How to Care for Your Glass Shower Doors

Story at a glance:

• Consistent low effort upkeep on your glass shower door will leave it in pristine condition for years to come.
• Be cautious of what types of cleaning products and materials you use on your shower door.
• Update the pieces of your shower door that do wear down over time to maintain your door’s overall condition.

A quality glass shower door is an excellent way to upgrade your bathroom space. Aesthetically, the glass helps the room appear more spacious, lets in more natural light, and creates a modern yet timeless look.

Compared to a curtain, a door is more durable and much less likely to collect mildew over time. The glass shower door also performs better when you’re taking a shower, as a curtain allows more water to escape. A door will conserve the water you use, allowing it to be recycled back to a water treatment plant. This may also prevent damage to your floors, reduce your risk of slipping, and is overall more environmentally friendly.

While a shower curtain needs to be replaced every few years, ending up in a landfill, your shower door may last decades. At the end of its life the glass and metal framing can also be recycled.

“Proper maintenance and care will lead to your shower door lasting a very long time and remaining as beautiful as it was when it was first installed,” says Brad Michaelson, director of customer service at Basco.

We recently spoke with Michaelson about what that maintenance looks like. He shared three tips for users to keep their door in perfect condition.

1. Wipe down your shower door consistently.

“Shower doors are low maintenance as long as they are maintained regularly,” Michaelson says.

He recommends wiping down your shower door at least twice a week or, for the most effective result, after every use. Doing something as simple as drying the glass and hardware will save users from heavier cleaning efforts in the future.

The most effective time to wipe down your door is immediately after using it, when the hot steam has loosened any grime and before water droplets can sit for too long. Soap scum and the minerals in hard water will build up and settle into the microscopic cracks and crevices of the glass and metal, becoming nearly impossible to remove if left for too long.

Michaelson says that along with the glass, be sure you are wiping down your metal framing. All Basco framing is rust-proof, made of aluminum or brass, and designed to be in a wet environment. However, they are not immune to water spots that could cause a beautiful finish to appear dingy and worn over time.

A microfiber cloth is the best tool to clean your door, as it is both gentle and effective at absorbing water. Never use a scouring agent or any abrasive material on the glass or hardware. Paper towels are also not recommended, as they can leave behind a fibrous residue.

2. Use the right cleaning products.

From home recipes to big brand products, Michaelson says Basco has tested many different cleaning solutions on their doors. He recommends Lysol’s bath and tub cleaner, which he says is non-abrasive and approved for both glass and framing.

Be especially cautious of what cleaning products you use when your glass has been treated with a protective coating, as it could be damaging. A coating is designed to fill those microscopic crevices and act as a barrier. It is a great way to protect your investment. Basco offers both AquaGlideXP and ShowerGuard when purchasing their product.

AquaGlideXP is applied to the interior of the glass in the factory while the door is being manufactured and comes with a 10-year warranty. Glass treated with AquaGlideXP should still be rinsed with water and towel-dried after use. Harsh cleaning chemicals can damage the coating. Basco also sells Maintain, a product specifically designed to clean AquaGlideXP glass. Using Maintain one to two times a week for a more effective cleaning will keep the glass in like-new condition.

ShowerGuard is a coating baked into the glass when it is tempered. It comes with a lifetime warranty and is available on clear glass shower doors. It is safe to use standard household cleaners on glass treated with ShowerGuard.

3. Keep all shower pieces up-to-date.

The Geolux series offer a geometric modern design with distinctive lines and accents. Photo courtesy of Basco

A Basco shower door carries a limited lifetime warranty. While the glass and hardware will last a long time, certain pieces known as wear parts may not. Vinyl pieces, rollers, or magnets may need to be replaced.

“These products are not going to last 25 years or the life of the product,” Michaelson says. “They eventually wear out after everyday use.”

When using cleaners Michaelson recommends being certain you wipe glass and framing completely, as the cleaning agent can run to the bottom track and eat away at vinyl pieces.

A shower’s track should be cleaned and wiped as often as the glass and hardware. A traditional track is a long ditch that is notoriously difficult to clean as things collect inside. If soap scum and hard water builds up in the track, it will become difficult to slide a door open, causing wear pieces to deteriorate faster. Basco products use their proprietary Stay-Kleen track—designed to slope back into the shower to avoid buildup.