Despite persistent warnings, more than 40 million Americans continue to smoke cigarettes or cigars on a routine basis. Not only is it an addictive, costly habit that can drain their bank accounts and cause illness, it will leave behind a pervasive, harmful residue too. It’s made up of more than 6,500 chemicals, which are often extremely hard to remove from bathroom mirrors, glass surfaces and shower doors. However, the task is not impossible to complete, providing that the right products and procedures are in place.
One of the easiest ways to remove tobacco smoke residue from bathroom mirrors and shower doors is to apply steam. Even though the residue is oily, the steam will soften it up to the point where it can simply be wiped away with a clean cloth. However, not all of us have ready access to high quality steamers. Plus, as we mentioned before, the residue contains many chemicals and not all of them are water-soluble. That said, household rubbing alcohol will typically dissolve some of the smoke residue too. It is ideal for removing smoke residue that contains chemicals like vinyl chloride, polonium, lead, butane and toluene.
Other common cleaners that may help freshen up shower doors coated with smoke residue are white vinegar, ammonia, degreaser, oxygenated and chlorine bleach. However, they shouldn’t be used without hesitation. Why? Those types of cleaners give off strong fumes and may damage certain surfaces. For instance, some commercially available containers of bleach are not as pure as others. As such, they could turn plastic shower doors yellow or cause decorative elements to fade. People who own glass shower doors should take heed too because bleach also has the power to create etching and discoloration. Therefore, use them at your own risk. To learn more about repairing or replacing nicotine stained shower doors and mirrors, please contact us today.
