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windy_chime

Help! Cleaning mishap!!

8 years ago
I used a cleaning product on my shower floor ( stone mosaic) and it left it white and splotchy! I rinsed and rinsed, used baking soda to neutralize but nothing works. I know it was sealed .. I had no idea it was real stone! We just had it done a year ago. Any suggestion on how to restore without a re-do? Thank you!

Comments (15)

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Call a stone restoration company like this: http://www.nsmarble.com/

    And then listen carefully to their advice regarding cleaning method/products for natural stone here forward. :)

  • 8 years ago
    May I ask what you used on it? We have the exact same stone in one of our bathrooms.
  • 8 years ago
    SKMom - I use Kitchen and Tile cleaner ( CLR) gentle formula..it said safe for everyday use.. however I didn’t know that this flooring would be considered marble. We sunk a lot of $$ into this shower, my huge mistake. I can’t pay to have professional out after the expense of new build. Ugh!
  • 8 years ago
    I don’t recommend.
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Acidic cleaners and stone products, oops. And better reseal that after you finally get it clean. So sorry.


  • 8 years ago
    Thank you for letting me know what did that. I'm so sorry that happened. We have two showers that have stone floors, I always use a vinegar/dawn soap mixture on our glass doors and bleach products (or straight bleach) as needed and it hasn't been a problem at all. One shower floor has been there a couple of years, the other one is probably 4 years old now.
    My husband was wondering if it just reacted poorly to the sealer? I hope you find a solution that doesn't cost much.
  • 8 years ago
    Thanks.. unfortunately too many advisors on the web say to use vinegar and water to cut hard water ( Arizona) on tile. Not a lot of options as I have tried stone cleaner with no success.
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Windy, "tile" can mean many different materials. Ceramic? Sure. And even then issues with the grout. But very different requirements than natural stone. If you don't have a water softener, there can be problems with maintenance , no matter the surfaces. We always educate our clients based on their water system when they make material selections. The web (and realize we are there right now), can be a dangerous place. A trusted and vetted professional, onsite, is a great resource. You say "I can’t pay to have professional out after the expense of new build. Ugh!" Who installed it in the first place? It was done a year ago so go back to your contractor and ask for assistance, to start. Did they leave you with maintenance instructions? I might start there. Again, sorry that you are experiencing this problem.

  • 8 years ago

    It might help to wipe down all surfaces of the shower following the showers for the day. I have slight hard water and I have to wipe a chrome faucet daily or it will water spot on the flat surfaces. I wipe my shower walls and doors down daily following the days showers and never have to clean. My floor is a cast iron pan and that I just leave wet and clean periodically. Just suggesting this routine for the future, so you won't get build up of lime and soap scum.

  • 8 years ago
    Thank you .. I hired an independent contractor to install tile and stone outside our home builder, they did a horrible tile job. .. the color of stone is dark as is shower the tile (concrete look) we squeegee it daily .. today was just a fluke that I decided to try an over the counter product .. live and learn. My husband is going to seal a small corner to see if it darkens the stone again. Thanks for your tips! We have water softener loop just haven’t hooked it up yet..
  • 8 years ago

    Dragonfly, do you have a product you recommend for natural stone?

  • 8 years ago
    I was researching last night, there are products on Amazon that help etching of natural stone..some good reviews. I feel at this point I need to leave it alone until I can get a pro to maybe buff and seal it. It looks better today for some reason.
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Windy, many of our clients use The MB products: http://www.mbstonecare.com/  Specifically, they like the MB-1 for floors and the MB-5 for countertops (but some just use the MB-5 for everything).They also have some specialty products for "problems" or more serious issues. The MB-3 Soap Film Remover works well. We do not recommend their sealer only because we are not familiar with it and have our own preferred professional brand. But, there are many cleaning products available that are non-acidic and specified for use on natural stone (available at hardware and big box stores).

  • 8 years ago
    Thank you! Appreciate your time and advice! Will look into that and follow up at a later time to share any remedies we end up discovering.