place. Why are hard water spots hard to remove, and where did they come from?
Water that contains high levels of iron, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals is hard, leaving traces of those minerals as they dry. The dried minerals leave a white and sometimes crusty material we call a water stain.
How to Get Hard Water Stains off Shower Walls
White vinegar is perfect for removing water stains from shower walls and glass shower doors. It’s inexpensive, the acidity of vinegar cuts through hard water spots with ease, and you probably have a jug in the kitchen right now.
Pour equal amounts of distilled water and vinegar into a spray bottle and shake the container well. Spray the liquid over the glass shower door and shower wall while paying special attention to the areas with hard water stains.
Leave it for 15 minutes, and use a sponge to scrub away the loosened dirt. Once the wall is clean, use a paper towel to remove the residue.
Removing Water Stains From Shower Walls
Sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline powder; you probably know it as baking soda. It has mild scouring actions and is safe for use on shower walls. Learn how to get hard water stains off shower walls by combining the power of baking soda with vinegar.
Shake baking soda powder over the hard water stain, and spray white vinegar over the top. Wait a few minutes as the two ingredients work together to create a foaming action, and wipe away the mixture with a cloth. Repeat the steps until all the water stains are gone, and rinse the area well with clean water.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Shower Walls
There are many commercial cleaners if you want something simple for cleaning water stains off shower walls. They work well to dissolve minerals from the shower surface and are a great alternative if you’re not a DIY person.
Commercial Hard Water Spot Cleaning
Sometimes, knowing which product to use with the large variety of cleaners on the market is confusing. Check the label for recommended applications, and choose the proper one for your shower wall material.
For instance, an all-purpose cleaner doesn’t work for removing hard water deposits, and some cleaners are not safe for granite or marble tiles.
Once you pick a product, follow the instructions and apply the cleaner to the shower door or wall as directed. Leave it on for the noted time, scrub it with a sponge, and rinse it with clean water.
In a pinch, you can also make your own tile cleaner with Dawn dish soap. The grease cutting power will eliminate all of the built up calcium and soap scum left on your shower floor and walls.
Prevent Hard Water Stains on a Shower Wall
Discovering how to get hard water stains off shower walls doesn’t mean you want to repeat the process more than necessary. Learn ways to stop hard water stains from staining your shower walls, doors, and other bathroom surfaces.
Installing a water softener in your house is the only sure way to stop water stains from accumulating. Water softeners, or ion exchange units, remove minerals, like calcium and magnesium, from water. Resin beads inside the appliance trap minerals and exchange them for potassium and sodium.
Use other ways to reduce hard water stains if you cannot install one of these units in your home. For example, keep a squeegee in the bathroom and use it to wipe down the shower walls when you finish showering.
Use a dry, absorbent towel if you don’t have a squeegee. The less water on the shower walls, the better. The minerals harden in place as hard water evaporates, leaving an unsightly water stain. Drying the walls after each use also reduces mold and mildew growth, which thrive in warm, moist environments.
Keep a homemade vinegar and water spray in the bathroom, spray it on the inside of the shower once a week, and wipe it off after 15 minutes. The spray works on the sink and other bathroom areas as well.
Regular cleaners aren’t enough to remove water spots from a shower wall and glass shower door. No matter how hard you scrub, stubborn hard water stains refuse to budge. Luckily, vinegar, baking soda, and other hard water stain removers clean these tough stains from the wall and glass surface.
We hope that learning how to remove hard water stains from shower walls keeps your shower stain-free, and we’d love it if you’d share our tips for cleaning hard water marks off a shower wall with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook.