How to Clean and Polish a Glass Shower Enclosure: Use Fabric Softener to Keep It Shining

How to Clean and Polish a Glass Shower Enclosure: Use Fabric Softener to Keep It Shining Fabric softener contains surfactants that reduce the surface tension of water, helping to prevent water and residue from settling on glass. That’s why it can be used to help keep your shower glass clean and sparkling. Here’s how. Edited by Sara Polotti Yes, it works. It’s not just your grandparents and their old-fashioned cleaning remedies who say so—chemists also confirm it, including Mammachimica and Fabrizio Zago. Fabric softener can be an effective ingredient for keeping shower glass shiny and helping prevent water droplets from leaving behind limescale and grime. This is good news because fabric softener is a product you probably already have at home. It’s commonly used to make fabrics soft and fragrant, but its chemical properties can also make it useful for cleaning and maintaining glass surfaces. Why Does Fabric Softener Make Glass Shine? Fabric softener used for laundry contains cationic surfactants, which can help reduce the adhesion of water to surfaces. This makes it more difficult for water droplets to remain on the glass and leave behind mineral deposits as they dry. Thanks to this effect, water and dirt are lesslikely to settle on the surface. The resulting effect is sometimes described as hydrophobization, in which a surface becomes more resistant to water. Another component found in some fabric softeners is silicone, which can leave a thin film on the glass surface. This can temporarily enhance shine and make the surface feel smoother, potentially making subsequent marks and residue easier to remove. How to Use Fabric Softener on a Glass Shower Enclosure To achieve the best results when cleaning and polishing your glass shower enclosure with fabric softener, it’s important to follow a simple method. Here’s what you’ll need and how to use it. Required Materials 1 liter of demineralized water, such as water collected from a dryer Fabric softener Alcohol 1 spray bottle 1 clean, dry cloth Procedure Pour the demineralized water into the spray bottle. Add 2 teaspoons of fabric softener and ½ glass of alcohol. Close the bottle and gently shake to combine the ingredients. Spray the mixture onto the shower glass. Wipe the surface with a clean, dry cloth. Allow the glass to dry without rinsing. Source: Mammachimica A Small Precaution Because fabric softener is formulated for laundry rather than glass, test the mixture on asmall, inconspicuous area first. Avoid using it on surfaces where a residue or slippery film could create a safety issue, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for your shower enclosure.