My Shower Door Was Permanently Cloudy Until I Tried This Overnight Vinegar Trick

I wasn’t planning to deep clean anything. I just noticed my shower door looked permanently cloudy, even right after cleaning. Water spots, soap residue, that dull film that never really goes away. So one night, almost out of curiosity, I sprayed vinegar on the glass and went to bed.

Before Image

Why I Even Tried Vinegar

I’ve cleaned this door a hundred times. Sprays, wipes, scrubbing. It always looked better for a day, then right back to cloudy.

Vinegar felt low-risk. No chemicals, no effort. I wasn’t expecting a miracle. I just wanted to see if leaving it alone for once would do something different.

What I Did (Nothing Fancy)

• Sprayed white vinegar directly on the shower door
• Spread it around with a cloth so everything was wet
• Walked away and left it overnight
• Rinsed it in the morning
• Wiped it dry

That’s it. No scrubbing. No second step.

After Image

What I Noticed Right Away

The first thing was the feel. The glass didn’t have that sticky, grabby texture anymore. It felt smoother, like the surface had been reset.

Visually, it wasn’t blindingly perfect, but the cloudiness was noticeably lighter. The spots didn’t jump out at you anymore.

The Real Difference Showed Up Later

This is the part I didn’t expect.

Over the next few showers:

• Water didn’t dry into heavy spots the way it usually does
• The glass stayed clearer longer
• When I wiped it down, residue came off fast

Normally, by day three, the door looks tired again. This time, it didn’t.

Why This Works Better Than Quick Cleaning

Quick sprays clean what’s on the surface. Leaving vinegar overnight gives it time to loosen the mineral buildup that causes that stubborn haze.

You’re not forcing anything. You’re letting chemistry do the work while you sleep.

What This Won’t Fix

If your shower door has deep mineral etching or years of buildup, this won’t magically erase it. It’s not a restoration trick.

But for regular soap scum and hard water film, it makes the glass behave better, not just look better for a day.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes. Not every week, but whenever the door starts feeling cloudy again. It takes five minutes and saves a lot of scrubbing later.