soap scum/hard water - how do you get rid of it?

sophabelle

i don't know if they're the same thing or not, but i've got HORRIBLE soap scum/hard water stains on our shower doors.  

i've tried the harsh chemical soap scum stuff and it helped slightly but not much.

how can i get rid of this stuff?  obv. i'd prefer an EF way, but at this point, i'm willing to try just about anything.  i can't stand it. it looks gross and feels gross!

if i have to spray it down with whatever after every shower i'm willing to do that, but i have to get rid of it first lol.   hellllllllllp!!!

InfamousQBert

have you tried just using something really abrasive? like, a good scrubby mix of baking soda & salt and a heavy duty scrubber sponge?

sophabelle

the closest to that i've tried has been comet powder w/a really tough scrub brush. 

it's just EXHAUSTING to get it off. the amt of scrubbing it takes seriously wears me out lol and it just doesn't seem to really go away very much. *sigh*

maybe i'll see if dh will try the baking soda/salt scrub.  

InfamousQBert

sophabelle:

the closest to that i've tried has been comet powder w/a really tough scrub brush. 

it's just EXHAUSTING to get it off. the amt of scrubbing it takes seriously wears me out lol and it just doesn't seem to really go away very much. *sigh*

maybe i'll see if dh will try the baking soda/salt scrub.  

i totally sympathize and have been known to just pretend our shower doors are frosted for the same reason. that mix works on our tub, but that's a totally different surface.

sophabelle

InfamousQBert:

have been known to just pretend our shower doors are frosted.

LOL i totally do the same thing!  it's just really been bugging me lately.  i've been pretending for the past 2 years!  probably why it's so dang hard to get off!

white318

Totally not eco friendly- but I use this stuff in my bathroom called Krud Kutter... It is amazing and takes anything off (my problem is hairspray on tile floors)

PinkPearlGirl

I know I'm not helping, but we have the same problem. It drives me crazy. We've even used our fingernails to pick at it. We have tried baking soda and that didn't work. I think we're going to have to go the non EFF route and get some kind of harsh scrubbing stuff from the store.  

chillyupnorth

I use Norwex cleaning paste. It's sort of spendy, I think $30 for a tub the size of a glazed donut (Can you tell I'm craving sweets?), but I have used the same tub on my whole house since January and I've barely made a dent in it. I'm thinking one tub should last me a good 2-3 years. It's basically the same as using baking soda but it seems to keep the grime off a little longer, like a week and a half vs. one week. 

kiliwicket

Coca Cola... or an off brand coke.  I kid you not.  We have HORRIBLE hard water stains/buildup in our toilets here and when we first moved in it was.... bad, just bad.  Anyways, for your shower door:  I'd pour some in a spray bottle and spray it on really, really good and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes than wipe off.  Then you can clean the coke residue off with any other cleaner of preference.  It really does work, it shocked me silly, but they even have you tube videos on it, lol.  Not totally EF, but better than all those harsh chemicals.

sophabelle

kiliwicket:

Coca Cola... or an off brand coke.  I kid you not.  We have HORRIBLE hard water stains/buildup in our toilets here and when we first moved in it was.... bad, just bad.  Anyways, for your shower door:  I'd pour some in a spray bottle and spray it on really, really good and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes than wipe off.  Then you can clean the coke residue off with any other cleaner of preference.  It really does work, it shocked me silly, but they even have you tube videos on it, lol.  Not totally EF, but better than all those harsh chemicals.

dude i'm so trying that!

kiliwicket

sophabelle:

kiliwicket:

Coca Cola... or an off brand coke.  I kid you not.  We have HORRIBLE hard water stains/buildup in our toilets here and when we first moved in it was.... bad, just bad.  Anyways, for your shower door:  I'd pour some in a spray bottle and spray it on really, really good and then let it sit for 5-10 minutes than wipe off.  Then you can clean the coke residue off with any other cleaner of preference.  It really does work, it shocked me silly, but they even have you tube videos on it, lol.  Not totally EF, but better than all those harsh chemicals.

dude i'm so trying that!

if it's bad and doesn't come off easy you may just need to add more or let it sit longer, but it should wipe off easy.  I scrubbed our toilet bowls with everything imaginable to get that crud off and it barely budged.  I finally ended up having to completely empty our toilet bowl of water, dumped 2, 2 liter bottles in and let it sit overnight, then I just used a toilet brush and it came off easy.  It was BAD when we first moved in though.. GL!

windcat2

Not really eco-friendly, but I use the ceramic stove top cleaner and a microfiber cloth.  No hard scrubbing required.  Problem solved!