This Dawn & Vinegar shower door cleaner is the easiest, cheapest, and BEST way to keep shower doors clean, sparkling & soap scum free!
This Dawn & vinegar shower door cleaner is so effective at keeping shower doors clean that I leave a bottle in my shower year round. It costs little to nothing and works like a charm~better than any cleaning solution I’ve ever purchased.
Dull shower doors used to be one of my biggest cleaning frustrations until I discovered the power packed duo of Dawn and vinegar. This simple and inexpensive solution cuts through the persistent film left by soap scum, and it does so with completely natural, non-toxic ingredients.
Before discovering the Dawn and vinegar solution, I tried myriad store bought products that claimed to clean shower doors. Nothing yielded good results. The bottom line is that cleaning shower doors is a very challenging task, and soap scum is hard to remove without the right ingredients.
Fortunately, the right ingredients are simple, inexpensive, and effective. All you need is Dawn, white vinegar, and a professional spray bottle.
If you’ll use this several times weekly, your shower doors will stay clear and clean, as soap scum will be kept at bay. Below I share in a video how I make and use this Dawn & Vinegar Shower Door Cleaner…..
Recipe for Dawn & Vinegar Shower Door Cleaner
Ingredients:
- 1 part Dawn liquid (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 part white vinegar (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 professional sprayer (this solution won’t spray well from a cheap spray bottle)
Preparation:
- Heat 1 1/2 cups vinegar in the microwave for 2 minutes.
- Pour vinegar into spray bottle.
- Add 1 1/2 cups liquid Dawn to spray bottle.
- Shake well.
Here are a few tips for making the most of this solution.
1) Have a funnel handy so that you can easily fill the sprayer with both solutions.
2) Heat vinegar before adding the Dawn. Supposedly, heating the vinegar prior to adding the Dawn makes the solution mix together more efficiently, so I always heat my vinegar when making a new bottle of solution.
3). Put the solution in a professional sprayer. I found a Zep professional sprayer at Home Depot, and it is far superior to any sprayer I’ve ever used. It is sturdy, comfortable in the hand, and sprays a large surface area with each pull of the trigger. I tried a few inexpensive sprayers before tossing them all and getting one that works. This sprayer can also be purchased here on amazon but is less expensive at Home Depot.
4) Keep a squeegee in the shower to use with the spray. The OXO Good Grips All-Purpose Squeegee is my favorite for both shower doors and windows. It is much easier and less expensive than cloths or paper towels.
Note: If you do the process while showering, be prepared for a strong vinegar smell. This doesn’t bother me at all, as vinegar is natural and non-toxic.
So there you have it~my favorite cleaning hack for the bathroom~Dawn Shower Door Cleaner. I hope you try this; if so, please comment so the rest of us can hear your thoughts!!! As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay (shower door) savvy!!!
Jamie Tarence says
April 7, 2019 at 1:23 pmHi Carol, thanks for sharing your good results! We have hard water too and also have great results with this solution. Have a great day!!!!
Carol says
April 7, 2019 at 12:36 pmworked great it got all the hard water off the glass and no streaks
Jamie Tarence says
December 6, 2018 at 7:51 pmKathleen, thank you so much for letting us all know that this works on frosted glass. It is super helpful when readers share comments. Thank you for taking the tine!!! XoXoXo
Kathleen Fitzpatrick says
December 6, 2018 at 7:50 pmYea, it worked to remove those awful streaks on the frosted shower doors. Thank you!!
Jamie Tarence says
November 23, 2018 at 7:34 pmKathleen! I honestly don’t know because my glass is clear. But I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. The ingredients are natural so shouldn’t hurt. If you try it, please let us hear how it turns out. Xoxo
Kathleen Fitzpatrick says
November 23, 2018 at 3:59 pmWill this work on frosted glass? I used some cleaning product I shouldn’t have and it’s streaked really badly. Help!!
