Best Practices: Cleaning Glass Shower Doors

The cleanliness of your business speaks volumes about your professionalism and really sets the tone for visitors, employees, and customers. Dirty and streaky glass shower doors are highly unappealing to look at, and could discourage customers from using your facilities, or have them questioning your building’s hygiene practices. As a building or janitorial manager overseeing a crew of cleaning staff tasked with keeping things sparkling clean, you may be wondering how to help them clean glass doors efficiently and effectively.

Great Technique = Great Results

In a perfect world, the shower doors in your establishment would be squeegeed down after every use. The reality is that simply won’t happen, so the next best plan is to equip your teams with the right tools (which we’ll get to in a little bit) and the right technique. We recommend they follow these tried-and-true steps for cleaning glass shower doors:

Spray the glass with the cleaning solution and allow it to sit for up to 5 minutes.
Scrub down the door, paying special attention to the areas with more build-up, as well as trouble spots, such as the tracks.
Tougher scum and build-up may need a second round of soaking and light scrubbing.
Wash from the bottom up, and rinse from the top down, with a damp sponge or microfiber cloth. Squeegee any excess, again moving from the top of the glass to the bottom.
Dry and buff with a microfiber cloth, leaving beautiful, streak-free doors.

Choosing The Right Cleaning Solution

Before your crews get to work cleaning glass shower doors, you have to choose, and stock, the right cleaning solution for them. The product you choose should work just as hard as your team members. This will make their lives easier, and save them time, which is sure to keep them happy!

Generally speaking, it’s best to avoid ammonia-based cleaners, as they can cause damage to the glass over time. In addition, those cleaners put out a strong, unpleasant odor, which requires a lot of ventilation to avoid respiratory harm. This isn’t ideal when you have visitors and customers in and out of your facility. Instead, opt for a solution that isn’t so harsh on the nose, and won’t harm the surface of the glass.

We recommend products such as our Bathroom Cleaner Formula 444 to tackle jobs like cleaning glass shower doors. This carefully formulated bathroom cleaner is highly effective, and it was made with a light, pleasant lavender fragrance which will leave rooms smelling great. The ingredients are non-butyl and VOC-exempt! It’s also biodegradable, so you can feel proud to stock this item knowing you are making positive steps for your local environment. And last but not least, this highly concentrated solution is made to be diluted. Once it has been prepared, it’s ready to be poured into a spray bottle and put to use. Your staff will achieve that crystal clear, streak-free result that reflects well on your facilities.

The Right Tools Make A Difference

The right tools are also vital for achieving excellent cleaning results. Sure, providing your teams with intuitive, durable, high-quality tools makes their jobs easier. But just as importantly, investing in quality basics is also cost effective for your establishment; the right tools can work alongside your team for a long time before needing to be replaced.

When cleaning glass shower doors, or any clear glass for that matter, you don’t want to use very abrasive tools, like hard bristled brushes or scouring pads. These tools can scratch the surface of the glass, which will ruin the beautiful, crystal-clear finish you’re hoping to see. A squeegee, soft bristle brush or microfiber cloth is ideal for wiping away dirt and grime without causing scratches.

When selecting your microfiber cloths, quality makes a difference. Often, the stitching in cheaper microfiber cloths will begin to fail very quickly after use. These cloths also tend to shed small fibers over surfaces. Make sure you prioritize quality cloths for your teams. Not only will they outwork their cheaper competitors, they will actually pick up and remove dirt and fibers instead of displacing them. At Gabriel First, we have top quality premium microfiber cloths available in a variety of colors. This makes it easy to assign certain colors with specific tasks and better organize your teams!

It’s very common for shower doors to have tough-to-reach areas. A long handled brush with soft bristles is a great tool for these areas. It’s also great for the tracks, which is a common area for dirt and grime to accumulate. Don’t let the little details derail all the beautiful progress your teams have made with the glass doors. Make sure they take the extra few minutes to get into the tracks and ensure a beautiful, clean finish everywhere.

Maintain A Schedule

Keeping a business clean is a team effort that involves you and your hardworking janitorial crew. The best way to keep on top of cleanliness in your facility is to provide a regular cleaning schedule for your teams to execute. For tasks such as cleaning glass shower doors, this should be a combination of routine/daily cleaning and a monthly or twice monthly deep cleaning. As it is not feasible to have each door squeegeed down after every use, the combination of a routine clean plus and additional deep clean will help combat build up. When you have a plan in place that is easy for your team to follow, you can rest easy and be assured that the job will be done to perfection.

Nothing Beats Clean

Clean, well-maintained glass shower doors play a significant role in creating a good impression of your facility. Their pristine appearance exudes professionalism and safe hygiene practices. By following these tips, and providing your teams with the quality tools and routine they need, you’ll achieve the best cleaning results for your glass shower doors. Remember, proper cleaning and maintenance are essential to extending the lifespan of the glass doors, and achieving a sparkling clean in your bathrooms and locker rooms will ensure customers keep coming back to your facility.

Want To Learn More?

At Gabriel First Corp., we strongly believe in continuing education for all members of the Janitorial and Sanitary industry. Whether you are a part of the janitorial crew or the building manager, there is always more to learn! Achieve a new level of clean in your buildings, while getting the most out of every single drop of product. Register for an account today!