Restoring glass to its original luster after Mexico’s hard water takes its toll

Glass panels take a beating from hard water in Mexico. Photo: Courtesy

I don’t know about you, but I love sparkling crystal-clear glass. Unfortunately, after 10 years in our condo, I noticed that the glass shower doors were starting to show their age.

Even though we used a squeegee to wipe off excess water after every shower, used various cleaning solutions and cleaned our shower doors weekly, time still took its toll.

I did some online research and tried some of the recommended approaches. We tried using a variety of different solutions made from regular household cleaners as well as several commercial-grade cleaners. Although they did help somewhat, we were unable to find any solution that would bring the glass back to that new, sparkling look we so wanted.

Last week, I decided to try out a new service available in Puerto Vallarta that offers to restore glass back to almost new condition. This company advertises that it uses a nanotech material that will clean the glass and keep it looking new longer. Anything that saves detergent and maintenance sounds good to me.

Before I reveal the results, it is important to know what causes our glass to become cloudy. Two main culprits keep your glass from looking crystal-clear — hard water and soap scum.

According to Alex Rodríguez, who owns the glass cleaning company, the hard water in our area contains calcium and magnesium, among other minerals that make it prone to build up. When we finish showering, any water that is left on the glass eventually evaporates leaving behind the calcium and magnesium. These hard water spots are hard to remove even with vinegar and water and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

In addition to mineral build-up, soap scum also causes glass to become cloudy over time. Especially if you use a bar of soap instead of liquid soap, the calcium and magnesium ions in our water can combine to add another layer of cloudiness to the glass.

Having exhausted the options of do-it-yourself, I contacted Alex. He and his employees showed up as promised. First, they did an inspection of the glass. Alex pointed out some minor scratches on the outside of the glass. These were likely caused accidentally with a ring during cleaning. He also took pictures of the glass so that we could later compare the results.

First, Alex and his team wiped down the glass to ensure it was clean. By hand, they applied a paste to the glass, wiping in a circular motion. As they continued, they carefully inspected to ensure the mineral stains, and soap scum stains were coming off. After rinsing with water, they buffed the glass with a handheld machine.

When finished, I was amazed at how the glass shower doors looked brand new. Even the scratches were gone. I didn’t hesitate in asking them to clean our remaining shower doors and the glass railing on our balcony which had some mineral build-up. Although there is a little dust that settles after that you may have to clean up, I was very impressed with the results.

Want more info? Contact the Sheryl Novak, an expat from Canada who sells furniture throughout Mexico, at sa.novak@solutionsmexico.com.

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