Hard Water on Travertine

[RedRockTile]

I posted a similar question a few weeks ago and it was suggested that I post some pictures. So, here they are. The last picture is some hard water on their granite vanity top.

Here is the situation: The homeowner asked me about cleaning the hard water deposits from their stone shower as well as fix some cracked grout in the corners. So, I took a look at the shower and could see the hard water deposits on the stone as well as some soap scum. They said they tried lots of cleaners but none really worked or the ones they found did not recommend for use on stone.

Any suggestions would be helpful. I'll be attending Surfaces in Vegas next month and am hoping there are some people there that can offer some advice also.

[RedRockTile]

Oh yea, the second picture is of a tile that she "cleaned" with a steam cleaner. This picture also shows a closeup of the hard water/soap deposits.

[the tiling Machine]

Hi
Red rock
This is a handy spray on grout and stone cleaner for frequent use. It is good for removing soap scum and cleaning tile counters.
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/3 cup of ammonia
1/4 cup of white vinegar
7 cups of water
Combine all the ingredients in a labeled spray bottle and shake well to mix. Do not use this in conjunction with chlorine bleach or where chlorine bleach has been used. Simply spray it on and then wipe with a damp sponge or cloth. No rinsing required
Good luck
Sandro

[Steven Hauser]

Hi Juan,

Although the solution recommended by the tiling machine can remove deposits, it must be noted that it can also remove the top layer of the travertine surface as well.

You will need to do more work to remove the deposit, first, apply a strong alkaline cleaner, agitate this solution with a brush vigorously, shop vac the residue and rinse with clear water. Inspect and do it again if necessary, the come back with ammonia diluted to 33.3% in water and apply to the surface, agitate with a brush and then remove. Finally a clear rinse with clean water.

Because the mineral deposit is so prevalent, someone needs to be aware that either fixing the water source, or doing this weekly will be required.

Good luck,

[RedRockTile]

Thanks for the info, we'll give it a try.

Do you recommend that the stone be re-sealed/enhanced?

[Davestone]

With all the damage done to it with minerals and cleaning it would probably be necessary.

[RedRockTile]

Just thought I'd follow up on this cleaning project. I spoke with several companies about what types of cleaner might help on this shower. I tried 6 different cleaners including the suggestions made here. Here are the my results.

1. Stone Care International - Countertop Spray Cleaner
2. Miracle Sealants - Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Cleaner
3. Ammonia solution
4. Ammonia, vinegar, soda solution
5. Aqua Mix - Tile and Stone Floor Cleaner
6. CLR

All of them were applied according to directions given and a nylon scrubby pad was used. None of them made a significant difference. I was hoping for something more thorough. From the photo, you can see where I ended up using my fingernail to scratch off the film on the tile. I then tried using a more aggressive nylon pad (from Superior Tools) and the same 6 cleaners with a lot of elbow grease. About the same results for all of them. The one clean tile was using the Aqua Mix cleaner and heavy on the scrubbing. The AM seemed to keep the scum in suspension and off the scrubby better than the rest.

I think the main problem on this shower is more soap scum than hard water. My next step is to find a good scrubby pad that I can put on a low rpm machine.