Short answer
Rinse the glass and squeegee it from the top down after every shower, then let the bathroom dry. Once a week, wipe it with a gentle glass cleaner and a microfibre cloth. On coated glass, avoid abrasive pads and harsh cleaners, and re-seal when water stops beading.
Getting glass clean is a job. Keeping it clean is a habit, and a small one. Most of the work is done in the half-minute after you turn the shower off, while everything is still wet and nothing has had time to dry.
After every shower: 30 seconds
- Rinse the glass with the shower head for a few seconds to wash off soap and shampoo splashes.
- Squeegee from the top down, in overlapping strokes, wiping the blade on a cloth between strokes.
- Catch the edges. The bottom rail, the handle and the corners are where water collects and spots start first.
- Let the room dry. Leave the door or window open, or run the exhaust fan.
That is it. Every droplet you remove is one that cannot dry into a spot. Keep the squeegee on a hook inside the shower so it is the easy option.
Once a week
Spray a gentle glass cleaner, wipe with a clean microfibre cloth, and dry. On a well-kept screen this takes a couple of minutes. Wash the microfibre cloths without fabric softener, which leaves a residue on them that streaks glass.
Once a month
Look at the glass against the light, low down and around the handle. If spots are starting to build on uncoated glass, treat them early with a mild vinegar or citric acid solution, protecting any stone nearby. The full method is in how to remove hard water stains from shower glass.
If your glass is coated
A water-repellent coating does most of the work for you, as long as you do not scrub it off.
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Gentle glass cleaner and a soft microfibre cloth | Abrasive powders, scourers and steel wool |
| A squeegee after showers, which takes seconds on coated glass | Harsh cleaners used as a routine; they wear most coatings faster |
| Rinsing off soap splashes before they dry | Scraping the glass with anything hard |
The splash test. Flick some water at the glass. If it forms beads and runs off, the coating is working. If it spreads into a sheet and sits there, it is time to re-seal.
With the Infinite Coatz kit, the coating lasts up to two years depending on your water and how often the shower runs, and the kit includes a spare Glass Cleaner for exactly this kind of upkeep between full applications.
Small habits that add up
- Keep shampoo and soap bottles off the glass shelf edge, where drips run straight down the panel.
- Switch to liquid body wash if you use bar soap; bar soaps tend to leave more scum.
- Fix a dripping shower head. A slow drip onto the glass is a constant supply of new spots.
- If your water is very hard, read why shower glass turns white to understand what you are up against.