Shower Care Tips

"You don't get anything clean without getting something else dirty." —Cecil Baxter

A shower can be a relaxing reprieve from a humid busy workday or a refreshing end to a vacation day at the beach.  But if a shower stall is covered in soap scum, buildup or mildew, the experience can be less than enjoyable.   

One of the big problems in showers is soap scum buildup.  Soap scum is a combination of soap plus minerals, so not only does the lime scale make the soap scum stick, but hard water produces more soap scum.  

In Maui, very hard water lends to extra soap scum and waterspots in the shower, both on the walls and the glass.

Glass has microscopic ridges and valleys that collect soap scum and lime scale.  If left untreated, this can cause deterioration which causes glass to collect hard water stains at a faster rate.  The best plan of action for shower glass is to get it and keep it spot free with regular maintenance.  Coarse abrasives to remove water spots are not recommended because they can provide a temporary solution, but cause a bigger problem in the long run.     

To reduce soap scum and waterspots:

• Switch to Bath Gel instead of bar soap
• Use a squeegee on shower glass and walls after each shower
• Use a daily cleaner on shower surfaces when sunscreen and tanning oils are used (waxes and oils contribute to soap scum build up)

Deep Clean and Seal Showers, Glass and Grout with a hydrophobic impregnator.  Deep cleaning is required to prepare for sealing.  Water repellant penetrating sealers help water to bead or sheet off of surfaces.  This helps slow buildup and is part of a good maintenance program.

A professional stone and tile service will likely include a treatment application of professional mildewcide to slow mold growth and staining.  

Call or Contact EUROTECH Maui for all your Natural Stone, Grout, Tile, and Glass Care needs

808.877.0222

Floor Care Tip - Cleaning Products for Stone, Tile and Grout

When stone and tile floors are sticky after mopping, or if carpets get dirty in the areas where you spot treated, it might be a product problem.

Using a residue free cleaner and proper rinsing may be the solution for stone, tile and carpeted floors.

Turn up your volume and Click Play.

Floor Cleaning - To Bleach or Not to Bleach

The question of what to clean floors with comes up on almost every floor service we do. Whether or not to use bleach is another FAQ. Here are some basic guidelines to keeping stone and tile floors clean:

Keep doormats inside and outside of doorways if possible to trap dirt.

Daily Cleaning
Sweep and vacuum a lot more often than mopping.

If and when you mop, keep a bucket of clean rinse water and use a clean mop head. Dirty mops and dirty mopwater are the leading culprit of dirty grout and stone.

Use the right floor cleaning products: When you are doing daily cleaning, bleach is NOT recommended. Whether it is natural stone or ceramic tile, you'll want to avoid bleach and bleach based products. The constant exposure to bleach will damage stone and break down grout over time. Bleach also destroys most penetrating sealers that are used on grout and stone. We recommend using a neutral stone and tile cleaner for daily cleaning. We like Rinseless Cleaner because it doesn't leave behind a soapy residue. Residue buildup can make the floors look worse over time than they should.

Deep Cleaning and Stain Removal
NEVER use bleach on natural stone as it could leave a permanent mark that needs professional restoration. When you have a one time stain removal, bleach is okay for ceramic tile. But, be sure the material is really ceramic tile and not a natural stone. If you are going to use bleach on ceramic tile and grout, we strongly recommend triple rinsing the bleach to prevent any damage and to preserve the sealer as much as possible. Bead test the grout after cleaning to see if the sealer is still in tact. If water quickly soaks into the grout, we recommend a professional sealing. On natural stone, you should always contact a professional to address stains. The risk of damaging natural stone with do it yourself stain removal is too high to make it worthwhile.

So, use a non-residue stone and tile cleaning product for daily cleaning. And get professional recommendations when you're dealing with stain removal and setting up a floor maintenance program. We want to help you make your floor lifespan and clean appearance last as long as possible.

CONTACT US