Cleaning the Glass Shower Screen, Stainless Door, and Chrome Fixtures

Cleaning the glass shower screen, the brushed stainless steel inward-swing door, and the chrome fixtures on an Ella's Bubbles walk-in tub takes the gentlest method: a soft, lint-free cloth and warm soapy water, followed by a rinse with clean water. The screen should never see alcohol, petroleum-based liquids, or strong chemical cleaners. The stainless steel door is designed to be removed so you can reach behind it. Chrome parts stay bright longest when you rinse the tub after Epsom salts, which can spot or discolor chrome if left to dry.

Cleaning the 4-Fold Glass Shower Screen

The instructions that ship with the 4-fold shower screen are short and clear:

• Do not use abrasive or strong cleaning solutions on the shower enclosure, such as alcohol, petroleum liquids, or any other chemical cleaner.
• For dirty stains, clean with a soft lint-free cloth and warm soapy water, then rinse with clean water afterwards.

That is the whole method. Gritty or abrasive cleaners will mark the glass and the frame, so keep the harsher bathroom products for surfaces they were designed for. The same guidance applies to the glass shower screen on the LayDown models: clean after use with soap and water, and avoid contact with strong chemicals. If you are ever unsure about a product, check with that cleaner's manufacturer before using it on the enclosure.

One useful distinction: the tub cleaning instructions do allow denatured alcohol on the acrylic tub shell for stubborn construction debris. That permission is for the shell only. It does not extend to the shower enclosure, which has its own rule against alcohol. The full shell list is in approved cleaners and chemicals to avoid.

Hard Water Districts: Clean After Each Use

If you live in an area with hard water, the glass screen care instructions ask you to clean the glass with soap and water after each use. Insoluble lime salts can deposit on the glass and build up over time, and a quick wipe and rinse while the screen is still wet is far easier than removing dried scale later. A soft cloth is all you need; do not reach for a scouring pad even on visible spotting.

The Stainless Steel Inward Door Comes Off for Cleaning

Ella's Bubbles inward-swing door tubs (the Elite, Petite, Royal, Deluxe, Ultimate, and the two-seat Companion and Escape) use a custom crafted brushed stainless steel door with a frosted tempered glass panel. That door is removable, and detaching it is the intended way to clean the hard-to-reach places behind and beneath it. Ella's Bubbles video guides describe the stainless steel door as removable for convenient cleaning and note that its detachable design makes those hard-to-reach places easier to get to.

A few points to keep in mind:

• The door handle is not designed to be removed if it came installed on the tub. To gain access, the whole door is removed from its hinges rather than the handle from the door. Our stainless steel inward door operation article covers lifting the door off and rehanging it.
• With the door off, wipe the door, the frame, and the area around the seal with the same soft cloth and warm soapy water you use on the screen, then rinse and dry. Avoid abrasive pads and abrasive cleaners on the brushed finish and the frosted glass.
• When the tub is not in use, leave the door open. This is the standing recommendation for door seal life on every Ella's Bubbles tub.

Detailed seal care, including how to restore a seal that has been compressed, is covered in our door seal article. The LayDown tempered glass door lifts off its hinges the same way; see operating and caring for the LayDown glass door. If you are not sure how to remove your specific door, open a ticket with your model name and we will send the steps for it.

Watch: Walk-In Tub with Custom Brushed Stainless Steel Inward Swing Door for Safe Bathing with chapters and a full transcript.

The video above tours the inward-swing door family. It shows the custom crafted brushed stainless steel door with frosted tempered glass and points out that these doors are removable for convenient cleaning. It also shows the bright, easy-to-clean acrylic shell, the ozone sterilization that helps keep the tub sanitary, and the Auto Purge that clears moisture from the air system after a bath, and it notes that every inward-swing door tub can be fitted with a 4-fold glass shower screen or a rain head shower column.

Chrome Fixtures: Rinse After Epsom Salts

Epsom salts will not harm the jetting system, so you are welcome to use them. The one caution in the Ella's Bubbles FAQ is about chrome: Epsom salt may affect the chrome finish, most likely causing discoloration and spots on the chrome surface. The published advice is simply to rinse the tub after using Epsom salts so salt residue does not dry on the faucet, hand shower, or other chrome surfaces. A quick rinse and a wipe with a soft cloth is enough. The full guidance is in Epsom salts and bath products rules.

For everyday cleaning of chrome and the acrylic around it, use a non-abrasive product from the approved list published at ellasbubbles.com/walk-in-tub/cleaning-maintenance/ (Dawn dish detergent and Simple Green products are among them), and never an abrasive cleaner or scouring pad. Brushed nickel faucets get the same soft cloth and soapy water treatment.

Quick Reference

Related Guides

• Which Glass Shower Screen Fits Your Ella Tub and Where It Mounts
• What Are the Shell, Frame, Door and Towel Bar of an Ella Walk-In Tub Made Of?
• Glass Door and Screen Options Beyond the 4-Fold: Sliding Doors, the Tidy Screen, the LayDown Bi-Fold and the Primo Door
• Do Ella glass shower doors come in frosted glass or non-chrome frame finishes?

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and we will be glad to help.