Hard Water on Travertine

[RedRock]

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.

[RedRock]

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,

[RedRock]

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.

[RedRock]

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.

[MerciMe]

I have this same problem on my travertine shower floor but not as bad. The walls are ceramic and don't show any signs of this deposit. It appears to me to be from the water because it is only on the floor against the wall where the water hits directly. If it were soap, I would think I would have a trail to the drain but I don't. We have to run our hot water a while to get it to the right temperature and I think that has aggravated the problem. I have been told not to use any abrasive chemical such as vinegar, tilex, bleach so have no idea how I can get this off. I think the Aqua Mix would be just as strong. Did anyone come up with a solution?

[cx]

Evonne, this thread is about eight years old and a completely different type of tile. You'll do a whole lot better to start your own thread with photos of your problem area and specifics about your tile and grout.

[MDS]

First off, that "recipe" is an old internet prank. When you mix baking soda and vinegar you will get an instant reaction and a foamy mess (the old science project volcano simulation),

Soap scum is a kind of wax that is created when a chemical in bar soap mixes with minerals found in either hard water or natural stone. It is pretty resistant to most cleaners. Some retail grade acid based cleaners are somewhat effective (e.g. CLR or KaBoom), but acid based cleaners should not be used on marble or other calcium based stone as they will etch & degrade the finish. The best soap scum cleaner for marble that I have seen is MB-3 (LINK). Even with this stuff, a heavy film will take time to remove.

Eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) new soap scum by keeping bar soap out of the shower.

[Eugene]

Effectively remove soap scum/film not any cleaner needed!

Just buy pack of razor blades and optionally blade hand-holder and scrub the film by moving blade on tile surface with 45 degree angle.

Just make sure you move blade by parallel motions and change blades regularly, otherwise you will scratch a marble.

Here are more shower restoration pictures