Jamie Tarence says
November 22, 2018 at 6:45 amHi Kathryn!! I am so happy that you found my site helpful!! And thank you for sharing it with others:-) Bleasings to you, my friend!!
XoXo
Kathryn Snyder says
November 21, 2018 at 11:32 pmGreat and quite useful recipes! I’m recently trying to use more natural cleaning solutions and your pieces of advice seem to be quite effective for me. Definitely trying and recommending this post to some friends. Greets!
Jamie Tarence says
November 21, 2018 at 11:00 amSo glad this worked for you, and LOVE the Dawn tip for laundry!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!! Blessings to you!!!! XoXo
Jamie Tarence says
November 21, 2018 at 10:59 amAnd I’ve never used on granite:-)
Jamie Tarence says
November 21, 2018 at 10:59 amHi Susan! I spray mine all over the doors before getting in the shower. Leave on during shower. Wipe down with wet washcloth after shower. Rinse. Let air dry. I am sure you could do it any other way; that is just my routine. XoXo
Susan Wolf says
November 20, 2018 at 5:59 pmA little confused…do you spray this on wet shower doors before the squeegy? Is it ok for granite?
Catherine says
November 20, 2018 at 3:15 pmThis worked great for me. Used dollar store sprayer and dollar store scrub brush and the shower walls look great again. I didn’t heat the vinegar…used a couple pumps of dawn…..very small sprayer. Rinsed afterward with shower nozzle.
Another dawn tip. I’ve stopped buying spot cleaners for laundry…just used very watered down dawn. No grease stains!
Jamie Tarence says
October 30, 2018 at 2:37 pmHi John! I just spray it on before stepping into the shower and let it sit while I shower. Then I spray it off and wipe it down after showering. It is about 3 -5 minutes for me. Just see what works for you!
John says
October 30, 2018 at 2:30 pmYou don’t say how long to keep the solution on for?
Jamie Tarence says
October 28, 2018 at 4:12 pmHi Tracy! I typically get about a month’s worth out of my bottle, but it just depends on how often you clean. If you clean daily, it might not last that long. So glad you love it. It is one of my all time fave tips:-) XoXo
Tracy Walcott says
October 26, 2018 at 11:33 pmI have tried the vinegar and Dawn mixture, and its the best, I just wondering how long the mixture last
Also thank you
Jamie Tarence says
October 26, 2018 at 9:41 amSuhana, I just saw your comment; I apologize for being so late to reply!! Thank you for your kind words. I’ve never had shower iron so can’t be any help in this area. If you find out a solution, please let me know!!!! Have a wonderful day!!!! XoXo
Jamie Tarence says
October 26, 2018 at 9:39 amHi Patti! It is amazing, isn’t it?! Thank you so much for the marketing suggestion:-) It is all natural and just a savvy tip that I love sharing on the blog! Happy you’ve found it!!!:-)
Patti Bilinkas says
October 26, 2018 at 9:36 amI couldn’t believe how your solution worked. It cleaned the scum right off, but the magic part is that the shine LASTS for a long time. It’s better and certainly cheaper than anything else I’ve tried. You should market this somehow. Thank you!
Suhana Morgan says
September 17, 2018 at 4:09 amHelpful recipe and informative. Helpful Information. I Appreciate your hard work. It will be helpful for every housekeeper. I benefit so much from your knowledge! Love your style! How can I remove shower iron?
shirley says
September 2, 2018 at 11:22 amI thought Dawn wasn’t toxic being they use it on birds and animals to clean oil off them.
Maybe mixed with something it is worse
Jamie Tarence says
August 6, 2018 at 5:28 pmHi Marsha, that must be maddening! I wonder if leaving the solution on overnight might work? It definitely works for soap scum; hard water spots might require another formula. Please let me know if you find something that works. Comments are super helpful. Good luck!!!
Marsha Eubank says
August 4, 2018 at 8:13 pmI have stubborn hard water spots on my shower door. I tried Dawn and vinegar and it didn’t work all. I have also tried everything under the sun and nothing has worked. Very frustrating.
