6 Secrets to Make Your Glass Shower Enclosure Sparkle

You probably know that you'll create a toxic gas if you mix bleach an ammonia. However, certain other household cleaners are safe to mix together - in this case, vinegar and dish soap. Dish soap cuts through any grease - say from hair conditioner - while vinegar creates the sparkle. Keep the solution in a heavy-duty sprayer, and use it after showering.

Even the most effective solution won't work well without the right tools. One of the items you need is a squeegee, which resembles a windshield wiper on your car. The flat, rubber blade pushes safely against the glass and wicks the water away. You should use a squeegee after showering, or at least after spraying a cleaner on the glass.

The other useful tool is a microfiber cloth. Glass is hard and durable. However, it can get scratched or etched with hard water. Even a coarse cloth can scratch the glass. Soft microfiber cloths are safe for removing water spotting. An added benefit is that microfiber cloths can reach difficult corners. Launder your microfiber cloth weekly.

Hard water and abrasive cloths aren't the only thing that can scratch glass - so, too, can abrasive cleansers. Such cleansers are fine for an acrylic tub or your toilet, but you should choose special cleansers for the shower glass. Naturally, you can use a specific glass cleaner. However, a gentle all-purpose bathroom cleaner works well, too.

Bathroom cleansers aren't the only ones that can make your shower glass enclosure sparkle. For example, Apartment Therapy recommends trying Bar Keeper's Friend. The main ingredient is oxalic acid, but this cleaner is safe enough to use on your bathroom glass. Try one of the gentler forms, such as liquid or cream, to make your glass shine.

Of course, one way to get rid of the ugliness of water drops and soap scum is to avoid them altogether. To that end, spray the glass with a water repellent. Choose the same kind of water repellent that's used for car windshields. The water and soap bead up and rinse away rather than leaving behind a residue.

You may not want to reach for chemicals every time you need to clean the shower glass. Indeed, many homeowners prefer to take a natural approach to cleaning the bathroom. You can make your own solution for cleaning soap scum out of borax, castile soap, white vinegar, hot water, and tea tree oil.

Once you've made your solution, spray it onto the shower glass enclosure. Let the solution penetrate for several minutes before washing it off with a sponge - or a soft brush if the soap scum is especially thick. For best results, clean the shower with this solution when it's already softened, say after a shower.