Not to be deterred, I did it again the next cleaning day. More baking soda, vinegar and lots of scrubbing. It was a bit better, but not great. Obviously using the window squeegee every day just wasn't really making a difference.
Nope.
Razor blades...
Nope.
Then I broke down and started researching less "safe and natural" solutions. The bottle of CLR (Calcium Lime Rust remover) in the garage seemed like the perfect answer. I even contacted the company directly to find out the best way to clean hard water stains off glass shower doors. At the end of a lengthy email warning of correct dilution methods, and warnings of contact on non-glass surfaces there was a disclaimer.
Note: Due to the natural density and hardness of calcium as a mineral, if you are unable to scrape any residue off topically using a fingernail or razor blade, the calcium can actually etch the glass and embed itself into the material of the glass. If this has happened, there is no remedy for this.
Whatever... I was sure this was going to work. I donned my rubber gloves, correctly diluted the solution and set off with my sponge and kitchen timer (they warned me to not leave it on the glass any longer than 2 minutes or let it touch any metal). With those kinds of warnings, it had to work. Right?
Nope...
Nothing.
I went back and read the email again... "If this has happened, there is no remedy for this."
I know it's silly. But I just couldn't accept that there was nothing I could do to bring them back to their former glory. After all, they are only four years old. They're practically new.
No! There had to be something...
I got back on the internet and found this website. Mary had the solution to my problem.
Sandpaper. Yup sandpaper. The kind of sandpaper that they use when doing auto body work. The kind you have to use with water. The kind of sandpaper that is so fine (3000-7000 grit), it feels like just plain old paper. The kind you can't buy in the store but have to order HERE on Amazon.
I ordered some immediately and felt like a kid waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Eve for two days.
This job requires you to be in the shower and to use a lot of water. I can't imagine doing it without a removable shower head that you can use to spray down your doors often. You will get wet.
Cut the sandpaper sheets into quarters. This makes for a much easier size to work with.
Start with the piece of 3000 grit. Wet both the piece of sandpaper and the shower door down very well. You want everything really wet. Then scrub in a circular motion from the top to the bottom. Rinse, squeegee, and dry with a lint-free cloth.
You will now see where you missed. Don't worry. You will be repeating this process a few times.
Now do the all the steps again (wet, rub in circles, squeegee, dry) with the 5000 grit piece.
Next you're going to use the 7000 grit. But no one warned me about what would happen with this ultra-smooth piece.
You have to use a LOT of water for this one. In fact, just keep that shower spray nozzle on and in your other hand. It's going to sort of goop up and make a dark gray rubbing compound on the glass, your hand and anywhere you lay it down once it's wet. But you still use the same process (wet, rub in circles, squeegee, dry).
At this point, I could tell it was working... (I only did one tiny section at first)
I just kept repeating that 3-step process until it was clear again.
I was afraid on one would believe it worked that well, so I took another one with the door half open...
Now, it's not perfect. But it is so much better that when my husband went in to brush his teeth before bed, he walked over to shut the shower door. But it was already shut... Yeah, baby!
Oh... I almost forgot. I also used the 7000 grit piece when I was done with the doors, on the handle inside...
Just as a reminder... Before:
After...
Notice how you can actually see what things in the bathroom are now. :)
Thank you, Everyday Cheapskate. You're my hero!
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