Jamie Tarence says
July 1, 2018 at 4:56 pmHi Angela! I let the solution sit while I shower (or work for a few minutes), then I wipe the glass down with a wet cloth. You can squeegee or dry after that. So, yes, you do rinse:-)
ANGELA GIPE says
July 1, 2018 at 4:28 pmI tried this do I rinse off prior to squeegee?
Because I didn’t and it looks like soap still on the glass
Mark Newman says
March 15, 2018 at 4:33 pmJamie,
Your solution was absolutely amazing! My shower glass doors never looked better. I am a recently divorced man and I must admit I never cleaned a shower I became single in August of 2017. I like you tried soap scum removers… spray and walk away lies from many products. All of them full of chemicals and I felt stoned after using a lot of them. Your Dawn and Vinegar solution was absolutely the best… it worked the first time on my caked on soap scum shower doors!!! I am extremely happy with the results. Thank you so much! Mark
Laura says
August 30, 2017 at 8:31 pmWendy – what is the product that you use on your glass / windows?
Wendy
APR 24, 2016 @ 04:13:55
I have a car washing product you spray on after you have cleaned your screens and it will stop anything clinging onto your glass. Only needs doing twice a year, smells great too. I am a professional car detailer and can guarantee success, all natural products. Many other household uses as well,
Jamie Tarence says
May 18, 2017 at 4:06 pmHi Anita! I would not recommend using vinegar on marble; I fear that would cause etching:-( Perhaps find a reputable marble dealer and call and ask for best cleaning products. Hope you find what works for you!!
Anita Hundley says
May 18, 2017 at 11:42 amI have marble walls in my shower, no doors. Is it safe to use the dawn/vinegar solution on the marble or will it pit. If so what do you recommend?
Jamie Tarence says
February 28, 2017 at 8:08 amHi Anthony! I have only used the solution as I shared in the post; however, if you try the other mixture and it works, let us know!!
Anthony Diodati says
February 26, 2017 at 6:30 pmNow see, the Mix I read, said 32 Oz spray bottle, 1 cup Dawn. and fill the rest of the way with the white vinegar . In other words 1 part dawn, and 3 parts vinegar .
So do you think 1/2 and 1/2 is better?
Jamie Tarence says
February 14, 2017 at 6:43 amHi Gina, I have honed travertine walls and floor in my shower also. I just make sure to rinse the solution each time. I’ve been told sealing once a year is the best way to take care of travertine, so I haven’t made any other modifications. Hope this helps!!!
Gina George says
February 13, 2017 at 3:07 pmI have honed travertine on my shower floor, and would like to try to use the vinegar -Dawn cleaning idea for my glass shower door, however will this cause pitting in my travertine floor if I rinse off the door with water ? How do you get the mixture off the glass without it hitting the shower floor ? Are there other suggestions. Thanks
Jamie Tarence says
January 9, 2017 at 10:04 amHi Cynthia! I’ve never used anything but the white. You can certainly give it a try; however, since apple cider vinegar is sometimes brown, I wonder if it might stain? Let us know if you try it!!!!
Cynthia says
January 9, 2017 at 9:26 amWill apple cider vinegar work as a substitute for white? I have the cider vinegar on hand already.
Jamie Tarence says
December 26, 2016 at 8:36 amThanks for this helpful info!!! Gotta love Dawn!!!!
Idadho says
December 24, 2016 at 1:40 pmHeating the vinegar just speeds up the reaction between the vinegar and the Dawn. For every 10 degrees C one raises the temp of a chemical reaction, you double the speed of that reaction. It does not change the reaction. Dawn has a pH of 9. Common vinegar has a pH of 2.4 Some or all of the alkaline part of the Dawn will be neutralized by the vinegar.
