How to Remove Hard Water Stains on Glass

Step 1: Make the spray

Pour 1 cup of warm white vinegar into a spray bottle, add 1 tablespoon of dish soap, close and swirl gently (shaking makes foam). Label the bottle. You do not want anyone mixing bleach into it later.

Step 2: Let it sit

Spray the glass until it is completely wet, especially the lower third, where the buildup is worst. Now walk away for 15 to 30 minutes. If it starts to dry, spray again. This is where the work happens.

Step 3: Wipe in circles

Use a non-scratch sponge and wipe in small circles. Most of the haze will slide right off. Rinse the sponge often.

Step 4: Baking soda for stubborn spots

If some spots remain, make a paste with baking soda and a little water. Rub it on those spots with the sponge, then rinse. Do this as a separate step: if you pour baking soda into the vinegar bottle, they cancel each other out and the bottle can pop.

Step 5: Rinse and squeegee

Rinse everything with warm water, then squeegee from top to bottom, overlapping each stroke. Wipe the bottom edge and the metal track with a dry cloth.

Very old, thick buildup

If you have years of buildup, repeat steps 2–3 two or three times instead of scrubbing harder. You can also lay paper towels soaked in the vinegar mix on the glass so they stick and keep it wet for an hour. Lemon juice works similarly to vinegar and smells nicer. Then take the squeegee habit from our hotel bathroom secrets.

If the glass stays cloudy after everything, it may be etched: the minerals have actually pitted the surface. A glass polishing compound for showers can reduce light etching. Deep etching cannot be cleaned off.

Do not do this

• Do not use steel wool or scouring powder: they leave permanent scratches that trap even more minerals.
• Do not let vinegar sit on natural stone like marble or travertine tiles or thresholds. It eats the stone. Cover them with a towel while you work.
• Do not combine with bleach cleaners. Vinegar plus bleach releases chlorine gas. See products you should never mix.

Keep it clear forever (almost)

1. Squeegee after every shower. Ten seconds. This is the whole secret. No water drying on glass means no minerals left behind.
2. Leave the door open after showering so the space dries.
3. Weekly spray: a quick mist of your vinegar mix, wait 5 minutes, rinse.
4. Water repellent: a glass treatment makes water bead and roll off.
5. Shower filter: if your water is very hard, a showerhead filter can reduce mineral spots.

Next: the grout between your tiles. Here is how to clean grout without scrubbing for hours.