Care and Maintenance of your Shower Doors
Your New Craft Diston shower door or tub enclosure is a quality product that should
last for many years if properly maintained. When properly installed, the unit
should be trouble free and need only proper cleaning to provide long-lasting
service.
Checking for Proper Installation
If your unit is properly installed, it should slide, pivot or swing freely
without any obstruction. On frameless units, at no point should the glass drag
on or hit against the aluminum. For sliders, the inside panel is designed to close against
the wall where the showerhead is. The vertical edge of the glass should
be adjusted to be parallel to the wall, while the outside panel should be parallel
to the opposite wall. Both panels should slide into the jamb without hitting
the aluminum. Special bumpers help to guide the glass into the jambs. Your
unit should be checked periodically to insure that it remains in proper
adjustment. Note: using a frameless shower door when it is out of adjustment may cause the glass
to break.
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Care of Aluminum
The aluminum in your shower door is durable and resistant to water 
damage. It is advisable, but not necessary, to wipe it dry with your towel
after your shower. It should be cleaned at least weekly with a soft damp
cloth to remove any buildup. If you have hard water and need to use a mild detergent
or a stronger cleaning agent, be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. BEMA
(Bath Enclosure Manufacturing Association) endorses the use of Comet Nonabrasive
Bathroom Cleaner for the safe cleaning of glass and anodized aluminum.
Never use an abrasive cleaner of any kind. Although anodized aluminum
is exceptionally resistant to corrosion, discoloration and
wear, its natural beauty can be marred by harsh chemicals, abuse or neglect. Such conditions
usually affect only the surface finish but do not reduce the service life of the aluminum.
Many glass cleaners can damage the anodized surface of the aluminum if allowed to
remain on the metal for any length of time.
When you use harsh abrasive cleaners or steel wool, you cause the protective anodized coating
to break down. When this happens, you will lose the shiny coating and the bare aluminum
will be exposed and, as a result, will corrode. This corrosion is sometimes called "white rust"
because it looks like white rust. While "white rust" is not pleasant to look at, it will not
affect the durability or safety of your shower enclosure. Removing "white rust" once it
appears is not easy. It is best you prevent damage of the aluminum by taking care when you clean your shower enclosure
by using a nonabrasive cleaner (like comet Nonabrasive Bathroom Cleaner) and a soft,
damp cloth. This will help protect the anodized coating and prevent corrosion of the aluminum.
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Care of Glass
The glass can be kept clean with Comet Nonabrasive Bathroom cleaner
or any glass cleaner you use elsewhere in your home. Rinse off any glass cleaner
that gets on the aluminum as soon as possible to avoid damage to the
anodized surface. (See Care of Aluminum Above) Your glass is tempered safety glass,
manufactured in accordance with federal standards (Consumer Product Safety Code 16CFG1201 II).
It is much stronger than regular (annealed) glass, however it is still
breakable. Avoid striking it with any sharp or hard objects. Such damage
can cause either immediate or, delayed breakage (usually at a time of temperature
change). If your glass does break, it will break instantly into numerous,
very small pieces. This is somewhat starling, but substantially safer than
when annealed glass breaks. These small pieces sometimes cause superficial
cuts, but never cause the severe damage that can occur with nontempered glass.
Never lift 
the shower door panels (on frameless units) by the "through-the-glass"
towel bars (see picture to the right). This can cause the glass to break by putting too much pressure on the holes in the
glass. Also note that leaning too hard on the towel bars can also cause the
glass to break. Instead, lift the door panels by gripping and holding the glass itself.
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A Helpful Hint to Keep Clear Glass Looking Good
To keep your clear glass looking good, it is helpful to squeegee off
the glass with a glass squeegee after each shower. It takes only a minute
or two and will help keep hard-water spots from building up. You will find
that it also helps make cleaning the glass easier and faster when you are
cleaning your shower enclosure.
You might want to buy a small plastic (one that
will not rust) squeegee with a rubber edge and keep it near the shower for just
this purpose. Make sure you get a quality squeegee because they work much
better than poorly made ones.
