Cleaning and restoring a limestone shower can present many unique challenges. Limestone is a type of marble stone but limestone is much more porous than marble and limestone tiles can easily become stained using improper cleaning products and procedures.
When cleaning a limestone shower you can not use any type of acidic cleaning products and you also have to be careful when using even professional alkaline type cleaning products on limestone. Many types of cleaning products can stain a limestone shower by just applying the cleaning product incorrectly. Limestone is also an extremely soft stone and any type of abrasive scrub pads can scratch the limestone or dull the limestone's polished finish.
It is important to periodically clean and seal your limestone shower to keep it looking clean and new. Sealing the limestone shower tiles with a professional tile sealing procedure is essential to protecting the delicate finish of limestone tiles. It is especially important to not let soap scum and hard water deposits build up on your limestone shower walls and floor. If soap scum is allowed to build up in your limestone shower then calcium and lime deposits can start forming under the soap scum. Sealing your limestone shower and periodically cleaning and maintaining your limestone shower will ensure you do not lose the beautiful polished appearance of the limestone shower tiles.
Over time calcium and lime deposits can start eating away at the limestone shower tiles. The limestone in your shower can form ugly white and green calcium and lime deposit stains that look unsightly and can also damage your limestone shower tiles. The calcium and lime deposits can also form voids and divots in your limestone where water can start getting behind your shower walls causing mold and mildew to grow behind your shower walls. In extreme cases mold spores can start forming in your walls causing health problems for your family and pets. Also the wood in your walls can become wet attracting carpenter ants and termites into your home.
Periodically cleaning your limestone shower to remove the soap scum and mineral deposits is the best method to ensuring that your limestone shower will last and will not lose its beautiful finish. Cleaning up the soap scum in a limestone shower is the most difficult task in cleaning and restoring a limestone shower. Limestone is similar to marble in that you can not use any type of acidic products on limestone. Acidic cleaning products will easily etch the finish of the limestone. Consumer level soap scum removing products are acidic in nature and are not recommended to be used in a limestone shower or any other type of stone shower. These consumer soap scum removers work well in normal ceramic or porcelain showers but you should never use them in any type of stone shower.
Professional stone restoration contractors know that there is only one professional soap scum remover that will not harm a limestone showers finish. MB-3 is a professional stone restoration contractors secret weapon in the battle against soap scum in limestone and all other types of stone showers. MB-3 works excellent to loosen up even stubborn soap scum so that it can be gently scrubbed away without damaging the finish of your limestone shower. MB-3 is non acidic so it will not etch the finish of your limestone shower like consumer level soap scum removers. You can also use MB-3 on ceramic and porcelain showers as well to remove stubborn soap scum deposits without damaging your ceramic and porcelain tiles.
Limestone is unique in that it is so extremely porous and soft that even professional stone cleaning products can stain the limestone's finish. Before applying any type of cleaning product to limestone you should always test the cleaner on the limestone first. Many types of stone safe cleaners can actually penetrate deep into the limestone and permanently stain the limestone. The extremely porous nature of limestone and the ability for normal cleaning supplies to penetrate deep into limestone and stain it is one of the many reasons why it is extremely important to have your limestone shower cleaned and sealed on a regular basis. All new limestone shower installations should be sealed before the limestone shower is ever actually used.
When cleaning limestone you should always over dilute your chemical cleaning products with water before applying them to the limestone. It is also important to water down and get the limestone wet before actually applying the any cleaning solutions to your limestone shower. A professional stone restoration soap film cleaning product like MB-3 should not stain your limestone but it is still a good idea to always dilute your cleaning products well and thoroughly wet the limestone before applying any type of cleaning product to the limestone.
You can apply the MB-3 using a spray bottle and generously applying the MB-3 onto the limestone walls. Do not let the MB-3 dry on the shower walls and gently scrub the limestone shower tiles with a soft scrub pad to loosen up the soap scum from the limestone shower walls. It is important not to let the MB-3 dry on the shower walls and you should keep applying more MB-3 solution as needed so the solution does not dry on the limestone shower walls. Keep scrubbing the limestone shower with the soft scrub brush until you have loosened up and removed all of the soap scum from the shower walls and shower floor.
It may take extra scrubbing and a second or even third application to remove heavy deposits of soap scum particularly on the shower floor. You should not use any type of aggressive scrub pad or scrub pad when cleaning the soap scum from the limestone shower. Aggressive scrub pads or scrub brushes can easily scratch or dull the finish of the limestone shower tiles. When you have cleaned all of the soap scum the it is important to thoroughly rinse your shower walls and floors to remove all of the residual soap scum and also to remove all the excess MB-3 soap scum remover from your shower walls and floor.
MB-3 soap scum remover also works well to clean and remove soap scum on glass shower enclosures and shower glass doors. You can use the MB-3 on the shower glass just like you do on the limestone shower walls and floors. Be certain that none of the MB-3 dries on the shower glass and you should only use soft scrub pads when scrubbing down shower glass doors and and shower glass enclosures. Thoroughly rinse your shower glass after you have removed the soap scum and wipe the glass dry with paper towels or a soft cotton cloth to get a streak free shine on your shower glass doors and shower glass enclosures.
Some limestone showers are installed with a highly polished finish while other limestone shower tiles will have an unpolished honed finish. Either of these types of finishes can be damaged if the limestone shower has been neglected. Many limestone showers have been neglected and the new looking finish has deteriorated. Restoring a limestone showers original finish is much more difficult than just cleaning a limestone shower. Many times calcium and lime deposits form where soap scum has been allowed to build up. Also if water is trapped behind caulking then calcium and lime deposits can start forming under the caulk and into the limestone. Calcium deposits can be scrapped away with a razor blade tool but the original finish will will not remain where the calcium deposits were scraped away.
Restoring a limestone shower usually requires recaulking the shower. Also any moldy caulk should be replaced along the limestone shower glass enclosures and along the shower rails. When recaulking a limestone shower you should take extra care when removing the caulk to not scratch the limestone. You should only use a professional utility knife like the Lenox Gold to help you avoid slipping while your are removing the caulk. If you slip with the utility knife then a noticeable scratch will occur wherever the utility knife comes in contact with the limestone tiles.
A normal razor blade holder can also be used to remove the caulking from a limestone shower. When using a razor blade to remove caulking you will have to take care to gently scrape away the caulking without excessively scratching the limestone shower tiles.
When recaulking a limestone shower you should always follow proper recaulking techniques and tape off all your seams before applying new caulk. Using proper caulking techniques will ensure straight caulk lines that enhance the beauty of your shower and do not make your limestone shower look ugly.
Calcium deposits can sometimes be scraped away with a razor blade tool but the limestone tiles finish under the calcium deposits will be dulled and will not match the finish of the other tiles in the limestone shower. In many cases the calcium deposits penetrate deep into the limestone's finish requiring a professional stone restoration contractor to polish your limestone tiles to remove these calcium deposits.
Over time all limestone showers will eventually lose their original finish and must be professionally polished with diamond pads by a professional stone restoration contractor. A professional stone restoration contractor can give your limestone shower a highly polished or honed look depending on how you want your limestone shower to look. You can discuss your limestone shower restoration options with a stone restoration contractor and find out what are your best options for restoring your limestone shower.
Your can read some valuable information about how to hire a stone restoration contractor service on our stone restoration contractor information page here. Stone Restoration Contractor.