Cleaning shower - vinegar too acidic?

5 years ago

I keep reading of the wonders of diluted vinegar solution for cleaning... well.. just about anything. But occasionally I see comments that vinegar is too acidic for grout and will eat away at it. What is the best cleaning solution for a shower, especially one that has a lot of grout on the floor? I don't want to erode away at my hard work...

I'm not talking about deep cleaning a long -neglected shower that's got a lot of buildup, but just regular maintenance of a newly installed shower :)

Thanks!

Featured Answer

PRO

Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.

5 years ago

Use a PH neutral cleaner (many available including in big box stores). We like MB5 Stone Care (which is good for stone AND man made tile - buy online with a quart size and the gallon refills. Laticrete also makes some great cleaners (check out their website), as do other professional tile product manufacturers. Never use vinegar on grout. Now, the most important thing you can do to keep the tile and grout clean is to use good ventilation during and after (20-30 minutes after) showering. Fans have a major impact! Always keep shower door open when not showering. Keep a good squeegee in the shower and a large microfiber towel. Get in the habit of a quick squeegee and wipe down before you leave the shower (don't need to dry the floor, just a quick squeegee in direction of drain). This only takes a few minutes (minor investment in the long run). It's all about accelerating the drying process, not drying the shower surfaces entirely. Don't overuse the cleaning products. Once a week for a regularly used shower is plenty.

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Comments (6)

PRO
Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.
5 years ago
What type of tile? Porcelain, ceramic, natural stone?
PRO
User
5 years ago
A pH balanced tile and stone cleaner is always the right product. ZEP makes one. Vinegar does not clean or sanitize anything. It fights with the alkalinity of detergents and actually makes them less effective at cleaning.
thisisnotadrill thanked User
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PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
5 years ago
as dragonfly states, you make this choice based on type of tile, and type/ brand of grout and what if any metal may be in your shower. youve not supplied enough info yet.
thisisnotadrill
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Sorry, I left out the most important information! Sheesh.

Shower walls are polished porcelain, shower floor is pebble tile made of recycled glass. The grout is Laticrete Permacolor. Chrome fixtures. If it matters, we don't have hard water - it's actually on the soft side.

Thanks again.
thisisnotadrill
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you! this is exactly what i needed and more. We've got the squeegee and we are in the habit of using it after every shower. I'll look into the shower products. So helpful!