Glass Shelf Bathroom Remodel

Glass Shelf Bathroom Remodel

Glass Bathroom Shelves - Selecting the Best Finish For Your Bathroom

By Cheryl Marland

A glass bathroom shelf is a great choice to brighten up your bathroom. However, there are many different options to choose from when it comes to finish. The glass itself is just glass, but the metal that supports your shelf can come in many different colors and looks. When we were redoing the shelves for our bathroom, we took a look at all these different finishes to find the one that would work best for us. There were so many to choose from! Here's some information on all the ones we looked at.

Oil Rubbed Bronze

A finish in oil rubbed bronze has a surface that's been darkened by chemical means, and simulates the look of aged bronze. This finish can be anywhere from chocolate brown to deep gray, and has undertones of copper. Hardware manufacturers interpret this finish in many different ways, so if you want to match existing oil rubbed bronze, you may have to stick with the same manufacturer. This finish is fairly durable and should have a lacquer coating. To maintain it, avoid cleaners and detergents. Simply wipe with a soft dampened cloth, instead.

Polished Chrome

Chrome plating on brass and steel are fairly common for fixtures. Chrome has a cooler silver tone than nickel and does not tarnish, so is rarely lacquered. This has been the primary decorative plating for many fixtures since the 1930s, since it's hard and scratch resistant. If you want to match an art deco bathroom, this is definitely the right choice. There's no protective coating, but you can wax it. To get stains out, use a mild ammonia solution. Otherwise, just wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Satin Nickel

A little less common than polished chrome, nickel plated fixtures are still being made. This may also be called brushed nickel, due to its dull appearance - much like brushed steel and aluminum, but less blue in tone. It's coated in lacquer to protect it.

Polished Nickel

The polished version of the nickel finish, this kind of fixture is brighter and shinier than a satin nickel fixture. It may or may not be coated to protect it, and is an excellent period look for pre-1930s style bathrooms. It's softer than chrome and scratches more easily, but has warmer undertones that may be more appealing. A dull tarnish may appear in humid rooms, but a soft cloth and ammonia remove it easily.

Antique Brass

Another coating which has been chemically darkened, antique brass looks like an old brass fixture. This is usually medium brown, and may have gold undertones. Just like oil rubbed bronze, it can vary a lot from one product to the next, so be sure to compare carefully. This kind of fixture might feature brushing, and has a glossy finish that can be further protected with wax. To maintain, wipe clean, and avoid harsh cleaners.

Polished Brass

Bright and sunny, polished brass is a great choice for anyone who wants natural brass hardware in their home. To keep the finish bright, it's protected with a lacquer coating that keeps it from tarnishing and looking old. It's one of the best common finishes for glass bathroom shelf hardware. However, it can be easily scratched, so you have to take care of it, and older coatings may have trouble with hard water. Fortunately, we found that most of the newer epoxy bases are impervious to it.

Time Tested Tips on How to Clean Your Glass Bathroom Shelves

By Cheryl Marland

Everyone wants to have a sparkling bathroom. There are an abundance of products that can be used to clean your glass bathroomshelves and keep them clean. With the great look they provide for your bathroom, the last thing you want to see are dirty shelves and water stains.

Vinegar and Water is a Great Glass Cleaner

Using a spray bottle that you can purchase at your local retailer, mix vinegar and water half and half. The mixture should be shaken well. Spray it on your glass shelves and wipe with your cleaning cloth. Make sure this is a dry cloth. The mixture will remove any dirt and for the final step you can use a crumpled newspaper to go over the glass. You will have a streak free sparkling clean shelf.

If you are fighting tough dirt that has accumulated for a while on your glass shelves, you may want to make the vinegar solution a little stronger. Or even use the vinegar full strength to get rid of built-up grime. Proceed with the steps as outlined above and your glass shelves will look as good as new.

Windex

Windex is another excellent cleaner for glass shelves. The improved Windex is much better at cleaning without leaving streaks. However, you can use newspaper with Windex the same as you did with the vinegar. This is guaranteed to leave your shelves streak-free.

Simple Green

This is a fairly new product that was manufactured to keep up with the latest in going green. Available in lemon scent or original this cleaner can be sprayed on the glass shelf and wiped clean with a cloth or sponge. It works wonders and will help the environment at the same time.

Squeegees

Small squeegees are available that are similar to the ones used at the gas station for your car windows. These are made basically the same except they are smaller. Use the cleaner of your choice and then squeegee the shelf for a nice clean look.

Old Fashioned Solutions

One half cup of ammonia added to a gallon of water or two tablespoons for every quart you mix will clean your glass shelves. This was a method used by people before there were many choices when it came to cleaning glass.

Another solution for cleaning those dirty glass shelves is one half cup ammonia, 2 cups alcohol and a teaspoon of dish soap added to a gallon of water. This will have those shelves squeaky clean in no time.

More Modern Solutions

For removing tough rings on glass shelves, a Magic eraser works wonders. All you need to do is rub it over the rings on the shelf and magically they disappear. Another item used for this purpose is a Japanese eraser. They are available at Amazon and work basically like the Magic eraser. Rub it over the ring and it will erase it from the glass. This also works very well for lime deposits which may appear as a result of the dampness in the bathroom.