Cleaners reveal the $7 secret behind their most impressive shower and oven transformations

There are plenty of hacks and tips for getting cloudy shower glass back to sparkling, or a filthy oven door crystal clear again. But one of the most effective tools for these jobs, and many more, is likely one you’ve never heard of, even though it’s in most cleaners’ kits.

When there are layers of stubborn build up from baked-on grease or soap scum on a surface, many professional cleaners will remove it with a tool you can find at hardware stores for as little as $6.99.

That tool is razor scrapers or scraper blades, which both Simone Tsigolis, founder of Jetlag Remedy, and Amy Murray, owner of Murrays Cleaning, use daily. Tsigolis told nine.com.au scrapers do a job cleaning chemicals can’t.

“Most cleaning products work by dissolving or lifting soil, which is fine for anything soft or greasy, but a lot of what makes a house look tired is hardened and bonded to the surface. Mineral deposit on shower glass, carbonised grease on an oven door, paint flecks and builder's residue on windows, old sticker glue - you can spray that all day and it won't shift,” she said.

“A blade shears it off at the surface instead. It's mechanical rather than chemical, so it's faster, it uses far less product, and the result is genuinely better. There are shower screens people have written off as needing replacement that come back to clear glass with a blade, about 10 minutes and some patience.”

Surfaces safe for razor scrapers

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It’s not as simple as just taking a razor scraper to any dirty surface – you need to know whether the surface is suitable for it.

“The rule I’d give people is [scrapers can generally be used on] hard, flat, non-porous and uncoated. If it’s plastic, painted, laminate, timber, stainless, an acrylic bath or tinted glass, put the blade down. It’s easy to get somewhat carried away,” Tsigolis said.

Murray added, “If we aren't sure [if razor scrapers can be used on a surface], we'll check the manufacturer's recommendations, test an inconspicuous area or choose another method. It's not worth damaging an expensive surface to save ourselves a few minutes of cleaning.”

Once you’ve checked a scraper can be used on a surface, you’ll need to know how to use it. 

The first thing to note here is that cleaning product needs to be applied to the surface before you go in with the razor scraper as this softens the build up so it can be easily removed by the scraper.

The surface should remain wet during the scraping process and the blade needs to be held at a low angle, almost flat on the surface.

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Cleaning shower glass with scraper blades

What makes razor scrapers so effective on a surface like shower glass is that it can remove years of soap scum buildup from bar soap or minerals from hard water deposits.

“Spray a bathroom or soap scum remover and give it five to ten minutes to work. Then, with the glass still wet, run the blade at a low angle, roughly 30 degrees, almost flat to the surface. Long overlapping passes in one direction, not a back and forth scrubbing motion,” Tsigolis said.

“The biggest mistake is dry scraping. A dry blade drags grit across the glass and that's what causes scratching, not the blade itself. Keep it wet the whole time, and wipe the blade clean every few passes so you're not dragging the same bit of grit around.”

Murray recommended listening as you use the scraper to prevent dragging something gritty across the shower screen and checking your shower glass is suitable before using one on it.

“Not every shower screen is suitable either. If the glass is coated, treated, tinted, frosted or textured, you need to know exactly what you're dealing with before putting a blade anywhere near it,” she said.

Cleaning oven doors with scraper blades

Using razor scrapers on oven glass is a similar process, and starts by adding a cleaning product, such as a degreaser, to the surface to soften baked-on grease.

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“We keep the area lubricated and work carefully rather than digging the blade into the surface. You also need to watch for coatings, printed markings, trims and seals on oven doors. We don’t just assume the whole door can be scraped,” Murray said.

Once she and her team are finished using a razor scraper on an oven door, Murray said they’ll dispose of it as a used blade can cause damage.

“Even if you've rinsed it and it looks perfectly fine, we're not risking it. Once that blade has been through baked-on grease, food and carbon, its job is done,” she explained.

Cleaning stovetops with razor scrapers

Stovetops are another area of the home razor scrapers can be used for, if they are the right type.

“On ceramic and induction glass cooktops, a scraper is not just safe. It’s what the manufacturers recommend, a lot of brands include one in the box,” Tsigolis said.

“What you can’t do is use a blade on stainless, enamel or painted gas cooktops. Stainless in particular will mark and you can’t undo it.”

The method for cleaning stovetops with a razor scraper is similar to the oven door and shower glass. 

“Let a cooktop cream cleaner sit on the burnt-on bits first, keep the surface lubricated, hold the blade nearly flat and push in one direction. Don't do it on a hot cooktop,” Tsigolis said.

When to use plastic scrapers

If the scraper isn’t able to remove the grime on a surface, Murray warned not to use more pressure and instead try leaving your cleaning product for longer before applying the blade.

Scrapers with blades aren’t the only scraping option available, plastic ones are useful too, but both cleaners said they’re not interchangeable, rather they are useful for different surfaces.

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“They’re great when something needs a bit of help to lift, but we’re not comfortable putting a metal blade onto the surface. Think about a vinyl flooring with chewing gum stuck to the flooring- we wouldn’t use a razor blade on it but a plastic scraper we would,” Murray said.

Tsigolis added, “What they won't do is shear hardened mineral deposit or carbonised grease. Plastic flexes and skates over it, so you end up scrubbing harder and using more chemical, which is worse for the surface than a properly used steel blade would have been.”

Safety tips for razor scrapers

If you want to try using a razor scraper, there are several safety tips to keep in mind because they are, as you’d expect, very sharp.

Using a fresh blade for each cleaning job is recommended, and when you dispose of the used one make sure it’s placed in something like a jar so that the person handling the rubbish later stays safe.

It’s also important to wear gloves and use a holder designed specifically for these blades.

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“On the damage side, almost every scratched shower screen I’ve seen came from one of four things; dry scraping, grit trapped under the blade, a blade with a tiny nick in the edge, or holding it too upright,” Tsigolis said.

“A nicked blade will draw a hairline scratch the full length of every pass, and you won’t notice until the glass dries.”

If you’re unsure about using razor scrapers but think they could help restore a surface with stubborn grime, one option is to try one on a small inconspicuous area first.

Another option is to hire a professional cleaner with experience using them, as this will be more effective than paying to replace a damaged surface.

Once an area has been cleaned with a razor scraper, consider what you can do to keep the surface in better condition so that you don’t need to use them anytime soon.

“A scraper doesn't fix the underlying problem in a shower. If the glass is building up deposit that quickly, it's usually because it's never squeegeed or the bathroom isn't drying out properly. The blade is the reset, the daily habit is what keeps it that way,” Tsigolis said.