Impossible-to-remove hard water deposits

[Duer 157099]

I will be astonished if anyone can help solve this.

I've tried: vinegar, CLR, anti-rust gels, various other anti-lime products and am now into sulfamic acid.

W.T.F. ?????

There is a very thin layer of calcium carbonate still remaining on the glass shower door, no matter what I try! 3 days soaking in vinegar? Nope. I thought CLR was the ultimate solution but nope, doesn't seem to do a damn thing.

Help? I really don't want to resort to HCl (muriatic acid) but I will if someone knows that will work and won't etch the glass.

This is the most frustrating DIY thing I've ever encountered.

Any creative solution thoughts? I know the idea is to dissolve the calcium carbonate with an acid, but cannot for the life of me figure out why it isn't happening.

Even those magic erasers don't touch it.

[NMDemDist2]

1. did you try Barkeepers Friend?

i've always had excellent luck removing all kinds of deposits on glass, porcelain and stainless with a paste of BKF. a non toxic cheap thing to try anyway

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/showers

[Duer 157099]

2. Yep

both the powder and liquid forms. Believe me, I have tried everything I can think of.

[NMDemDist2]

3. i'm assuming it's 'pebbled' glass?

if not, use a razor blade & BKF

[Duer 157099]

4. Nope, flat smooth regular glass

Razor blade will be the last thing I try ... and I'm getting close....

[NMDemDist2]

5. i used BKF & razors on my glass stove top all the time

just made sure to keep it wet and used a holder like this and never had an issue. i would think a shower door is tougher than a stove top

[Duer 157099]

7. Problem is that when it is wet, I can't see the lime

I just tried the razor to make sure that it *does* at least come off, and indeed it does, but man.... what happened to chemistry?!?!? Why isn't chemistry working?

[NMDemDist2]

11. you'll 'feel' it withe the razor and it's not that large an area

so do the whole thing. twice.

[Duer 157099]

12. Yeah, I have been doing that

First was using vinegar as the wetting agent, then went to water.

Is there any chance that I'm actually shaving away layers of the glass?? Can a razor blade do that?

[NMDemDist2]

18. nah, i wouldn't worry about that n/t

[Scuba]

6. I use CLR, a Scotch Brite Pad and elbow grease. Does the trick, but it is some work.

[Warpy]

8. I use the CLR and a razor blade

For the ring of really nasty lime deposits in the toilet, I use a pumice stone from the beauty section at Walgreen's. It's work.

Once the scuzz is off the shower door, go to a bath and bedding store and get a small plastic squeegee to hang on a press on hook near the outside of the shower. Just squeegee it down after using and you'll have little trouble with lime deposits.

Lime deposits are why I cringe at those glittering all glass shower surrounds on HGTV.

[NMDemDist2]

10. we have an all glass shower these days

it's been hit with furniture polish over and over as part of the weekly cleaning, it doesn't build up now at all

[Duer 157099]

14. I was thinking that when I finally get it all off, that I'd use Rain-X

Wonder if that would work?

[NMDemDist2]

15. i tried that, but Dollar General furniture polish seemed to work as well and LOTS cheaper n/t

[Warpy]

16. I only have doors

over a tub and a 10 second zip with the squeegee does it.

I just wish there was an easy fix for the toilet bowl scuzz besides getting in there every day with the pumice stone. Yuck.

[Sedona]

9. Magic eraser

http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser

or

Kaboom

http://www.kaboomkaboom.com/

[Duer 157099]

13. Magic erasers didn't even touch it

Tried and tried and tried

[Sedona]

17. try the Kaboom

leave it set for 10-15 minutes before using a scotch brite scrubber on it.

[flying_wahini]

19. I figured out a way that works if you still have problems with water spots

use white vinegar and get it very hot but not boiling.....
mix with blue Dawn dishwashing detergent 50/50.
squirt or spray on thickly back to back about 10 min apart (i reheated it in-between)

use the hottest water from your shower spray and rinse well using a microfiber cloth to help dislodge
any problem areas.

that's it!

I use the rain guard on after I get it clean - two coats - let it dry in-between then
polish the glass. warning!!! keep a window cracked and a fan going when you do the
rain guard. it's very strong and dangerous smelling.