If this combination actually did improve the cleaning action of Dawn, you can be guaranteed that P&G would formulate a Dawn shower spray. Likely, you would get the same result with Dawn diluted 1 to 1 with water. Dawn is a very strong cleaner. I use it to clean automotive grimes from my hands.
Carol O. says
October 28, 2016 at 4:13 pmNEVER Spray any vinegar on granite! Nor any mixture with vinegar in it. It will pit granite.
For a 22oz. spray bottle (I reuse cleaned out Spic n Span spray bottles) here is the recipe I use:
1c. White Vinegar
1\2c. Dawn (any kind)
Rest water
Plastic scrubber
I have a plastic coating on my shower walls (Bath Fitter Shower) and can’t use Comet, etc. This works like a charm. First time I cleaned with the Dawn mixture got about 90% of the scum off. I cleaned it a 2nd time about a week later and the walls were like new. I did not heat the vinegar, just mixed it after I put both in the bottle with water. (Gently rock bottle back and forth. If you shake it, it’s going to suds up!)Some say to use apple cider vinegar. I don’t think it makes a difference. I have not tried this on glass, but it does work on plexiglass\acrylic shower doors. I spray it on and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then spray it again when I start scrubbing.
Jamie Tarence says
October 9, 2016 at 10:29 pmHi Debbie! I have the glass shower doors but have heard from some friends that it works on their acrylic. Give it a try; it can’t hurt. Let me hear how it works!
Debbie says
October 8, 2016 at 6:42 pmDoes this work on acrylic shower doors as well or only glass ones?
Jamie Tarence says
September 16, 2016 at 3:24 pmHarvey, I certainly apologize for misleading anyone, and I’ve made the changes in the post. Thanks for pointing out that Dawn is neither natural nor non-toxic. That being said, the solution of Dawn and vinegar works beautifully to clean shower doors. We will just use for that purpose. Thanks for sharing all of this info!!!
Jamie Tarence says
September 16, 2016 at 3:23 pmHope it does the job for you, Brooke!! Thanks so much for writing!
Harvey says
September 16, 2016 at 2:10 pmI use this Dawn + vinegar mixture regularly and like what it can do. However, there are a couple of factual errors in your post that you should perhaps revisit. Firstly, this is NOT a non-toxic mixture. To say, “..it does so with completely natural, non-toxic ingredients” is grossly misleading (and, some might say, irresponsible). Vinegar is natural and non-toxic, but should still be treated with some care since it’s an acid. Acetic acid, to be more precise. Dawn dish soap is a chemical soup that has never claimed to be either natural or non-toxic.
Proctor & Gamble have listed some of the ingredients on their website (https://www.pg.com/productsafety/search_results.php?searchtext=Dawn&category=ingredients&submit=Search)
Please read them so you know what you are exposing yourself and family to. Do some Google searches on the ingredients and you will quickly find that Dawn contains many nasties, some of which are banned in other countries. This doesn’t mean that the cleaner combination shouldn’t be used (as I say, I use it) but people do need to be aware of exactly what they are using.
Secondly, heating the vinegar doesn’t make it “bond” better. Heating vinegar slightly makes the acid effect a little stronger. Most people wouldn’t notice any difference. If you use cleaning vinegar there is no need to heat at all since cleaning vinegar (usually 6%, sometimes as high as 12%) is stronger than the typical kitchen 5% vinegar.
Don’t use this mix on granite, travertine, marble, or any natural stone/tiles. The acid of the vinegar will cause pits in natural stone products. For this reason, care must be taken with the spray bottle and cloths – don’t put them down onto natural stone materials.
Please change the claims of this being non-toxic and natural. If it gets on a child’s skin or is ingested this mix has really horrible consequences. Ingested, it can kill.
I hope this helps your readers.
Brooke McAvoy says
August 11, 2016 at 8:45 amIt is so nice to have specific, detailed instructions for this type of cleaning solution. Shower doors can be tricky to clean, especially when they are mostly glass. This seems like a very easy solution to try, so I will be going to the store to buy a professional sprayer soon. Thank you for a helpful and informative article!
