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Pressed Flower Cards for Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day! While I am away from my own mother and mother-in-law today, I wanted to share with you our attempt to send a bouquet of hugs to them for all the love and support we receive from them on a constant basis. Our 

Organizing Quick Win: Shining Chrome

You may sense a bathroom theme in my cleaning posts. Some of my most difficult cleaning challenges are in my bathrooms. Hard water creates a lot of problems for us. Also, we have higher expectations for the cleanliness of the bathrooms–as the rooms in the 

Organizing Quick Win: Crystal Clear Glass Shower Doors

"Master bathroom."  Photo by snikrap.  From the Flickr Creative Commons.
“Master bathroom.” Photo by snikrap. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

Clear glass bathroom shower doors are the latest trend. They look clean, classic and add light to any bathroom space. There is hardly anything negative to say about them . . . . except when you go to clean them!

When we upgraded to a glass shower door in our new master bath remodel, we actually thought that it would be less work to maintain. We paid a little extra when the glass was made to have it coated with something that would make it easier to clean. In our minds, we thought a quick spritz of Windex and it would be fine.

What we didn’t realize was that glass that is dirty cleans up relatively easily but glass that is constantly exposed to water suffers from more troublesome stains. In our case, hard water stains. However, children that like to “paint” on the glass with body wash and shampoo probably don’t help things either.

Our brand new shower door began to look very aged after just a few months. It was becoming almost opaque. Granted, we could be more diligent in our housekeeping efforts but still, this seemed a little ridiculous.

After Windex and Comet, this was the scene we faced in the shower each morning.
After Windex and Comet, this was the scene we faced in the shower each morning.

I scrubbed the glass with Comet cleanser and got more of the water stains out but it still looked pretty terrible. I noticed that if I scratched at a spot with my fingernails, however, that it would come off. So, I knew there had to be some cleaning solution that would work.

A little searching found this site with numerous options for glass door cleaning. The first tip was to try Bounce fabric softener sheets. Since we had a ton of these lying around, I wanted to test this out.

Interestingly, there must be some sort of soap-like substance in these sheets. Just wet the dryer sheet, wipe and rinse.

The "soap" generated by a Bounce dryer sheet.
The “soap” generated by a Bounce dryer sheet.

This solution did make a noticeable difference and was cheap!

After cleaning with a wet Bounce dryer sheet.  Much improved but still many visible spots.
After cleaning with a wet Bounce dryer sheet. Much improved but still many visible spots.

But it wasn’t quite enough. If your doors aren’t too dirty or you clean regularly, this might be enough for you.

Bounce dryer sheet - before and after.
Bounce dryer sheet – before and after.

The next tip I tried was cornstarch. I made a paste of cornstarch and water and used it to scrub the door. This was difficult to apply and honestly didn’t make any difference. If Comet hasn’t worked for you, the chance that cornstarch will, seems pretty low as well.

2013-05-09-cornstarch

But cornstarch is a mild abrasive and a “green” cleaner so it was worth a shot.

I was getting tired of cleaning the shower door at this point and needed something that would for sure work. The next tip I tried was to look for a water-spot cleaning product at an auto supply store. I have had great luck with auto detailing products for our cars so I had a lot of confidence in this solution.

Trying a glass cleaner from the auto supply store!
Trying a glass cleaner from the auto supply store!

It goes on like car wax or silver polish and you have to rub a bit. There are thankfully no harsh fumes.

The magic green liquid of the water spot cleaner.
The magic green liquid of the water spot cleaner.

And it worked! It took out 90% of all the spots. The ones that remained were so light they could not be captured by my camera!

There are some tiny spots still left but they are so small they cannot be captured by my camera.  I end up focusing on spots on the window outside instead!
There are some tiny spots still left but they are so small they cannot be captured by my camera. I end up focusing on spots on the window outside instead!

There were still a few spots that would not come out even with this product, near the door handle though, but they don’t distract from the overall gleaming look! Overall, I was very impressed!

A few stubborn spots still won't come out but we'll just live with these.
A few stubborn spots still won’t come out but we’ll just live with these.

If you are considering a glass door upgrade for your bathroom, just keep this cleaning obligation in mind. A few times a year you might have to “polish” the door and perhaps use a dryer sheet once a month. To me, this is a small price to pay for the light and appearance the glass door gives to the shower area.

Have you struggled with cleaning glass in the bathroom? Did you find a solution that works for you? Please share in the comments.

*I have no affiliation with Mother’s Polish or any other product mentioned here.

Organizing Quick Win: Gleaming Toilet Bowls!

This month I am focusing on spring cleaning around my home and garden. I am slowly making progress forward. Part of what holds me back is a perfectionist tendency that when I am done cleaning something I want it to really look clean! It doesn’t 

Guest Blogger Christie Maruka with Style Tips for Wearing White this Summer

*From time to time, I receive articles to consider for publication on my blog. This one from stylist Christie Maruka was well-written and gave some clear tips about how to review white items in your closet during your spring cleaning efforts. Wearing white all year