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Exposure to hard water negatively affects glass, making it look dull and dirty, no matter how many times you clean it. The calcium and magnesium in hard water leaves behind a cloudy, dirty film of residue that wears out the look of glass and leaves whitish stains and spots.
The good news though is that it’s not impossible to make your windows, shower doors, and kitchenware look new again. There are several solutions, both homemade and commercially available, that you can use to scrub glass.
Depending on the severity of the hard water spots and how long they have been on the glass surface, you may be able to get most of it out using a few simple household products.
There are four main solutions you can try to remove hard water stains from glass:
Ways to Remove Hard water Stains from Glass
White Vinegar Solution
White vinegar, as an acid, is very good in breaking down mineral deposits on glass. You can mix it with baking soda to clean shower doors, mirrors, and windows in the house. It can also be mixed with distilled water to clean car windows.
If you want to use it for your glassware in the kitchen, the best and most efficient way to do it is to introduce a bowl of vinegar into your dishwashing cycle. This method will not only clear water spots from your glassware but will clean the entire dishwasher as well.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, just soak your glassware in a basin of vinegar solution for at least 15 minutes, then let it air dry overnight.
Citrus Solution
Just like vinegar, juice squeezed from citrus fruits like lemon, lime, and even orange, can be effective in removing limescale. You can directly apply citrus essence onto problem areas when cleaning glassware — no need to dilute in water. However, this solution can get expensive for large cleaning jobs. If that’s the case, you may mix a few cups of water into the juice.
Pure Toothpaste
White toothpaste is not only good for teeth — it’s also effective against limescale. Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy endless tubes of toothpaste just to clean all your windows and glassware at home. A small dollop can actually go a long way.
Instead of using an old toothbrush which may scratch the surface of your glass, simply wipe toothpaste onto a cleaning rag or kitchen gloves and scrub it all over water spots. Once it’s time to rinse, make sure to only use distilled water to keep minerals out of the glass.
Store-Bought Abrasives
If none of the household products mentioned above worked for you, it’s probably because the water stains have accumulated over a long period of time. This is especially the case on shower glass doors that haven’t been cleaned for a while. That’s what commercially available abrasives are for. These are tough products that will make stubborn mineral deposits easier to scrub off. Just make sure you get a product that’s safe to use on glass.
You have to be pretty fast when using these though, since prolonged exposure to abrasives may leave other kinds of spots on your glass. Make sure to have a water bottle spray at hand, which you can use to promptly rinse parts you’re done cleaning.
Removing Hard Water From Shower Doors
- Shower doors are typically the bearers of the worst hard water stains in the entire house because it is practically exposed to hard water all the time. This is where it’s best to use store-bought chemicals. Just make sure to wear gloves on both hands, since most products have corrosive effects.
- Completely wet the entire door surface.
- Apply the abrasive cleaner. Liquid cleaners will be easier to spread but powder cleaners will typically get you a sparklier finish.
- Lightly scrub the entire surface using a sponge or microfiber cloth.
- Rinse one side as soon as you’re done, since you don’t want the abrasives hanging onto the glass for longer than necessary. Then, do the same process for the other side.
- If you believe household products can do the trick, let vinegar/citrus solution sit on the surface for at least 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Removing Hard Water From Glassware/Dishes
- For things you use to consume food or water, vinegar and citrus solutions are best as they won’t adversely affect your health.
- If you have a dishwasher, complete one wash cycle of your glassware with a bowl of vinegar or citrus solution.
- You can also do it manually, by soaking your glassware in a bowl or basin of your chosen solution for at least 15 minutes.
- Old kitchenware coming out of the storage might need a little more attention. Still, do not use abrasives since it may be too harsh on delicate glassware. You can apply toothpaste and use your fingertips to massage it all over the surfaces before rinsing.
- Rinsing agents can also help you get that spotless sparkle for glassware. Simply pour an appropriate amount onto the designated bin in your dishwasher and complete a full cycle.
Removing Hard Water From Eyeglasses
- Do not use any of the solutions mentioned above to clean your prescriptive eyeglasses, as harsh chemicals and even vinegar could completely damage the coating of your eyewear.
- Use lens solution and other products recommended by your doctor or eyewear provider for the maintenance of your prescription glasses.
Removing Hard Water Stains From Windows
- Hard water can get onto windows from sprays from the water hose outside, or even when wiping down windows using water.
- The best solution to wash entire windows with is the vinegar solution. However, for more problematic areas, you can use pure toothpaste.
- Completely take out all removable parts of the window, if there are any.
- Do not directly spray vinegar solution to the window, as this may leave undesirable spots of its own. Instead, completely soak a piece of cloth in vinegar solution, and use this to scrub the entire surface of your windows
- Rinsing with soft water (distilled would do) is optional. Even if you don’t, the smell of vinegar will be gone overnight.
- Apply toothpaste to particularly dirty areas, then use distilled water to rinse it off.
- For car windows, make sure to dilute a cup of vinegar with about two cups of water. The strong smell of pure vinegar might creep into the car seats and cause a whole other set of problems, so reduce the odor strength using water.
Other general reminders
- The longer water spots stay on glass surfaces, the harder they are to get out. As soon as you notice water marks on your windows, shower doors, and glassware, treat them right away.
- Make sure you get sufficient ventilation whenever cleaning with the products mentioned above. If you feel lightheaded or nauseous after inhaling any of the products for a long time, take a break and catch fresh air.
- Clean both hands thoroughly after handling cleaning materials.
- Make it a habit to read instructions and warning labels on any store-bought products you use.
The Bottom Line
Hard water on glass is an annoying and unsightly nuisance in the house. If you have hard water, this is a problem that you’re going to have to deal with. From all the types of glass around the home mentioned in this article, shower glass windows are the hardest to clean when it comes to hard water, followed by kitchen appliances and glassware.
However, with a little know-how and information, keeping your glass items free of hard water stains is easy to do. As always, regular cleaning helps prevent stubborn build up and maintains the beauty and sparkle of your glass items.