Jamie Tarence says
July 9, 2016 at 10:20 pmHi Christopher! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Christopher says
July 9, 2016 at 9:40 pmI use the mixture you posted, but I also use another mixture I found on Pinterest, but altered it a bit. Where I live we have pretty hard water that leaves hard water deposits on the tile. I use this mixture 2-3 times a week and yours for the once every week or two since I live alone.
It called for 24 Oz of water. I put in 8 Oz vinegar and the rest distilled water. 1/2 c hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 c rubbing alcohol, 2 T Blue Dawn dish detergent, 3 tsp Jet Dry rinse. I spray it on about 5 minutes or so before I start my shower. While I’m in the shower I have a tile scrub brush and hit any areas that might need it, which is not very often. I have an old wash cloth that I’ll lightly scrub the tiles with. When I’m finished with my shower I’ll rinse the tile and bathtub out. I’ll do this the 2-3 times a week. By doing this, it cuts down on the heavier cleaning.
Jamie Tarence says
July 9, 2016 at 4:45 pmHi Christopher! I agree with you! Zep sprayers are the best!! Mine are still going strong!!!
Christopher says
July 9, 2016 at 2:04 pmI have been using Zep Professional Sprayers for years. I worked at Home Depot and came across them there around 1997-98. I will only use them because they work. I would say the average sprayer lasts at least 10 years, which is about how often I have moved. As it has been said, nice larger spray handle, that is easy to grip, larger spray area, having to spray less often. The Ace Hardware near me sells them for $4.50, Home Depot $3.28. Ace is across the street from me, Home Depot is a 10-15 minute drive.
Jamie Tarence says
May 27, 2016 at 6:50 amYes, I’d love to hear if it works!!
A Piceno says
May 25, 2016 at 10:48 amI use Sunlight dish liquid for my dishes. I’ll give it a try with this, and let you know how it goes.
nan says
April 24, 2016 at 2:50 pmHaving a handheld shower head would be the trick…which I don’t…so went out and bought a squeegee…thanks for your reply! Really does work on the scum..
Jamie Tarence says
April 24, 2016 at 2:44 pmHi Nan! I wipe mine down with the washcloth that I shower with, then I rinse with the handheld shower head. It comes off easily for me. Hope this helps!
nan says
April 24, 2016 at 9:08 amWorks on soap scum, but definitely a lot of effort to get the soapy dawn mixture off the doors….think I will get a squeegee and try that…
Jamie Tarence says
April 24, 2016 at 6:53 amThanks for sharing, Wendy!!!
Wendy says
April 24, 2016 at 4:13 amI have a car washing product you spray on after you have cleaned your screens and it will stop anything clinging onto your glass. Only needs doing twice a year, smells great too. I am a professional car detailer and can guarantee success, all natural products. Many other household uses as well,
Jamie Tarence says
March 27, 2016 at 9:46 pmPeter, thanks so much for letting us know that it works for shower walls too! I have travertine, so I need to make sure it won’t harm the natural stone. Will report back when I find out! Blessings!
Peter says
March 27, 2016 at 6:47 pmI found this same recipe elsewhere for the entire shower. I used it, and it works. You just let it set for a few minutes and rinse.
Peter says
March 27, 2016 at 6:45 pmIt works on walls too.
Jamie Tarence says
March 24, 2016 at 6:17 amHi Lee! So glad it worked beautifully with a generic dish soap! Now that you have your doors squeaky clean, all it takes it a few days a week maintenance. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Blessings to you!
Lee says
March 24, 2016 at 5:08 amHi Jamie! I just tried this with a generic dishwashing soap and it worked like a charm! I sprayed and rinsed the inside of my glass shower door about 3 times to make sure to get the scum off. The third time, I let the solution sit on the glass for a few minutes and then rinsed it off. The glass is sparkling! Thanks for the all-natural tip! :)
Jamie Tarence says
March 16, 2016 at 9:29 pmHi Sarah, this is for shower doors only. I am sure that another type of mixture would be better for walls depending on the type of material. Hope this helps!
