Hard water is a fact of life for many homeowners in the Willamette Valley. No doubt you’ve seen the white, hazy water droplets at times on your windows or shower doors. While it appears smooth, glass is a porous substance and the minerals in hard water can etch the surface leaving permanent marks. You can typically clean them up to a degree but positively removing them may not be possible if the stains have been there for a while. Here are some tips to prevent water spots.
First , keep a small plastic squeegee in your bathroom and use it on your shower door after every shower (yes, each one). It only takes a few seconds and this will prevent the water from building up on the glass. Be sure to go all the way to the bottom of the shower so the stains don’t build up on the lower parts of the glass.
Second, many new shower doors are available with a glass protectant applied at the factory to help them shed the water and prevent build up. Continuing to use a squeegee, however, will provide the best long term results. If you don’t have a glass protectant on your existing shower, after-market solutions are available at most home centers but will need to be re-applied every few months.
Third, prevent your sprinklers from watering your windows when they should only be watering your landscaping. This is a common occurrence during the summer and usually requires replacement of the glass to completely repair.
If it’s too late and your windows or shower doors are already etched with hard water, there are a few home remedies that may help remove them. I’ll tackle those in next month’s column.