Is glass mosaic tile a pain to keep clean in a shower?

15 years ago

I finally decided on tile for my son's shower - pale blue 3/4" glass mosaic. I want the inside of the shower to look like the shallow end of a swimming pool. But my husband is nixing the idea, he thinks it will be too hard to keep clean, and is concerned about mold and mildew in the grout lines. The edges of each tile are somewhat irregular. Can anyone with "real world" mosaic experience give me the real scoop? I try to keep a clean house, but am by no means Martha Stewart. But I'm also not a total slacker :)

Thanks!

Jenna

Featured Answer

Anna Vegia
Original Author

15 years ago

Hi Mongo,

OK, I'll admit that does scare me a little bit. We have very hard water. So far it hasn't been a problem, b/c I've been pretty good about keeping up with it, but we've only been here for 4 years. Right now we have those fiberglass shower units. Not the most glamorous, but a maintenance dream. As far as lotions and potions, fortunately it will only be used by one little boy. I'll make sure to buy Zest. Conversely, unfortunately, it will only be used by one little boy, who may not want to take the time to rinse it down after using it when he's older ;)

Ventilation and drainage shouldn't be an issue. I'm using a Kohler shower receptor, which I hope is sloped properly. The bathroom has a window and a ventilation fan.

Thank you so much for the advice. Maybe now is the time to invest in a water softener too. Ka-ching, there I go... spending more of my husband's hard-earned money!

Thanks again,
Jenna

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Comments (8)

MongoCT
15 years ago
Jenna,

Mold spores are everywhere. When they find a moist location, they can bloom. So the key is ventilation to remove humid air and a properly sloped pan on the floor to prevent the floor from retaining moisture.

Soap, shampoo, and conditioners can also have an effect, in terms of residue left on the walls or floor. After a consumers report article years ago we switched to Zest soap, and sure enough, it rinses much cleaner than the soaps we had previously used.

Mt wife has a collection of lotions and potions (shampoos and conditioners), some rinse less well than others.

If you have hard water, the minerals could leave residue on the tile.

One thing to consider is having a hand held shower that you can take off the wall and use that to rinse down the walls after you shower. It only takes a few seconds. If you need additional help, some use a squeegee and give the walls and floor a quick once-over, that can prevent mineral deposits being left on the wall from hard water.

In general, taking in all the negatives, if you have a tough situation, your hubby is right in that less grout can mean less maintenance issues.

But in a well-designed, well ventilated, and well-built shower, you should have no problems to begin with.

Mongo
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annkathryn
15 years ago
I have glass tiles in the shower of my sons' bathroom (teenagers!) They squeegee the shower door but don't squeegee the tiles, and they look fine after over a year of use. I had a water softener installed right after I redid the bathroom because we have very hard water in my area.
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blondelle
15 years ago
Don't the newer grouts have fungicides built right into the grout though? I'm also wondering how the grout can get dirty when it gets washed each time the shower is used. It should stay clean naturally...no?
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MongoCT
15 years ago
Jenna, Just to clarify, what I was trying to communicate is that a well built shower will perform well if it is a lot of tile and little grout or a lot of grout and a little tile.

The rest of the post (hard water, oily lotions, residue-leaving soaps) was just to let you know that regardless of how well a shower is constructed, outside influences can also have an effect.

Blondelle, yes you are correct. Grouts nowadays have mildewcides in them, and yes, all a well-built shower needs nowadays is a quick rinse and they'll pretty much take care of themselves.

Mongo
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MongoCT
15 years ago
annkathryn,

Nice looking shower!

Mongo
Anna Vegia
Original Author
15 years ago
OK, you guys have convinced me - I'm going for it! Thank you so much for the input, I feel a lot better about it...
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bodiCA
15 years ago
Dial Clean Rinse is another great option. I even use it when I travel to be sure jet tubs are clean before I decide if I really want a shower or bath.
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