Having a good shower is always a nice feature to have in your house, but what’s the use of having one if you can’t get the doors shut? The tracks underneath the doors, which allow them to open, often get infested with grime, grease, soap scum, and many more obstacles.
Because of this, they need to be cleaned frequently to ensure that the doors can still operate without too much hassle. This can be easier said than done and will often require a wide range of tools and chemicals to break down the residue.
Of course, this task will seem like a huge struggle when you have no idea where to start. It can be overwhelming, especially if your shower door tracks look pretty nasty!
That’s why we’ve got this guide for you, so you can know where to start and prevent yourself from turning this molehill into a mountain.
What Are Shower Door Tracks?
The shower door track is an area located on the bottom of the door frame that allows it to open and close smoothly. Making sure that this area of the shower is clear is important because of what the tracks do. If your shower doors become stiff and hard to open, then it’s more than likely that there’s a build-up of some sort of material.
It’s made up of two pieces: the upper part, which is usually metal or plastic, and the lower part, which is usually wood. These parts are designed to fit together to create a smooth opening and closing motion. When the shower door is closed, the track holds it in place by using a series of hinges.
However, as soon as the door opens, the track releases these hinges and lets the door move freely. It does this by attaching itself to the wall at the back of the door frame.
The problem is that over time, the track becomes covered in various types of debris such as soap scum, water stains, dirt, and other kinds of contaminants. As a result, the track begins to look dirty and grimy, making it harder to clean. In addition, the build-up also makes the door less effective as a barrier against moisture and humidity.
How Often Should I Clean My Door Tracks?
This depends on how well-maintained your shower is. If it has been properly taken care of, then the track should not need cleaning very often. On the other hand, if it hasn’t been cleaned in quite some time, then it may be harder to remove all of these unwanted surface features like grime and grease.
Even though it may seem like more effort cleaning your shower more frequently, you can make things easier for yourself by cleaning more regularly.
By cleaning your shower tracks more frequently, you ensure that the build-up of these materials and substances is stopped before they have a chance to solidify themselves in your shower. After all, the more time they have to build, the harder they will be to remove.
What Do I Need To Clean My Shower Tracks?
You’re going to need some supplies before you start your new job, which we have outlined right here for you. You’ll need some white vinegar or distilled vinegar as your key ingredient so that you can start breaking down the horrible residue and soap scum on your shower tracks. Paper towels will be essential for spreading the vinegar across all areas of the affected locations.
On top of this, you will also need an old toothbrush for scrubbing and cleaning. Ideally, you don’t want to get the vinegar on your hands because it may sting any open cuts or can leave your skin with a strong acidic smell that we all know vinegar possesses. You might find it useful to get some Q-Tips for the small and hard places to reach that your toothbrushes can’t get to.
Finally, you’ll need a spray bottle of some shape or size to rinse the affected areas down with water once you’ve finished applying all of the vinegar to the shower tracks. Once you have all of these tools at your disposal, you can get cracking and start to clean your shower tracks.
After you’ve completed this process once, you’ll be able to do it with a blindfold. Although, we wouldn’t recommend doing it with a blindfold!
The Cleaning Process
Start by applying some vinegar onto a paper towel until the material is soaked. Lay this onto the shower tracks so that the vinegar can start to break down the dirt molecules. Leave these towels to soak for around half an hour so that there’s sufficient time to settle. You’ll need enough paper towels to cover the full length of the exposed shower tracks.
You may want to open a window or have an exhaust fan so that the smell from the vinegar doesn’t linger for too long.
After this period of time, remove the towels and grab your toothbrush for some more thorough cleaning. Run the brush along the tracks, with removing the debris and dirt being quite easy.
Of course, if it’s too hard to remove then it might be best to add some more vinegar for a while. The Q-Tips can be useful in areas like corners and screws where toothbrushes are too big.
Once you’re satisfied with your cleaning, fill your spray bottle with some water to remove the vinegar from the surfaces. Warm and soapy water usually does the trick, but be aware that steam may cause condensation to affect the glass panels of your shower area.
That’s that! not so bad after all!
Final Thoughts
It’s easy for all parts of your bathroom to get dirty- from the tracks on the shower to the bathroom sink or the often white walls that show all kinds of dirty.
But cleaning your shower tracks isn’t as bad as you might first expect. With a routine and the right set of tools, you can remove soap scum and other bits of dirt with some white vinegar, a paper towel or two, and some warm water.
Of course, when it comes to cleaning their shower, everyone will want to make sure that their shower doors are clean. But the reality is that the shower tracks are just as important when it comes to functionality.
The easiest way to complete this task is to put on some music, open a window, and leap straight in. Repeat this process once or twice every few weeks and you’ll find it a lot easier with each cleaning routine completed!
Of course, if you’re in the Colorado area, you can always let Mop Stars handle it too!