Door tracks are quite tricky parts of your shower door to clean. It is the place where all the dirt collects over time, especially soap scum and minerals from hard water. Most of us tend to neglect that part of our bathrooms. The problem is that these tracks become more disgusting the longer we delay necessary cleaning.
Perhaps it is better to find a way to clean this part of the door on time and solve a lot of problems before they accumulate. Best of all, you have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen. Therefore, you don’t need to use any harsh chemicals, which may jeopardize you and your family.
When we are talking about cleaning the shower cabin, the most convenient option is to organize yourself in the right way. Start with the shower door and shower walls. Then wash a rain shower head, shower valve, and handheld showerhead.
When you finish, the hardest job starts, and you need to remove dirt from the sliding shower door track. That is the way to prevent the occurrence of mold and mildew in the bathroom.
The Best Options for Cleaning Shower Door Tracks
The sliding shower cabin contains two separate shower doors with four, usually metal tracks. They allow your doors to slide smoothly.
If left neglected, these tracks can fill with soap scum, minerals from hard water, and mold over time. The result is the occurrence of slippery and filthy tracks.
Moreover, collected dirt will probably cause damaging of the tracks. Since you don’t want dirty deposits to prevent your door from sliding effortlessly without getting stuck, you should clean them regularly.
Which one cleaners you want to use will primarily depend on your preferences. Your goal is to keep these tricky parts clean, prevent mold, and finish the job in the easiest way possible.
Therefore, I will list the best options for cleaning shower door tracks without spending too much money and time. Let’s do it together.
1. Clean shower door tracks with lemon
Unfortunately, if you have the shower door with metal tracks, you will have a few issues. Metal is prone to rust, but the main problem is actually deposition of mold, soap scum, and minerals from hard water. The result is the ugly and dirty look of the frame.
Lemon is the most effective cleaner for metal shower door tracks. For this work, you will need the following cleaning supplies:
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of salt
- Old toothbrush
The procedure of cleaning is not too complicated. Mix lemon juice and salt until getting a smooth paste. Using an old toothbrush, apply the paste into all inaccessible parts and corners where the rust usually forms. Rinse the mix off with warm water after about fifteen minutes.
2. Clean shower door tracks with vinegar
If you are interested in all-natural cleaning, I am sure that you have already known how to use white vinegar to remove stains in your bathroom. It is an efficient way to remove deposits of soap scum and hard water.
You can use this ingredient to clean the most inaccessible parts of the sliding shower door track, as well. For this hard work, you will need a few convenient cleaning supplies:
- Distilled water
- A half of cup of white vinegar
- Grout brush or old toothbrush
- Spray bottle
- Cotton balls
- Microfiber cloth
Start the procedure by soaking the cotton balls in white vinegar. Carefully apply vinegar to the shower door tracks until they become wet. Be careful if your shower floors are made of stone because vinegar may damage it.
Let the vinegar soak for 30 minutes, and begin to scrub the stains and soap scum gently with a grout brush or your discarded toothbrush. In the end, you need to spray the tracks with a lot of water until wash away all the remaining vinegar.
Repeat cleaning until all the parts of shower door tracks become clean, especially if they haven’t been washed at all for a long time. Use a microfiber cloth to dry the area.
3. Clean shower door tracks with baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is slightly alkaline, which is an ideal solution for cleaning when mixed with water. For this work, you will need a couple of convenient cleaning supplies:
- Water
- Baking soda
- Small bowl
- Old cloths
- Metal scraper or knife
Mix baking soda with water in a small bowl until you get a smooth paste. Use an old cloth and apply the paste to all the shower door tracks. After approximately 30 minutes, wipe wet dirt and soap scum off with a new, damp cloth.
If the dirt layer is too thick, you should use a metal scraper or knife to remove some of it. After that, repeat the process with the new amount of paste.
Pay special attention to the top of the shower door track. That part, next to the door, is the hardest spot to clean. Plus, it is the place where the most persistent dirt and mold collect. Fortunately, baking soda is a natural deodorizer, which makes this dirty job a little bit less awful.
4. Clean shower door tracks with a steamer
Using the canister steam cleaner is probably the most comfortable way to clean shower door track without using chemicals. For this work, you will need a few necessary cleaning supplies:
- Canister steam cleaner
- Plastic spatula or putty knife
- Microfiber cloths
Read the manufacturer’s instructions if you have never used the steamer, prepare it for cleaning, and make sure to adjust the device to allow sufficient pressure. Use a wand to loosen stains and dirt.
If necessary, use a microfiber cloth, wrap it around the spatula or putty knife to clean the hard-to-reach edges. In the end, wipe the area with another microfiber cloth.
Repeat the process until all the parts of the tracks are clean. Once you do the job well, it will be enough to keep them wiped down after taking a shower. That will prevent a lot of hard work in the future.
5. Clean shower door tracks with a commercial cleaner
The fact is that most commercial cleaners are highly effective. However, you should pick out non-toxic ones, to protect yourself, your family, and your pets. These chemicals will keep all the parts of your shower door clean and sparkle, including hard reaching parts of tracks.
You should be especially careful during cleaning since they often contain hazardous and irritant chemicals. Most of them cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and headaches, particularly those containing ammonia and chlorine. The crucial thing is to read instructions carefully before start cleaning.
There are various commercial cleaners available on the market, and you need to choose the best option after a little bit of researching. Most of them are cheap and highly effective, and you can purchase them in cleaning stores or online.
The excellent news is that you need these products just for crusty dirt. For this quite simple work, you will need a few listed cleaning supplies:
- Adequate, non-toxic commercial cleaners in a spray bottle
- Mask for mouth and nose
- Ventilator
- Old cloth or a towel
- Old toothbrush if necessary
Put a mask over mouth and nose and turn on a ventilator before start the job. Also, you should wear gloves to protect the skin of your hands from contact with chemicals.
Apply the chemical to shower door tracks and wait for the preparation to take effect. If necessary, you can use an old toothbrush to reach hard-to-reach corners. Don’t forget to rinse tracks with warm water on the end, and dry them with an old cloth.
Once you clean shower door tracks thoroughly, you can use less aggressive solutions for regular maintenance.
Final Tips
Avoid hard work whenever possible
No matter how awful and dirty your shower door tracks look, there is no need to take the door off. Clean the tracks while the door is closed, and repeat the procedure with the open door as well.
Benefits of cleaning your shower door tracks
When your shower doors are sparkling clean, with shower door tracks without dirt and mold, the whole bathroom will look lovely and clean.
You actually need just a little effort and time to maintain these parts, which will transform the appearance of the whole space.
Consider installing heavy glass doors
In a case that you find that cleaning these hard to reach areas too tiring, you may consider installing heavy glass doors. Since that type of doors swing opens, they don’t have as many tracks as regular doors.
The necessity of sliding shower doors replacement
Keep in mind that all the types of sliding shower doors can’t last forever. Therefore, you should replace them after 12 to 15 years of regular use.
Conclusion
For regular maintenance, you should clean your shower door weekly. However, it is enough to pay special attention to the door tracks once a month.
To make the job much easier and more comfortable, try to rinse all parts of the shower door after taking a shower. That will prevent soap scum and dirt from building up in the slots and bumps.