Sarah Anderson says
March 16, 2016 at 1:35 pmI have always liked shower enclosures a lot, but have always found the glass to be difficult to clean. Hopefully this is going to be able to work for me, because then I won’t have to deal with scrubbing so much. Does this help with cleaning the rest of the walls too, or is it just a glass door cleaner?
Jamie Tarence says
March 8, 2016 at 6:38 amSusan, thanks for taking time to comment! I am so thrilled that you enjoy the blog. Blessings to you!!!
Susan Woodville says
March 8, 2016 at 6:23 amIt’s a very simple and efficient recipe. My sister is trying recently to quit using harsh chemical detergents and to clean more naturally, so your post will be of a great help for her. I’m definitely recommending your tips to her and to some friends too. Greets, Susan from http://bloomsburycarpetcleaners.org.uk/ :)
Susan Woodville says
March 8, 2016 at 6:22 amIt’s a very simple and efficient recipe. My sister is trying recently to quit using harsh chemical detergents and to clean more naturally, so your post will be of a great help for her. I’m definitely recommending your tips to her and to some friends too. Greets,
Jamie Tarence says
March 6, 2016 at 10:16 pmHi Amber! I’ve never used any other brand except Dawn. When doing the research for the formula, everything that I read said to use Dawn. I hope this helps!!!
Amber says
March 6, 2016 at 4:49 pmDoes it have to be Dawn or will it work with any other brand?
Jamie Tarence says
February 20, 2016 at 1:03 pmHi Melodie! I just leave it on during my shower and wipe it off with my washcloth before getting out. No squeegee necessary:-)
Melodie says
February 19, 2016 at 1:04 pmHow long do you leave it on before you use the squeegee?
Jamie Tarence says
February 9, 2016 at 7:17 pmHi Gretchen, I usually just spray it before I shower, then use my washcloth after showering to wipe it down before rinsing. It is much easier than using a squeegie:-) Thanks for commenting!
Gretchen says
February 9, 2016 at 9:49 amDo you spray it and let it “set” and then rinse? Or spray then wipe? Do you think once a week would keep it clean?…I’m not a squeegie-after-every-shower kind of girl…
Jamie Tarence says
September 27, 2015 at 2:10 pmHi Arlene,
I’ve never tried it so don’t know. If you find out, let us know how it works!
Arlene Richardson says
September 25, 2015 at 12:29 pmDo you think this solution would work on the inside and outside of car windshields? It is so hard to cut the grease etc. on the glass.
Jamie Tarence says
September 1, 2015 at 6:53 pmLesley, thanks so much for the compliments! We are definitely enjoying our new bathroom space:-) Blessings to you!
Lesley Kuszlyk says
September 1, 2015 at 4:45 pmLove how the bath and shower are separate but are in the same wall. This would be a pretty simple design to do. I’m in love with the grey tiles too.
walk in tub Sacramento says
August 28, 2015 at 7:47 amYes! Finally someone writes about access bathroom requires.
Jamie Tarence says
July 28, 2015 at 10:00 amHi Jennifer! I have new shower tile~honed travertine~and am not worried at all about the solution. Since I spray it and leave it on just while showering, I think it is fine. I just make sure to rinse well after using.
Jennifer says
July 26, 2015 at 3:09 pmCan this solution cause any problem with granite, ceramic tile or grout? Under the shower door is a granite threshold and we have small grouted tiles on shower floor.
Jamie Tarence says
July 25, 2015 at 11:54 amHi Janice! It keeps well sitting out until time to refill! I do shake mine if it ever needs it; otherwise, it has a great shelf life!!
Janice says
July 24, 2015 at 11:58 amCan this mixture sit until the next use or do you have to mix a fresh mix every time you need to clean?