Maintenance is Vital!
To keep the glass of your new shower enclosure crystal clear for as long as possible be sure to clean the glass with a squeegee and towel AFTER EACH EXPOSURE TO WATER. Waiting too long between cleanings allows water spots, mold, and other things to build up. Once these elements take hold THEY CANNOT BE COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE GLASS.
The picture to the left, taken in March 2007, is of Corey's brother Scott's 1/2" frameless glass shower enclosure. Although it was installed in August 2002, the glass remains spotless. Scott is also in the heavy glass shower enclosure business and practices what they both preach, strictly following the maintenance procedures outlined under the Daily Use Instructions below.
The First 72 hours After Installation of a new shower enclosure are the most important!
The first 72 hours after installation of your new shower enclosure are the most important. Glass doors can become misaligned quite easily. Therefore, during the first 24 hours after installation, the door and/or glass panels of your new shower enclosure SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHED in any way, as opening and closing the door could result in permanent misalignment. This will not only cause potential leaks, but will destroy the appearance of the door, as it will not line up properly with the adjacent panels.
Following completion of your new shower enclosure both the sealant and the VHB tape (very high bond) used for the seals need to cure. This process requires 72 hours. During this time the door CANNOT be exposed to ANY liquid, including water, cleansers and even steam from a bath tub in the same room. Once the seals and sealant have cured however, the door will be ready for use.
When the 72 hour curing period has passed, clean the inside of the glass with paper towels and a glass cleaner that contains no ammonia.
Next, apply C.R. Laurence's TPC Surface Protector, supplied to you by California Inspirations. Surface protection products seal the pores of glass, porcelain, ceramic, plastic, polished metal, fiberglass and marble, making these surfaces water, soil and stain resistant. This product is not a substitute for toweling or squeegeeing your shower enclosure after each use. But it does help to guard against the adhesion and build-up of dirt, grime, molds, mildew, rust and mineral deposits; thereby aiding with preventative maintenance, and reducing costly cleaning, repairs and replacement.
To see First Aid Measures for this product, click here.
Your initial bottle of shower protector, available only through professional glazing companies, should last for several years. When it comes time to purchase another bottle, you can either contact California Inspirations or purchase a similar product from a local hardware store.
Apply the protector once every one to three months. When the water no longer beads on the surface of the glass, this is a good indication that it is time to reapply the surface protector. Simply follow the directions on the back of the bottle--spray it on and polish it off.
California Inspirations recommends that you apply the CRL TPC Protector to both sides of the metal surfaces as well. This will help keep these surfaces cleaner longer. As mentioned above, this process is NOT a one-time application. It will need to be repeated from time to time. For more information read the directions on the back of the bottle.
To view "Tech Tips" on this product at the manufacturer's website, click here.
Daily Use Instructions
The best way to insure that your new shower enclosure remain looking like new for as long as possible is to follow these guide lines:
- Designate a soft, absorbent, "shower drying" towel and the best hand-held squeegee available. Keep these items in or near your shower.
- After showering, squeegee the glass and walls of the shower enclosure. Removing this excess water is the first step to preventing future problems.
- Get as much of the water on the floor as possible to go down the drain. You can accomplish this by using the squeegee on the floor of the shower and moving all of the remaining water towards the drain.
- Towel dry the small drops of water the squeegee left behind on the glass and walls.
- Lastly, leave the shower door in the open position. This will allow any moisture still in the shower enclosure to dry naturally over the course of the day. After eight hours, you can close the shower door and enjoy the beauty of your new California Inspirations shower!
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it only takes 3-5 minutes per day. The best part is that by following this simple practice after each use, you can avoid spending an hour on the weekends scrubbing your shower enclosure with chemicals that can potentially damage the seals, sealant and metal shower components.
In addition, if you follow the above steps, you may only need to clean your shower once a month or less, depending on the ventilation of your bathroom! Ahhhh, the beauty of preventative maintenance!
Warnings
Warning 1 - Closing the Shower Enclosure door properly
The hinges on frameless shower door enclosures are spring-loaded. Therefore, NEVER, at any time, allow the door to slam shut! Slamming the door results can result in one of two events:
- The seals along the vertical edges of the door could be torn off, or
- The door could slip past the seals and become stuck towards the inside of the shower enclosure
Either one of these two instances could necessitate costly repairs. You can avoid this situation by closing the door gently, and purposefully.
Warning 2 - Harmful Cleaning Agents
Although some tile and porcelain can withstand regular use of chemical cleaners such as the plethora of daily shower cleaners and/or deep-cleaning mildew cleansers on the market, much of the natural stone and marble, as well as the shower enclosure seals, perimeter sealants and metal components can be severely damaged by these products. Even the fumes from these chemicals can damage these surfaces and will VOID THE WARRANTY ON YOUR NEW SHOWER ENCLOSURE.
Please use only cleansers that are similar in chemical make-up to those that you would use on your own body, i.e. mild soap and water.
Remember this simple rule: If it requires no effort on your part, it is probably bad for your shower enclosure.
The bottom line is that daily squeegeeing and towel drying is the easiest and safest way to maintain the beauty of your shower over an extended period of time.
