However, your shower is not totally invulnerable. The average shower experiences temperature swings, humidity, and water buildup every single day. The more your shower is used (and the less it’s cleaned and maintained), the more likely you are to sustain damage like clouding, scratching, and rust.
Today we’re helping you better understand rust, how it accumulates, how to prevent it, and how to remove it if you’re already seeing it on your bathroom fixtures, such as faucets, showerheads, and shower doors.
What is Rust?
Rust is a deposit that coats iron and steel when the process of oxidation occurs, usually due to moisture. Metals that are frequently wet can experience this oxidation and develop the signature red-brown rust that is flaky and even corrosive.
Rust can wear away at the metal surface, causing weakness and breakage, and increased rust buildup can interfere with the range of motion the fixture usually performs. For example, rust buildup on a hinge can make the hinge screechy and difficult to manipulate, even sticking permanently over time.
Bathroom Rust
Rust is common in bathrooms due to the presence of extra moisture and the use of metal fixtures. Dissolved iron in the water that comes through your sink, showerhead, or toilet can be left on surfaces and undergo oxidation that deposits the reddish flakes of rust. You’ll often find rust around chrome sink fixtures, the base of toilets and inside the toilet tank, and around the showerhead, tub faucet, and shower fixtures.
Prevention
Preventing bathroom rust is a great measure that all homeowners should take. You can decrease the chances of rust deposits by doing the following:
- Using a water softener that removes mineral deposits (including excess iron)
- Securely fastening all faucets & fixtures
- Regularly replacing linings and caulk around water lines
- Properly ventilating the bathroom with fans & windows
- Drying all surfaces with a towel or rag after use
Best Tips for Removing Rust from Shower Doors
When you see the first signs of rust, you need to remove it. Rust is corrosive, so it will continue to cause damage and weaken your fixtures the longer you let it sit on the surface. There are a few strategies for removing rust once you begin to see it on fixtures and shower doors.
- Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide with a microfiber cloth
- Lemon juice and a ball of tin foil for scrubbing
- Bar Keeper’s Friend and a sponge
- Baking soda mixed with enough water to make a paste, then applied to tough rust stains for 20+ minutes, then scrubbed away
Once rust has been thoroughly removed you may want to consider using a sealant for the rust-prone areas, and WD-40 or other lubricants for shower door hinges to prevent squeaking and impaired range of motion.
Murray Glass Solutions
Murray Glass’s custom glass solutions can solve any problem and meet any design challenge you have. See what we’ve done for other clients and reach out for help today. We serve Salt Lake, Tooele, Summit, Utah, and Weber counties in Utah.
