dvd Interior Design

View Original

How To Clean A Stone Shower

Kitchen Design, Bath

By Deborah von Donop

See this gallery in the original post

My top tips on How to Clean a Stone Shower

Why use natural stone in showers?

When creating a durable yet beautiful shower, you cannot go wrong with natural stone! Here are the benefits of natural stone showers!

Natural stone is a great way to enhance the aesthetics of your shower and create the bathroom design of your dreams!

Increases your home’s value with natural stone

Another reason why many homeowners are installing natural stone showers in their homes is because it increases their home’s value! Your home value will more than likely increase when you implement natural stone in any part of your home, including your shower! 

On top of home value, natural stone is also a sustainable, long-term investment. Although the initial investment cost can be higher than other materials, when properly maintained, there is not a better return on investment than natural stone!
 

See this content in the original post

Easy to maintain

Lastly, natural stone is very easy to maintain, especially in your shower! As long as you establish a regular cleaning and maintenance routine, your natural stone shower will look great for years! Below are some tips on how to properly maintain your natural stone shower!

  • Take care of the grout - grout is a porous material that, if not properly sealed, can become damaged by water

  • Use stone-specific cleaning products - using cleaning products that are recommended for stone rather than common household cleaners will help protect your stone from potential damages



Installing a natural stone shower in your home is one of the best ways to create a beautiful bathroom design and increase the value of your home.

Joanna Gaines - Homes and Gardens

5 Simple tips for cleaning your stone shower

1. Clean stone weekly.

Cleaning your stone shower once a week can help reduce grime, water deposits, and mildew build-up. Use stone-safe products, rather than vinegar or ammonia. Such products are too harsh on stone; their acids break down sealants and discolor surfaces.

2. Only treat mildew and mold with bleach.

While bleach is a standard cleaning product for most showers, it can be too harsh if excessively used on stone. However, spraying a one-to-one bleach-to-water mixture directly on mildew/mold will kill the bacteria almost instantly. After spraying, gently scrub the area with a bristle brush, let soak for 10-15 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

Want to make your own solution for cleaning natural stone?

Use a 1/2 cup of any of the following: ammonia, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide and a gallon of water. Reminder: do not mix bleach and ammonia. On light-colored stones, clean with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. On dark-colored stones, clean with lacquer thinner or acetone.



Learn More About How to Budget for a Kitchen RemodelOur guide to remodeling a kitchen on a budget shares the average costs of each aspect of a DIY kitchen remodel – from floors to cabinets – and tips for saving on each one.



3. Steam clean it.

The best way to clean your stone shower is with steam. Steam loosens up the stone pores and makes cleaning easier, try cleaning your stone after using the shower. Increase steam cleaning’s effectiveness by calling a cleaning expert. They will use hot water extraction steam cleaning methods to give your stone shower an impactful deep clean.  Plus, they will seal your stone to make your cleaning last longer!


How often should you seal stone shower floor?

If over time you start to see any water seeping into the surface of your stone, this will be a good point to give it a quick seal. To keep it simple though, in areas with average wear, it's a good idea to reseal your tiles every 3 or 4 years. So to answer the question, you should seal your stone every 3-4 years.

4. Clean with a microfiber towel or nylon pad

To avoid detrimental scratches, clean tile and stone with softer sponges. Nylon, microfiber, and soft brushes will help clean stone without damaging its sealant. You can also keep a microfiber towel near the shower to easily soak up and remove excess water after each use.

5. Scrub the grout with an old toothbrush.

When you’re cleaning your natural stone, don’t neglect the grout. Similar to the stone, use soft bristles, such as an old toothbrush. With a stone-safe grout cleaner, gently scrub to lift and clean the grime. Rinse with warm water.

See this content in the original post

BEST PRACTICES

Tile and Stone:

  • 1 Select materials thoughtfully and layer them with care

  • 2 Make certain that grids align from floor to wall

  • 3 There should be no unsightly cuts (plan ahead)

  • 4 Use the smallest grout joints possible

  • 5 Select grout color in the planning phase

  • 6. Dry lay the material by opening all boxes and blending material for color variation

  • 7 Request that your installer make a small sampling of his installation with grout on a piece of plywood or drywall

  • 8. Vet your contractor by viewing completed projects he has done before

  • 9 Select your contractor by the quality of his work and not the price

Read More

Read these related posts to learn more…

See this gallery in the original post
See this content in the original post

PIN IT!

Use pinterest to save your favorite tips and ideas and be sure to follow dvdInteriorDesign’s board here.

MEET THE AUTHOR: Deborah von Donop

Deborah is the mom, wife, and design lover behind dvd Interior Design. She is obsessed with creating a timeless and authentic home. She has been an Interior Designer since 2003, guiding clients with functional layouts, the best products and finishes, and sharing her expertise in kitchen design and cabinetry. Deborah writes weekly and is also a contributor to Aspire Magazine, iBlog, Lush Design, a speaker on social media and digital products, and more!

LET'S CONNECT!

Instagram Pinterest Learn More

Make sure to check out our weekly features on our SALES PAGE!

Weekly Obsessions

See this content in the original post

Related Articles

See this content in the original post

“ Once you start putting your creative energy into your space, you will start to feel something for that space that you didn’t feel before! “ - Deborah von Donop - dvd Interior Design

Let’s Connect

Whether you are looking to reinvigorate your space or just want to talk design, we would love to introduce you to some of our work and discuss how we can help.

I can help you with a refresh, setting up a new home, or advice on a renovation for your home. Call me for a consultation. Let me turn your decorating experience into a positive one. 

Contact me here.

*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may receive a small commission from the vendor at no cost to you. I only share things that I love and hope you will too!