Does the Soap You Use Effect Your Frameless Shower Doors?

Soap scum is one of the most common problems among owners of frameless shower doors. Reside from body washes, soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other personal products can sometimes build up on glass surfaces, causing an unsightly film to develop.

Soap Scum Defined

So what causes soap scum, the cakey white buildup that can form on the surface of your frameless shower doors? It’s actually a combination of two things: The sudsy products that you use to keep clean and hard water, which contains chemicals such as calcium and magnesium.

The chemicals in hard water can actually mix with the fatty acids found in soaps and other personal care products. When this mixture dries on the surface of your shower door glass, it can leave behind the familiar filmy layer.

Not Just on Frameless Shower Doors

Soap scum doesn’t just form on your frameless shower doors. It actually builds up everywhere in your shower: On the walls, on the bottom, even in the drain.

But because your doors are made of clear glass, that’s where it shows up the most. So when you see a buildup of soap scum on your frameless shower doors, you can be sure it’s actually all over your shower.

Removing Soap Scum

Fortunately, removing soap scum is relatively easy. Most commercial shower cleaning products will effectively remove soap scum and other impurities with very little effort.

You also can reduce the likelihood of developing soap scum on your frameless shower doors and throughout your shower by installing a hard water filter. This removes many of the chemicals that can interact with your personal care products to form soap scum in the first place.